One of the key goals of Womankind Worldwide is to strengthen women’s movements.
Why? Because the global women’s movement is made up of activists and organisations, and when they come together, they have the collective power to influence change in policies, laws, attitudes, and behaviours towards women. These changes are often impactful and long-lasting.
Coming together in movements can provide a vital source of hope and solidarity in the face of violence, inequality,and discrimination.
But it may shock you to know that little of the funding allocated towards tackling gender inequality reaches women’s rights organisations! In fact, from 2017-2018, women’s rights organisations received only 0.13% of the total foreign aid budget, and only0.4% of all gender-related funding. (1)
Introducing our Movement Strengthening Fund
The movement strengthening fund is an initiative from Womankind Worldwide that supports our partner organisations to foster a stronger and more intersectional women's movement.
Our movement strengthening fund is a direct response to the chronic underfunding of women’s rights work. This fund places grants in the hands of local women’s rights organisations quickly, with few conditions, so they can meet the needs of their movement, often not funded by other big funders.
Here are just two examples from the nine partner organisations that have received grant funding and have already put it to work:
The Movement Strengthening Fund supported National Indigenous Women’s Federation (NIWF) in Nepal to create and strengthen local committees and councils of indigenous women in 61 districts.
Through the committees and councils, local indigenous women are now supported to learn and demand their rights. The grant helped better connect them with the national movement for indigenous women’s rights in Nepal.
In Zimbabwe, Deaf Women Included (DWI) wanted to ensure they were reaching the most marginalised women with disabilities and welcome them into their movement.
Using funds from the Movement Strengthening Fund, Deaf Women Included ran feminist and disability workshops and created a documentaryon women with disabilities and their inclusion in the feminist movement. Additionally, they created materials on feminist resources and principles in sign language and Braille.
“Before I met DWI, I was abused both by my immediate family and the society at large. DWI has helped me in so many ways. I feel so empowered physically and mentally.
To attend a workshop for people with disabilities for me, it felt like joining a family that does not discriminate against me or instil fear in me. I felt… I wasn’t alone.”
- Fortune, workshop attendee
Thank you for supporting us as we pledge to find better and more efficient ways to fund the activists and organisations who are changing our world for the better.
With best wishes,
Hannah Little
Supporter Care Team Womankind Worldwide
Header image: Women dance at an event with Womankind partners Polycom in Nairobi, Kenya. (Credit: Peter Gichuki)
Womankind statement on events in Gaza
In light of unfolding events in Gaza, Womankind add our voice to concern over the rising civilian deaths in this escalating crisis. Peace, freedom, and justice must prevail. Read Womankind's statement here.
Source: (1) 'Where is the Money for Feminist Organizing? Data Snapshots and A Call to Action', Association for Women's Rights in Development [AWID], 2021.
