Getting involved with organisations that take action
With a global budget of €15 million spread over 4 years, Feminists in Action supports independent organisations in Global South in their struggle for a truly egalitarian world
ONCE UPON A TIME...
Feminists are relentless in their efforts to build an egalitarian world. Activists in community-based organisations are pioneering a new way of building society and ensuring that all people have access to the same rights, freedoms and opportunities. Feminism is about far more than just the concerns of ‘half the population’!
Despite their essential role in building a more just society, feminist civil society organisations (CSOs) are severely under-resourced: only 0.13%* of official development assistance is directly allocated to feminist CSOs.
As women’s rights are never definitively won, and are now increasingly being challenged, there is an urgent need to support women’s movements.
As part of the FSOF (Fonds de Solidarité avec les Organisations Féministes—Feminist Organisations Solidarity Fund), co-piloted by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE—Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires Étrangères) and the French Development Agency (AFD—Agence Française de Développement), the Feminists in Action initiative aims to offer solutions to the lack of resources and consideration from which most feminist organisations in Southern countries are suffering.
Three international NGOs and three feminist funds are joining forces and voices to support the struggles of CSOs on the ground in Southern countries. Feminists in Action represents 4 years and 4 key priorities aimed at really stirring up the hornet’s nest of gender bias! A feminist approach to funding, encouraging joint action and knowledge sharing, is at the heart of our approach. Want to find out more? Let’s get started!
*Source : Où est l’argent pour l’organisation des mouvements féministes ? AWID, 2021.
Our objectives
1
Provide secure and flexible financial resources directly on the ground. Involving the strengthening of structures and the implementation of projects and joint activities between organisations, the available funding aims to provide concrete support to nearly 200 organisations in Southern countries that are involved in issues of equality, women’s and girls’ rights and gender equality.
2
Developing the capacity of feminist CSOs in order to empower them to achieve profound changes in attitudes, institutions and laws, whether at the local, national or international level. We support their structural and organisational development, particularly by offering training and assistance in drafting strategic plans.
3
Promoting the creation of partnerships and the sharing of knowledge and expertise between organisations on the ground. Feminists in Action encourages networking to increase the reach of its message through the implementation of joint advocacy activities.
Whether climatic, political, financial or health-related, crises exacerbate existing inequalities in terms of access to appropriate health services. However, true gender equality is only possible when sexual and reproductive health and rights are guaranteed. Working to strengthen these rights means, in particular, helping to reduce maternal mortality, facilitating access to contraception and enabling sex education and awareness-raising programmes to be put in place.
Perpetrators of violence against women and people belonging to gender minorities often act with impunity, while the victims are often marginalised and even stigmatised. Combating gender-based violence not only requires emergency solutions for the victims, but also activities aimed at changing mentalities through prevention and education initiatives, as well as legal proceedings to obtain acknowledgement and redress.
Having real financial power allows women to become true agents of social change in their country. This allows them to protect their own interests, to enter the mainstream market and to have their own funds to empower themselves and ensure their independence. Access to sustainable financial autonomy for women requires acknowledgement of the value of their work, support for their professionalisation and protection of their rights in the workplace.
In order to tackle the root causes of gender-based discrimination, it is essential to make women aware of their rights and the means to protect them. Women’s organisations are campaigning for women to be aware of the laws that protect them, but also for them to have access to the structures that guarantee their application. It is an in-depth, often difficult and lengthy process. It involves not only awareness-raising campaigns and training activities, but also the mobilisation of technical and legal expertise to protect women’s rights.
6 PARTNERS, 1 JOINT PROJECT
ORGANISATIONS WITH COMPLEMENTARY EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE
Feminists in Action is a group of organisations determined to advance the cause of women and gender minorities.
This NGO has been fighting extreme poverty and promoting access to basic rights for 40 years, with the aim of making a lasting impact. As the first to be affected by inequalities, women and girls are at the heart of CARE France’s activities.
Founded in 1988, this NGO fights against poverty and inequality through public mobilisation campaigns and humanitarian and development activities. As part of the Oxfam International network, which operates across 70 countries, Oxfam France informs, alerts and lobbies the public.
Equipop is an NGO that fights for women’s health and rights around the world, mainly in France and French-speaking West Africa. Since 2011, the charity has combined the implementation of experimental projects, social and political mobilisation and the development of change agents.
(Mediterranean Women's Fund)
This feminist fund has been working to anchor the women’s movement in the countries around the Mediterranean since 2008. FFMed supports and unites feminist activists and organisations by providing forums for exchange and by bringing their voices to the attention of public institutions.
(Initiative for Women's Welfare)
Founded in 2011 in Burkina Faso, the IPBF works to ensure that the place of women is recognised in the legal, socio-economic and cultural spheres. The feminist fund also supports the development of innovative initiatives led by women’s and girls’ organisations in eight African countries.
(Fund for Francophone Women)
Based in Togo, this feminist foundation mobilises financial, material and human resources to dramatically increase the impact of activities involved in women’s and girls’ rights, their financial empowerment and gender equality. Created in 2015, it is now extending its scope of action to a dozen French-speaking Southern countries.
WHEN SMALL CHANNELS BECOME LARGE RIVERS
The funding mechanism consists of three different channels that respond to the challenges and needs of CSOs: adaptability, flexibility and security.
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Strengthening Funds
recapacity development of women's organisations in Global South through annual funding of between €5,000 and €20,000. -
Operational Funds
funding of operational projects on SRHR, GBV, financial empowerment and access to rights, through multi-annual grants of between €30,000 and €250,000. -
Joint action Funds
support for national or regional advocacy through multi-annual grants of between €50,000 and €250,000 awarded to CSO consortia on a one-off basis, and in advance of the launch of channels 1 and 2.
COUNTRIES INVOLVED
Action
Knowledge is the key to empowerment!
Whether you are a media outlet, an institution, an activist organisation or simply a curious soul, we are at your disposal to send you the documents that will answer your questions about the Feminists in Action initiative.