Against a backdrop of chaos, crisis, and rupture, I choose to close this year with hope.

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Dear John,

When I think about 2024, a few words come to mind: chaos, crisis, and rupture. You, too, might be feeling discouraged.

Across the globe, we witnessed vehement backlash against women and LGBTQ+ people’s rights and freedoms, increased conflict, and environmental deterioration. We also saw a move toward more right-wing populism and authoritarianism in many of the elections held in over 60 countries.

So yes, 2024 has been a challenging year. And yet, there is and will always be hope. In fact, we have a moral obligation to water the seedlings of radical and loving hope to sustain movements for change. The journey of fighting for change is not linear; we will have setbacks and these moments reorient us, reinvigorate our actions, and propel us forward.

For Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism, providing fast and flexible support to feminist movements led by women, trans, and non-binary activists remains one of the critical antidotes to a world in peril. From the history of liberation struggles and our 27 years of experience, we know what to do. We know that supporting movements to be strong, safe, and powerful is our best bet toward realizing a world that is just, equal, and free for everyone.

Against this backdrop, I choose to close this year with hope. I am inspired by the ingenuity and resilience of feminist movements despite living in difficult contexts intent on suppressing their imagination, resolve, and work.

This year, we provided 631 grants to activists and groups in 45 countries—a 23% increase from last year. This is indicative of not only the growing need for support by activists in the contexts we work in but also our capacity and commitment to remain agile and responsive to those needs.

I am inspired by our grantee partners in Georgia, who have been leading yearlong protests against a law that aims to restrict and surveil civil society activities. To support these partners, we provided a range of grants, including support for raising awareness about the impacts of this law, accessing legal assistance, and enhancing staff safety and collective care.

A similar law in Kyrgyzstan is forcing human rights organizations to close down. We provided a grant to one of these organizations to establish a new, independent entity abroad while prioritizing the well-being of its staff. We also supported a grantee partner to develop a safety plan to mitigate threats and access to sensitive information in response to the adoption of a harmful anti-LGBTQIA law.

In Lebanon, where the war has caused mass displacement, we provided a range of grants, most notably those focused on providing support to migrant workers, Syrian and Palestinian refugees, and gender-diverse people who are being excluded from public and communal relief efforts. We supported a feminist organization in establishing an emergency communal kitchen to provide warm daily meals to women and psychosocial support to children.

In the U.S., we provided a grant to a group to purchase portable solar units to support tribal communities in southeast coastal Louisiana, which are often the last to get services restored in disasters.

These are just a few examples of all the incredible work that gives me hope.

As we close 2024, I want to thank you for being part of our community and for your enduring support and commitment to feminist movements.

We know we have a tough road ahead of us. But we also know feminist movements have unrelenting determination—they will continue to work tirelessly to transform the world. Thank you for showing up in solidarity with them.

Warmly,

Kate Kroeger
Executive Director
Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism

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