Author: Bintou

Are you getting ready for the upcoming AWID Forum 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand? We sure are!

The African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) is excited to join this global gathering of feminist activists, thinkers, and changemakers from 2-5 December 2024. Under the empowering theme of “Rising Together: Connect, Heal, Thrive,” AWID 2024 promises to be a transformative experience, and we are honoured to support and contribute to shaping its agenda.

At AWDF, we have been working tirelessly to co-create dynamic spaces that will reinvigorate the African Feminist Charter, strategise around countering the worrying rise of anti-rights movements, and amplify the powerful narratives of African feminists everywhere. 

Here is a glimpse of what we have in store:

Pan-African and Feminist Philanthropies: Building Alternative Narratives and Practices (organised jointly by Harambee-Ubuntu, the Adoye network of African women in philanthropy, AWDF and JASS)

Join us for an interactive and participatory strategy session about opportunities and challenges in the current philanthropic landscape in Africa, and discuss alternative analysis, practices and approaches coming from the African continent and the diaspora. I look forward to being in conversation with Theo Sowa, Leila Heissini (both independent feminist philanthropy thinkers and doers), Ttsitsi Midzi (Urgent Action Fund – Africa) and Shireen Essof (JASS), and you all, about what it will take to reshape existing philanthropic systems to be truly in service of gender justice in Africa, and how other regions can be inspired by practices and lessons from the continent.  

Date: 2 December 2024

Time: 11:45 am – 01:30 pm

Venue: Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre

Resourcing feminist movements in French-speaking Africa (organised jointly by AWDF and the Foundation for a Just Society) 

Over half of the countries in Africa are French-speaking, but feminists working in the region are overstretched and underfunded, as funding opportunities, movement organising and advocacy spaces are set up with English speakers in mind. From Mali to Burundi, feminist movements are facing conflicts and political instability, the effects of climate change, rising anti-rights ideologies, all with limited support. How can funders show up for feminists across French-speaking Africa?

Join the African Women Development Fund (AWDF), Foundation for a Just Society (FJS), and activists from the region for a conversation on the current state of feminist organizing in French-speaking Africa, and how funders can step up. Whether you have funded on the continent for years or are interested in learning more, this space is for you. Delicious snacks and coffee will be provided. Click here to RSVP by December 1st

Date: 3 December 2024 

Time: 2 pm to 3.30 pm

Venue: Workshop,  15/1 Yenakart Road, Chongnonsi, Yannawa, Bangkok 

AWDF: Resistance, love and Poetry: Reinvigorating the African Feminist Charter and Countering anti-rights organising

This strategy session aims to harness the power of collective feminist analysis within a co-creative space where we can dream, weave and build together. The purpose of the sessions is to explore approaches for reinvigorating the African Feminist Charter, focusing on addressing key themes around feminist resistance, love, and poetry. We are thinking of engaging with poetry as a depth of language, love as a cornerstone of organising and resistance as the power to hold the line, push the line or erase the line when need be. 

Date: 3 December 2024 

Time:16:15 – 17:30 pm

Venue: Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre 

Room: 109 B

KOMBOA Strategy Session – Let’s Protect the Maputo Protocol

The Maputo Protocol is under threat, and  has been explicitly targeted by anti-rights movements over the past few years.How do we join forces and protect and strengthen our movements as they face increasing attacks from the opposition? Join the Komboa consortium – a grantmaking and advocacy alliance between AWDF, Initiative Sankofa d’Afrique de l’Ouest (ISDAO), Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Purposeful, and the Doria Feminist Fund – for this important conversation.  Spaces are limited, so please register here .

Date: 4 December 2024 

Time: 7:30 – 9:30 am 

Venue: Workshop – 15/1 Yenakart Road, Chongnonsi, Yannawa, Bangkok

In addition to these side activities, we have sponsored the participation of African feminists, activists and movements, ensuring their vital voices are heard loud and clear at AWID 2024.

We invite you to connect with us at these side events, stay in community and engage with us online #AWDFatAWID2024! Share your side activities with us, we would love to engage and be in community with you too.

 

 

Today, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we stand united. From Mali to Togo, Congo to Nigeria, it’s time to act. Let’s raise our voices and drive change across Africa. #16DaysOfActivism

Bintou Mariam Traoré, communications Officer

On November 25, the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) joins the world in observing the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women commemorated under the theme UNiTE! Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women & Girls!  This day which marks the beginning of the Sixteen Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence,  highlights the ongoing global crisis of gender-based violence (GBV), which continues to rise despite progress in advocacy and legal protections. AWDF believes that ending GBV requires more than legal reforms and protective measures—it demands a fundamental shift in societal attitudes toward women’s rights. From West Africa to the Horn of Africa, women-led movements are at the forefront of this struggle, but they need more than support—they need sustained, concrete action.

 

AWDF’s Commitment to Ending Sexual Violence in West Africa

Sexual violence remains a pervasive issue in West Africa. According to a UN Women report (2018), over 60% of women in the region have experienced physical or sexual violence, with many survivors facing barriers to justice due to weak legal frameworks, inadequate support services, and prevailing social norms that condone such violence.

AWDF’s commitment to ending sexual violence focuses on strengthening local responses, bolstering legal protections, and creating safer spaces for survivors. In partnership with the Ford Foundation, OSIWA, and other local organizations, AWDF has launched an initiative to address and prevent sexual violence across West Africa. This initiative strengthens the capacity of women’s rights organizations to provide direct services to survivors, advocate for stronger laws, and shift harmful cultural norms that perpetuate sexual violence.

Through the KASA Initiative, AWDF has supported organizations to train over 300 law enforcement officers and reached 10,000 community members with educational programs on preventing sexual violence. By supporting local actors and leveraging international funding, AWDF is addressing the root causes of sexual violence and ensuring stronger protections for women and girls.

Discover inspiring stories from the AWDF’s KASA program, supporting feminist initiatives across Africa, and a concerning article on the 196 reported cases of rape in Senegal in the first half of 2024, highlighting the urgent need to strengthen efforts against sexual violence.

Learn more about KASA grantee stories
Read an article on sexual violence in Senegal

Strengthening Community Resilience and Feminist Solidarity

Feminist movements across Africa have shown remarkable resilience in the face of growing attacks from anti-rights groups. Through initiatives, we continue to build stronger, more resilient communities that can withstand patriarchal violence.

One of AWDF’s key pillars is solidarity. As global threats to women’s rights increase, the strength of our collective response becomes more critical. Through alliances like the  LFS Fund, we are fostering a culture of mutual support. These networks allow women’s rights organizations, activists, and survivors of violence to come together to heal, strategize, and take collective action.

In Uganda, for example, through the LFS Fund, AWDF has partnered with local women’s organizations to provide legal aid and psychosocial support to survivors of sexual violence. This partnership has enabled over 4,000 survivors to access justice and healing services, and it has helped local communities become more active in combating violence through community dialogues and public education campaigns.

Explore the powerful stories of LFS grantees supporting feminist activism in the Global South, and learn about five more years of funding to sustain and expand these critical movements.

Read the LFS grantee stories

The Growing Threat of Anti-Rights Movements

Across Africa, anti-rights movements are gaining momentum, threatening the rights of women and girls. From Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act to recent rollbacks of sexual and reproductive health rights in Somalia, these regressive movements are a direct challenge to women’s rights. According to the UN Women’s Global Database on ViolenceAgainst Women, one in three women globally experiences physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, with African women facing some of the highest rates of sexual violence.

In Somalia, the repeal of the Sexual Offences Bill exemplifies the dangers posed by these movements. The bill, which sought to criminalize sexual violence, was a significant step forward in women’s rights. Its repeal has not only left women vulnerable to further violence but also highlights the vulnerability of legal protections in the face of regressive political agendas.

The Komboa Consortium, is Inspired by African feminist values of sisterhood, solidarity and mutual aid, the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF), Initiative Sankofa d’Afrique de l’Ouest (ISDAO), Purposeful, Doria Feminist Fund, and Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA), have joined forces and resources to create Komboa (“Liberate” in Swahili) a feminist consortium that supports communities threatened by the rise of anti-rights and anti-gender movements.

Inspired by African feminist values of sisterhood, solidarity and mutual aid, the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF), Initiative Sankofa d’Afrique de l’Ouest (ISDAO), Purposeful, Doria Feminist Fund, and Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA), have joined forces and resources to create Komboa (“Liberate” in Swahili) a feminist consortium that supports communities threatened by the rise of anti-rights and anti-gender movements.

 

The Role of International Advocacy and Accountability

AWDF recognizes that international advocacy is crucial in shaping global norms around gender-based violence. By collaborating with regional and international actors, AWDF plays a critical role in resourcing and nurturing organizations that hold governments accountable for their commitments under international human rights frameworks, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Maputo Protocol. By providing financial support and capacity-building, AWDF empowers grassroots organizations to advocate for the full implementation of these human rights instruments, ensuring that governments are held responsible for advancing gender equality and women’s rights across the continent.

Through policy dialogues and advocacy campaigns, AWDF continues to pressure governments to ensure stronger legal frameworks that prevent and respond to gender-based violence. For example, after a two-year advocacy campaign led by AWDF and local partners, the Kenyan government passed the Sexual Offenses Act, which provides stronger protections for women and girls, including harsher penalties for sexual violence and clearer guidelines for survivor support.

 

A Call to Action

On this International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, AWDF calls on governments, civil society, and individuals across Africa and beyond to unite in the fight against violence. We urge continued investments in women’s rights organizations, especially those led by women in marginalized communities, and call on each individual to actively participate in ending gender-based violence. Whether through advocacy, education, or direct support for survivors, every action counts.

Let us come together to build a future where women and girls are safe, respected, and able to live free from fear of violence—today, tomorrow, and for generations to come.

 

Bintou Mariam Traoré, communications Officer

AWDF will be joining researchers, feminists, activists, practitioners and policy makers in the upcoming Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) Forum 2024, taking place from 21-25 October in Cape Town, South Africa. As part of our participation, we have supported 17 partners from across Africa to attend this crucial event, amplifying African feminist voices in the global conversation on ending sexual violence. 

In 2022, AWDF made an impactful appearance at the Sexual Violence Research Initiative which was held in Mexico in September. Among the activities facilitated by AWDF were a partner-led knowledge circle, donor engagement on decolonized and ethical funding, and dialogue for power and control in research and Southern–feminist led forum to showcase the LFS Model. 

This year’s SVRI Forum presents an excellent opportunity for AWDF to showcase our crucial work on sexual violence, particularly our KASA! Initiative. We will be advocating for increased funding and deepening partnerships within the feminist funds and sexual violence funding ecosystem. Additionally, we aim to expand our knowledge and experience regarding evidence-based sexual violence interventions.

Key AWDF and Partner-led Activities at SVRI Forum 2024: 

AWDF and COFEM Poster Presentation

The SVRI poster presentation session is designed to showcase innovative research and programmes, facilitate in-depth discussions, and promote greater interaction between presenters and participants.

• Date: Wednesday, 23 October 2024
• Time: 1:00 – 2:00 PM
• Venue: Cape Town International Convention Center 2

African Feminist Knowledge Circle

Led by the Knowledge and Voice team,  the African Feminist Knowledge Circles are an  evolving space where African feminists convene to share identities, stories, tools, politics and approaches from their many journeys of challenging the patriarchy. This activity is only open to identified partners and participants. 

Rest & Resistance Workshop

The Solidarity and Care team has over the years learnt the importance of creating an environment and space that is a cocoon for activists to retreat into. For this workshop, the cocoon will be a softly lit room, a curated playlist of black healing music to set the tone for a peaceful and restorative experience. Spaces for this activity are limited. You are urged to attend early for a spot.

• Date: Thursday, 24th October 2024
• Time: 12pm – 1:50pm
• Venue: Cape Town International Convention Center 2

Flourish Retreat

The Retreat will involve three interconnected processes led by the facilitators and the chef. Activists will engage in rituals rooted in indigenous African practices that focus on anchoring, honouring, and connecting to the self, each other, and nature for spiritual, emotional, and physical healing. This activity is only open to identified partners and individuals. 

We invite all attendees to connect with us during these sessions and throughout the forum. It is an invaluable opportunity to share experiences, learn from one another, and strengthen our collective efforts in combating violence agains women and gender diverse people and promoting gender equality.

Here is the full programme of the SVRI forum where you will find details of these and other very insightful activities at the forum.

Connect with AWDF online X, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. Follow our live updates from the forum using #AWDFatSVRI. 

African Feminists have and continue to challenge entrenched systems of power and oppression that have systematically invisibilised African feminist knowledge. This zine captures the narratives that we are hearing and learning from African Feminist Movements on the role of African indigenous knowledge systems and ways of knowing as well as the role of the arts and creative expression as powerful tools for challenging erasure and silencing.

Read the Magazine here 

Leading from the South (LFS) is a feminist global South-led consortium conceptualized and managed by four leading women’s funds: African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF), Fondo de Mujeres del Sur (FMS), International Indigenous Women’s Forum (FIMI) , and Women’s Fund Asia (WFA). As a feminist resource alliance, LFS supports feminist activism and lobbying efforts by women, girls, and trans-led organizations, movements, and networks at the regional, national, and grassroots levels in the Global South.

What actions are the beneficiaries taking? Discover 3 of them:

Women Leaders Network for Development (RFLD), Benin

• Advocates for the effective implementation of the legal framework prohibiting Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the Republic of Benin.
• Engages in dialogue on FGM with religious and traditional leaders in Natitingou, Benin.

African Girls Empowerment Network, Nigeria

• Launched in September 2023, this campaign aims to engage over 10,000 men in the fight to end rape, child marriage, intimate partner violence, and the stigma against women’s reproductive choices.

YOWLI Burundi

• Implements labor laws to promote the rights of domestic workers.
• Celebrated International Women’s Day 2023, attended by YOWLI Burundi members, domestic workers, representatives of domestic worker associations, and journalists.

Bintou Mariam Traoré

 

In 2021,  African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF), Ford Foundation, and Open Society launched the KASA! Initiative with a USD 3.75 million fund for five years in Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal to combat sexual violence. The initiative addresses alarming rates of violence: 33% of women and girls aged 15-49 in Nigeria, 21.5% in Senegal, and 24% in Ghana have experienced violence. KASA! has supported 29 women’s rights and feminist organizations.

This video highlights three partners:

Project Alert, Nigeria

• Conducts research on sexual violence in educational institutions.
• Advocates against sexual violence in schools.
• Engages with school authorities to implement preventive measures and improve response.

Association of Senegalese Women Jurists (AJS)

• Popularizes Law 2020-05 criminalizing rape and pedophilia through training, media campaigns, community outreach, and girls’ clubs.
• Provides legal support for survivors.

Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA), Ghana

• Trains female students to spread anti-sexual violence messages.
• Organizes radio and social media campaigns.
• Sensitizes healthcare professionals and law enforcement to improve services for survivors and hold perpetrators accountable.

Bintou Mariam Traoré

This landscape analysis was commissioned by the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) and the Foundation for a Just Society (FJS). The aim was to gain a deeper understanding of the context and state of women’s rights and feminist organizing in Francophone West Africa (FWA), with a particular focus on Burkina Faso, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal.

This report provides a nuanced understanding of the feminist organizing and funding landscape in FWA. It serves as a philanthropic advocacy tool to attract more and better funding for feminist movements in the region.

Find the Mapping here Mapping English

The key findings Mapping Key Findings Mapping West Africa Report

On the 5th to 9th February 2024, 14 participants representing 13 organizations from 11 countries  from Francophone Africa participated in an Advocacy and Communications Learning Platform. AWDF organised   an intensive and enriching week in Accra, bringing together its Francophone partners for a workshop focused on communication, and advocacy. This innovative event provided a strategic platform to strengthen collaboration among organizations working for the development of women in Francophone Africa. The training session was led by Maïmouna Jallow, a multidisciplinary African feminist artist and communication consultant.

A Timely Training

At the heart of the gathering, intense communication sessions were conducted to enhance participants’ skills in delivering impactful messages and managing issues related to the promotion of women’s rights. Modules on feminist communications, media relations, and the writing of press releases provided a fertile ground for discussions and learning.

Advocacy, the central pivot of the discussions, shed light on the specific challenges faced by women in Francophone countries, while exploring innovative strategies to influence policies in favor of gender equality. The training emphasized the crucial importance for women’s rights advocacy organizations to be visible, creative, and consistent in their communication to impact change.

For LaDouce Irakoze, from the Young Women’s Knowledge and Leadership Institute in Burundi:

“The workshop was very beneficial, and I want to thank the facilitator for her excellent communication skills. Our organization, engaged in advocacy in Burundi for clear policies on women’s rights, especially for domestic workers, gained essential skills. Communication training for feminist associations is crucial to be creative, effective, consistent, well-coordinated, and to communicate impactfully to our audience. The section on press releases was particularly enriching for me, and I am confident that it will significantly enhance our work.”

 

Tools Against Online Violence: Reflections on Feminism 2.0

An essential part of the workshop was dedicated to the challenges of the digital world, where women journalists and communicators face a growing threat: cyber harassment. Participants discussed the concepts of feminism 2.0 in Francophone Africa, image appropriation, cybersexism, and online security. Experienced speakers shared strategies to address these challenges, emphasizing the importance of cybersecurity for feminist activists.

“As a communicator, journalist, and feminist, I actively manage several feminist pages and communicate daily on social media. I consider this to be an important step, but as a feminist activist, the need to communicate, inform, and especially advocate for our causes is crucial. I particularly appreciated the module on communication strategy and cybersecurity for feminist activists. I am convinced that all feminists should acquire these skills. AWDF should continue to further support training in communication and advocacy, both for organizations and their communication officers.” Aminata Pilimini Diallo, Guinean feminist web journalist

Francophone Connection and Future Perspectives

The training took a well-being break with a rejuvenating yoga session. Beyond the physical movements, this experience created a special connection among the participants, strengthening the bonds within the group. Shared smiles, compassionate glances, and emerging camaraderie contributed to forging a strong Francophone connection within the community.

At the end of the training, participants expressed the need to develop additional skills and emphasized the importance of post-workshop follow-up. This request underscores the ongoing commitment of organizations and AWDF to support the professional development of participants and enhance the impact of collective actions for gender equality.”

Bintou Mariam Traoré, Communications officer