Author: African Women's Development Fund

Graça Machel Trust (GMT) was established as a Pan-African advocacy organisation focused on women’s economic and financial empowerment, leadership and good governance. It acts as a catalyst, working across the continent to advocate for the protection of women’s rights and dignity, and also amplify women’s movements by harnessing and promoting their contributions to the economic, social and political development of Africa. The grant awarded will be used to increase women’s access to finance and financial services as consumers, entrepreneurs and investors and also strengthen their skills and capacity in that regard. The project will also conduct a survey and document best cases for learning.

Gënji Hip-Hop was founded in 2017 with the aim of creating a platform for all women artists to get to know each other and to come together in a space of exchange, expression, solidarity and strong sisterhood. Gënji Hip-Hop brings together women artists and feminists activists for the promotion of women’s rights in Senegal and Africa with main focus on well-being, development, freedom and empowerment of women. The grant awarded will be used to implement activities to commemorate the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV). The project will use arts and urban music to promote the importance of women’s mental health and well-being and raise awareness on the violence perpetrated against women.

Gender Dynamix (GDX) was formed in 2006 by a lesbian woman and a transgender man who identified a gap within human rights and social justice activism in relation to information, advocacy, research and capacity enhancement. GDX is also one of the founding members of the Southern Africa Trans Forum. The purpose of the grant is to continue to expand the regional research work. The evidence generated will be used as a basis to further advocate for trans inclusion in policy making and programming by the government.

The formation of Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa (GPFA) is the result of the personal and professional experiences of Nobel Peace Laureate, Leymah Roberta Gbowee. She played a key organising and leadership role in the women’s peace movement that contributed to end the Liberian civil war. With the Nobel Peace Prize came the opportunity for Madam Gbowee to utilise her platform to further advocate for the rights of women and girls. This necessitated the transition of Madam Gbowee’s focus from her prior work of peacebuilding to a broader focus on education, leadership development, targeted advocacy, and services for young girls and disadvantaged youth. The grant awarded will be used as core support grant to support the running of the organisation and its programmes.

The formation of Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa (GPFA) is the result of the personal and professional experiences of Nobel Peace Laureate, Leymah Roberta Gbowee. She played a key organising and leadership role in the women’s peace movement that contributed to end the Liberian civil war. With the Nobel Peace Prize came the opportunity for Madam Gbowee to utilise her platform to further advocate for the rights of women and girls. This necessitated the transition of Madam Gbowee’s focus from her prior work of peacebuilding to a broader focus on education, leadership development, targeted advocacy, and services for young girls and disadvantaged youth. The grant will be used to undertake an awareness campaign on COVID-19 prevention among marginalized communities of women who have not been reached with vital information.

Future Girls Association was formed in 2003 by a group of girls and ladies interested in the advancement and development of the Egyptian young girls and ladies by empowering them economically, socially and culturally and creating a better future for them so that they have an effective and influential role in society. The grant will be used to strengthen communities’ efforts in preventing FGM. This will be done by training girls and young women to demand for an end to FGM and to demand for their rights.

Forum Mulher was created by women ́s rights activist affiliated to Organização da Mulher Moçambicana (OMM) inspired by the feminist movement around the world and the International Conferences of Women in 1975, 1985 and the Beijing conference. The objective of the organisation is to improve economic, socio-cultural and political transformations that lead to structural change with a feminist perspective. The purpose of the grant is to strengthen women’s effective and meaningful participation in politics and decision making in Mozambique by preparing and promoting women’s leadership for the 2023 municipal elections.

FOWODE was founded in 1994 to pursue the vision of a Ugandan society where, in all spheres, public and private, women and men shared equally in decision-making. FOWODE works at the national level and in 13 districts across Uganda. Since its inception, the organisation has trained over 20,000 women who have influenced the passing of local and national level gender related laws. The grant will be used as a general operating grant to support FOWODE’s mandate.

FAWE is a regional organisation founded by five African women ministers of education in 1992 in Nairobi, Kenya. FAWE has different national branches in various African countries and the Benin branch was created by Beninese women educators. The purpose of the organisation is to remove the barriers for girls and women in Benin to access education and to improve their quality of life. The grant awarded is to help address issues of violence and discrimination girls face during their menstrual period and to boost the mental health of young women as part of the 2020 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence commemoration.

Formed in 2010 in the city of Goma in DRC, Focus Droit et Acces (FDA) works to promote and protect the fundamental rights of women and girls including their democratic, social and economic rights. It works to educate women and build their capacities to defend their rights and to promote access to social and public services for survivors of natural disaster and of human right violations and abuses. With the AWDF grant, FDA will mobilise community women in Goma city of DRC, to increase their knowledge on the prevention and management of breast and cervical cancer. The project will also build the capacity of community women to engage community, political, religious and traditional leaders to enhance access to breast and cervical cancer services.