Brief History

The African Women's Development Fund (AWDF) is a fundraising and grant-making initiative, which aims to support the work of the African Women"s movement. The vision of AWDF is "for African women to live in a changed world in which transformed women can live with integrity and in peace.” To realise this vision, the Fund’s mission is “To mobilise financial, human and material resources to support local, national and international initiatives for transformation led by African women.”

AWDF, the first Africa-wide fundraising and grant-making fund, was established in June 2000 by three African Women who have been active in various institutions within and outside Africa. The founders, Ms Joanna Foster (Ghana) Dr Hilda Tadria (Uganda/Ethiopia) and Ms Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi (UK/Nigeria), have a track record of successful empowerment interventions, which have helped strengthen the African Women’s Movement.

The objectives of AWDF are fundraising within and outside Africa, grant-making on an Africa-wide basis, communicating the work and achievements of African women’s organisations and providing technical assistance to grantees.

The Fund began grant-making in October 2001 and by November 2007, had awarded grants worth more than US$7,000,000 to 575 women’s organisations in 41 African countries.