women rights
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5 amazing funds that are making a difference for women
Did you know that only 4% of the total Official Development Assistance (ODA) supports programmes that integrate gender equality and women’s empowerment as the main objective? And only 3% of that fraction goes to women’s rights organisations.
Fortunately, a growing number of groups, organisations, and funds are mobilising and allocating resources for women, their specific needs and agendas. Even better, many of them are led by women! Today, we want to share five funds that are making a big difference for rural women, adolescent girls, women and transgender activists and human right defenders, and sex workers.
1. Tewa – Nepal’s women fund
Tewa was founded 25 years ago and since then has been breaking new grounds in fundraising locally to promote self-reliant development and the empowerment of emerging groups of rural women in Nepal. This women-led fund has awarded almost 700 grants to 500 organizations strengthening women’s leadership, voice, visibility, and collective organizing power throughout the country. These organisations work in a wide variety of areas like income-generating activities, skill development training, women’s rights, environmental rights and justice, legal and health rights, and advocacy to stop violence and discrimination against women.
To learn more about Tewa, visit their website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
2. With and for Girls
This is the world’s only participatory fund by, and for, adolescent girls! It joins a collective of 11 donors who contribute with funding, expertise and time to co-resource and execute the annual ‘With and For Girls Awards’. Under this programme, up to 25 exceptional, local and adolescent girl-led and centred organisations worldwide are chosen every year, by regional judging panels of adolescent girls, to be awarded flexible funding, opportunities for collaboration, mentorship, accompaniment, and profile-raising. Since 2014, With and For Girls has supported 60 organisations in 41 countries, reaching more than 1.5 million people.
To learn more about With and for Girls, visit their website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
3. FCAM - Central American Women's Fund
FCAM is the first and only feminist fund in Central America to raise funds in support of the financial, political, fiscal, and emotional sustainability of groups, organizations, human rights defenders, networks, and movements that work for the human rights of women and their communities. These women are exposed to high rates of violence because of their activism and generally can’t access traditional sources of funding. FCAM’s partners receive flexible, multi-year general financial support, and are the ones who define their agendas, priorities, and methods. Since 2003, FCAM has supported and strengthened almost 400 women’s groups, organisations, networks, and activists in Central America.
To learn more about FCAM, visit their website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
4. Red Umbrella Fund
This is the first global fund guided by and for sex workers. The Red Umbrella Fund mobilises resources, provides grants, and offers capacity building, technical assistance, and communications and donor advocacy to help strengthen and sustain the movement in achieving human rights for sex workers. While it brings together a diversity of funders and sex workers, the fund’s grant decisions and overall governance are led by sex workers themselves. Since its creation in 2012, the Red Umbrella Fund gave out 157 grants to 104 sex worker-led groups and networks in over 60 countries to organize themselves and speak out against the human rights violations they face.
To learn more about The Red Umbrella Fund, visit their website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
5. Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights
This feminist fund can be a lifeline for women and transgender human rights defenders at critical moments. It provides rapid response grants and advocacy and alliance-building support when activists are poised to make great gains or face serious threats to their lives and work. They use online, text and mobile funding applications to respond to requests from activists within 72 hours and have funds on the ground within 1-7 days. They work in partnership with three sister funds, Urgent Action Fund-Africa, Urgent Action Fund-Latin America, and Urgent Action Fund-Asia & Pacific. Collectively, they support women’s leadership and activism in over 110 countries.
To learn more about Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights, visit their website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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El Salvador es uno de los pocos países que aún no han decidido que la vida de las mujeres importa
CIVICUS conversa con Sara García Gross, Coordinadora Ejecutiva de la Agrupación Ciudadana por la Despenalización del Aborto Terapéutico, Ético y Eugenésico de El Salvador e integrante de la Red Salvadoreña de Defensoras de Derechos Humanos. Fundada en 2009, Agrupación Ciudadana es una organización de la sociedad civil multidisciplinaria que busca generar conciencia para cambiar la legislación sobre la interrupción del embarazo en el país; defender legalmente a las mujeres que han sido acusadas o condenadas o por abortos o delitos relacionados; y promover la educación en materia de salud sexual y reproductiva.
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Feminist movements and the Beijing Vision: Organising, resisting, advocating.
The year 2020 marks 25 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BDPfA), heralded as the most progressive blueprint in achieving full human rights for all women and girls. Yet, 25 years on the ambitions of the BDPfA have not been achieved. In fact, the process takes place at a time of ever increasing challenges for women’s rights.
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NGO soldiers on giving holistic care to rape survivors in DRC
CIVICUS speaks to Julienne Lusenge, director of SOFEPADI (Solidarite Feminine pour la Paix et le Development Integral), an NGO based in the Democratic Republic of Congo which supports and empowers women and girls who are rape and domestic violence survivors.
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Saudi rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul spends 1000th day in prison
Today, as Saudi women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul spends her 1000th day in prison, global civil society alliance CIVICUS and the Free Saudi Activists coalition call for her immediate and unconditional release.
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Sudan: woman at risk of death by stoning
Mariam Tirab, 20 years old woman from Sudan was sentenced to death by stoning on June 27th, 2022. She was found guilty By a judge in Kosty in White Nile state of violating article 146(2) (Adultery). The young woman was arrested in 2021, when a police officer interrogated her without informing her that her confession will be used against her in court. She has been tried without access to legal representation and was not informed about the charges and the penalty of the crime of adultery (Zina) in Sudanese laws. She was denied her constitutional and legal rights under the Sudanese laws.
Article 146 of the Sudanese criminal law is built on the Sharia laws, where married women charged with adultery are sentenced to death by stoning, while unmarried women are punished by 100 lashes. Despite the legal reforms of 2020, wherein the transitional government banned corporal punishments, the Sharia laws related to adultery remained unchanged.
Mariam Tirab was sentenced even though she was not granted access to proper legal aid or provided with basic information about her rights. Her confession was obtained by police through illegal procedures. The legal procedures and the justice system is failing women in Sudan, denying many access to their basic right of having fair trial. A group of lawyers and women’s rights organizations have started an appeal of the case at the higher court. In the last 10 years, Sudan witnessed several cases similar to Mariam’s where the sentences were overturned when they were appealed.. Under the current military regime, the justice system in Sudan is at its worst, , as unfair and politicized trials are the norm. The lack of a civilian government in the country for almost a year is increasing challenges for local WHRDs and human rights groups are exerting pressure on the military regime to reform the justice system.
Since the military coup on October 25th, 2021, systemic violence against women increased across the country. The return of fundamental Islamic leaders to the political scene in support of the military led to an increase in oppression of women’s rights. The police force under the Public Order Laws was recreated under a new name - "social police", which is considered a major set back for women’s rights in Sudan.. Women and girls’ are constantly being scrutinized for what they wear and how they appear in public. University officials have imposed dress codes and prevented some female students from entering the gates without a scarf. The former regime imposed hijab in Sudan for three decades prior to the revolution in 2018. Within one year of the military coup, women in Sudan are living under the same oppressive system once again. The military leaders are closing the public spaces, using repressive laws to crush the resistance movement led by women.
A visit to Mariam Tirab in prison was prevented by a judge recently. She is detained in Kosty city of white Nile state under inhumane prison conditions. Women’s rights and human rights groups started a campaign and organized protests calling for her release and for legal reforms that respect women rights. We the undersigned groups and Individuals call on the Sudanese authorities to:
- Overturn the sentence against Mariam Tirab and grant her the right to fair trial and access to lawyers and visits. - Abide by and respect their obligations to international laws as state parties of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Right and the UN Convention against the Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT). - We call on relevant UN Special Procedures mandate holders and OHCHR to take action to urge Sudanese authorities to overturn this sentence and end violations of the international human rights law and respect the state obligations to protect women and human rights.
- AWID ( Association of Women in Development)
- CIVICUS
- Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
- Global Fund for Women
- International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
- Women Living Under Muslim Laws WHRDMENA Coalition
- Canadian Federation of University
- Women Collectif genevois de la Grève féministe
- CONCERNED NIGERIANS
- Sisters Trust Nora organization for compacting violence against women's and girls
- Alharisat organization
- Sudanese Women Rights Action
- İnsan Hakları Derneği (İHD)/Human Rights Association
- Hafidha Chekir. FIDH/Tunis
- Taha Metwally/ANKHAssociation
- Arefe Elyasi /Open Stadiums
- Nedal Alsalman /BCHR
- Razan Nour/ Innovation for Change Middle East and North Africa
- Sawsan Salim/ KMEWO
- Rajaa ahlafi /Adala association for the right to a fair trial
- Onaheed Ahmed /Sudanese Front For Change
- Nizam Assaf/Amman Center for Human Rights Studies
- Ahmed Mefreh/Committee for Justice
- Cecilie Olivia Buchhave/KVINFO
- Connie Carøe Christiansen/KVINFO
- Vanessa Mendoza cortés/ Associación Stop violències
- Andorra Sama Aweidah/Women's Studies Centre
- Meriam Mastour/Les FoulardsViolets
- Zohra Triki/Doustourna
- Sofie Birk/KVINFO
- Marieme helie lucas/ Secularism Is A Women's issue (siawi.org)
- Mémoire et citoyenneté
- Equality Now
- Hagir Omer, Madania
- Mashair Saeed/WHRD
- Mamoun Elgizouli Sara Abdelgalil/WHRD
- Jihad Mashamoun/Researcher
- Sally Armstrong/ Journalist
- Ibrahim Bella Ammar Abbas
- Sara López/WLUML
- Anniesa Hussain/WLUML
- Yussef Robinson/ SDfHR
- Elie Losleben Abramovich Fabienne/Collectif féministe
- Stéphanie Friedli/Collectif genevois de la Grève féministe
- Aude Spang/Collectif genevois de la Grève féministe / Syndicat Unia
Civic space in Sudan is rated as "Repressed" by the CIVICUS Monitor
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The struggles of Women Human Rights Defenders in Nepal
By CIVICUS and ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION (AHRC)
Women in Nepal face many challenges due to issues of inequality and injustice in the society. Gender discrimination and gender-based violence are just some of the serious and widespread problems for women. Nepali women are not treated equally, not just in practice, but under law as well. The law regarding nationality, for example, discriminates against women, making some of them “second-class” citizens in society.
Read on: Open Democracy
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These 6 gender activists are shaking up the world
Space for the feminist movement is shrinking, yet these brave women and non-binary activists continue to fight for equality.
Read on: Open Democracy