Grant-making for Pan African Network on Violence Against Women
In November 2002, the African Women’s Development Fund in collaboration with Womankind (UK), jointly supported African women’s organisations working to eliminate violence against women through awareness raising activities run for the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence in November/December 2002.
Background
Violence against women is a widespread problem in Africa – girls and women all across Africa are subjected to violence of many forms, including rape, FGM, sexual assault, forced pregnancies or abortion, human trafficking, and dowry related violence.
Women are particularly vulnerable to violence in poorer countries, as poor education and discrimination leads to low levels of civil and body literacy. Without knowing how dangerous this violence can be to them, how to report or prevent it, or even that that there are laws against it, women are in an extremely vulnerable situation. Violence against women is a particular problem in Africa where women are often expected to be in total submission to their men. Domestic violence is sometimes so deeply embedded in their history, that many women consider it a way of life.
The Network
In 1999 the Pan-African Network on Violence Against Women was launched with a meeting of representatives in Ghana. The member groups include:
- BAOBAB For Women's Human Rights, Nigeria
- Project Alert on Violence Against Women, Nigeria
- Gender Studies and Human Rights Documentation Centre, Ghana
- CEDEP, Ghana
- Associates in Development, Ghana
- Centre for Sustainable Development Initiatives, Ghana
- Musasa Project, Zimbabwe
- Woman and Child Protection Unit, Namibia
- Ethiopian Women’s Lawyers Association, Ethiopia
- National Committee on Traditional Practices of Ethiopia
- Ilitha Lababtu, South Africa
- YWCA, Zambia
The network brings together different types of women’s rights groups. Some are more media orientated, some are service providers, others based on advocacy and awareness raising. The network has been a success to an extent so far, with several groups realising projects as varied as publishing statistics and organising community awareness campaigns. However further development and strengthening of the network is essential if its full potential to empower women’s groups to eradicate violence against women is to be realised.
The benefits of strengthening this network fit into the vision and objectives of the funding partners. For WOMANKIND Worldwide’s ‘Four Literacies’ framework, in particular it would be promoting civil and body literacy across Africa. For African Women’s Development Fund, the Pan African Network provides and opportunity to support African Women’s efforts to address their problems collectively through sharing and learning
Since November 2002, AWDF has awarded a total of $40,000 in grants to 59 organisations. The following are examples of organisations which have benefited.
Country: Benin
Organisation: WILDAF-Benin
Grant Awarded: $400 for a campaign on the elimination of violence against women.
Country: Burkina Faso
Organisation: Association pour la Paix et la Solidarite (APS)
Grant Awarded: $350 for anti-violence activities.
Country: Burkina Faso
Organisation: WILDAF-Burkina Faso
Grant Awarded: $400 for a sensitisation campaign against domestic violence.
Country: Burundi
Organisation: CLUB DU LAC AUX OISEAUX (INTASHIKIRWA)
Grant Awarded: $350 for campaign against gender based violence.
Country: Gambia
Organisation: Women’s Association for Counselling & Rehabilitation (WCAR)
Grant Awarded: $600 for a Youth conference on women’s rights and peace building.
Country: Ghana
Organisation: Women with Disabilities
Grant Awarded: $600 for awareness creation on Violence Against Women with Disabilities
Country: Ghana
Organisation: Centre for Sustainable Development Initiatives (CENSUDI)
Grant Awarded: $400 to help launch the newly established Women and Juvenile Unit (WAJU) office in the Upper East Region of Ghana.
Country: Ghana
Organisation: International Youth Shelter Foundation (Ghana)
Grant Awarded: $250 to draw the attention of communities in the Central Region to the various forms of violence that women are subjected to.
Country: Ghana
Organisation: Foundation for Female Photojournalists
Grant Awarded: $300 for posters and photographs on Violence Against Women
Country: Ghana
Organisation: The Ark Foundation
Grant Awarded: $900 for Anti-Violence Campaigns.
Country: Ghana
Organisation: Action on Disability and Development (ADD)
Grant Awarded: $500 to run a campaign to raise awareness on issues of violence against disabled women in Northern Ghana.
Country: Ghana
Organisation: Women’s Initiative for Self Empowerment (WISE)
Grant Awarded: $500 for a seminar on the Domestic Violence Bill with the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus.
Country: Ghana
Organisation: Amasachina and Maata Â’n Tudu.
Grant Awarded: $400 to conduct a number of activities to inform and educate people especially women on some basic rights as citizens of Ghana.
Country: Ghana
Organisation: WILDAF-Ghana
Grant Awarded: $450 for a sensitisation workshop for trainee nurses and also the development of a drama piece on widowhood rite.
Country: Kenya
Organisation: Abantu for Development
Grant Awarded: $750 for a reflection seminar on raising awareness on violence against women in Kangemi.
Country: Nigeria
Organisation: Society for Women and AIDS in Africa (SWAAN).
Grant Awarded: $500 for anti-violence campaign materials.
Country: Nigeria
Organisation: International Reproductive Rights Research Action Group (IRRRAG) Nigeria.
Grant Awarded: $300 for campaign for the elimination of all forms of violence against women and HIV/AIDS awareness.
Country: Nigeria
Organisation: Foundation for WomenÂ’s Health, Research and Development (FORWARD)
Grant Awarded: $500 for sensitisation workshop for youth in Kano, Northern Nigeria, highlighting issues of violence against women.
Country: Senegal
Organisation: WILDAF-Senegal
Grant Awarded: $300 for sensitisation campaign on violence against women.
Country: Tanzania
Organisation: Kivulini Women’s Rights Organisation
Grant Awarded: $300 for domestic violence prevention project in communities in Mwanza, Tanzania.
Country: Uganda
Organisation: Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET).
Grant Awarded: $300 to sensitise the general public on causes and consequences of violence.
Country: Uganda
Organisation: National Union of Women with Disabilities of Uganda (NUWODU)
Grant Awarded: $300 to raise awareness on violence against female youths and women with disabilities.
Country: Uganda
Organisation: Coalition Against Women Abuse (CAWA)
Grant Awarded: $300 to sensitise and create more awareness within the vulnerable groups against all forms of violence.
In 2003 as part of its Special Grants Programme, the AWDF again supported African women’s organisations working to eliminate violence against women through awareness raising activities, dubbed 16 Days of Activism Campaign of November/December 2003. AWDF awarded a total of $15,000 in grants to the following 17 organisations:
Country: Ghana
Organisation: Women, Media and Change (WOMEC).
Grant Awarded: $1,000 to organise seminar on gender sensitization.
Country: Ghana
Organisation: Foundation for Female Photojournalists (FFP).
Grant Awarded: $500.00 for posters on violence against women using photographs of victims.
Country: Zimbabwe
Organisation: Zimbabwe Women’s Resource Centre.
Grant Awarded: $1,000 to organise seminar on Gender and budgeting.
Country: Uganda
Organisation: Disabled Women’s Network and Resource Organisation (DWNRO).
Grant Awarded: $900 to organise a seminar and a march to advocate violence against disabled women.
Country: Togo
Organisation: WILDAF-Togo
Grant Awarded: $1,000 for seminar on domestic violence.
Country: Burkina Faso
Organisation: Association for Peace & Solidarity (APS).
Grant Awarded: $1,000 for seminar on domestic violence.
Country: Ghana
Organisation: Maata ’n Tudu.
Grant Awarded: $1,000 to organise seminar and radio discussions on violence against women.
Country: Nigeria
Organisation: WILDAF-Nigeria
Grant Awarded: $1,000 to organise seminar on domestic violence.
Country: Nigeria
Organisation: Project Alert.
Grant Awarded: $800 to compile and publish a magazine entitled “No safe have”, on violence against women.
Country: Nigeria
Organisation: Women Against Rape, Sexual Harassment and Sexual Exploitation (WARSHE).
Grant Awarded: $1,000 to organise an awareness campaign on violence against women on five campuses.
Country: Ghana
Organisation: Mbaasem
Grant Awarded: $1,000 to organise literary night of poetry, reading and artistic performance on violence.
Country: Tanzania
Organisation: Zanzibar Association for Children’s Advancement (ZACA)
Grant Awarded: $500 for seminar on domestic violence.
Country: Ghana
Organisation: The Ark Foundation
Grant Awarded: $1,000 to organise an “Information Supply Campaign” through IEC materials on Gender & Violence.
Country: Ghana
Organisation: Women’s Wing, National Association of the Deaf
Grant Awarded: $500 for a seminar on domestic violence for deaf women.
Country: South Africa
Organisation: WHEAT Trust
Grant Awarded: $1,000 to organise a seminar on domestic violence.
Country: The Gambia
Organisation: SIMMA Vocational Centre
Grant Awarded: $1,000 to assess previous year’s activities on programme – “Say no to violence against women.
The theme for the campaign in 2004 was, “For the Health of Women, For the Health of the World: No more Violence”. In line with this, the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) provided grants to African women’s organisations working to eliminate violence against women. The AWDF grants of USD $15,000 to 17 organisations, supported activities such as printing of posters, tee shirts, organizing radio shows, one-day seminars, marches, rallies etc. During the previous year, the AWDF awarded a total of USD$15,000 in grants to 17 womenÂ’s organisations in Africa to celebrate the 16 Days Campaign.
Country: Burkina Faso
Organisation: Association pour la Paix et la Solidarite
Grant Awarded: $500 to organise a workshop and campaign against forced marriages in the Arbolle region.
Country: Mali
Organisation: Association pour le progres et la Defense des Droits des Femmes (APDF).
Grant Awarded: $1000 to organise a competition and picture exhibition on violence against women, two debates on radio and broadcast three plays on domestic violence and its consequences on children’s.
Country: Nigeria
Organisation: BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights
Grant Awarded: $1000 for a press briefing and training on gender based violence.
Country: Ghana
Organisation: Allied WomenÂ’s Group
Grant Awarded: $1000 to organise a seminar on the Domestic Violence Bill, the Interstate Succession Law, the Family Accountability Law and inheritance and human rights abuses against women.
Country: Ghana
Organisation: Foundation for Female Photojournalists
Grant Awarded: $1,000 for research and film production on different types of domestic violence against women, video documentation and an exhibition.
Country: Ghana
Organisation: International Action for Development Initiatives
Grant Awarded: $1,000 for campaign on violence against women in the Shama traditional area.
Country: Uganda
Organisation: Kaabong Women’s Group
Grant Awarded: $500 to organise a one-day seminar on domestic violence to create community awareness on gender based violence.
Country: Ghana
Organisation: Nana Yaa Memorial Trust for Good Quality Maternity Service
Grant Awarded: $1000 to host two radio programmes to discuss the violations of women’s rights in childbearing.
Country: Mauritius
Organisation: S.O.S Femmes Bibliotheque des Femmes
Grant Awarded: $1000 to organise a conference on the impact of the main religions in Mauritius on domestic violence, women’s sexuality and women’s human rights.
Country: Ghana
Organisation: Women in Law and Development in Africa (WILDAF)
Grant Awarded: $1000 to launch and publish artwork by children on how they perceive violence against women.
Country: Nigeria
Organisation: Women Writers of Nigeria (WRITA)
Grant Awarded: $1,000 to organise a press briefing to address the issue of violence against women and to produce IEC material on violence against women for public education.
Country: Nigeria
Organisation: Women’s Consortium of Nigeria (WOCON)
Grant Awarded: $1,000 to support its campaign on trafficking of women and children in Nigeria as part of the activities for the 16 Days of Activism on Gender Violence for 2004.
Country: Ghana
Organisation: Mbaasem
Grant Awarded: $1,000 to organise a nation wide short story competition on the Topic: “Working together to ensure a Safe Nation for all: The Role of the Proposed Domestic Violence Bill.”
Country: Uganda
Organisation: Uganda Health Empowerment Project (UHEP)
Grant Awarded: $1000 to organise radio talk shows, printing IEC materials to boost the campaign.
Country: Ghana
Organisation: International Association for the Advancement of Women in Africa (ASAWA).
Grant Awarded: $1000 to organise a one-day durbar in Ekumfi Eysam to invite about 100 men and women to create awareness of violence against women in the community.
