According to the World Health Organisation of 39 million blind people in the world, 64% are girls and women. That is more than 25 million women in the world who are blind. 90 per cent of them live in poor and developing countries where cultural, social and economic factors act as a barrier for women to access information, medication, eye tests and surgery – leaving women more exposed to blindness. The risk of going blind from trachoma in Africa is now up to four times greater for women than it is for men.