Category: News
AWDF welcomes four trailblazing feminists to its Board of Directors
AWDF welcomes four trailblazing feminists to its Board of Directors
Reimagining Feminist Governance
The African Women’s Development Fund is thrilled to announce the addition of four formidable African feminists to its Board of Directors. Joining Board members Taaka Awori, Dr Hilda Tadria, Bisi Ayedele-Fayemi and Arielle Enninful, these new members bring a wealth of diverse experiences, expertise, and perspectives that will further strengthen AWDF’s mission and commitment to empowering women and girls across the continent.
In 2022, the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) embarked on a “Reimagining the Board” initiative to strengthen AWDF’s Board so that it is both responsive to AWDF’s new strategic framework, Lemlem, and trailblazing in its approach to feminist governance. AWDF is committed to ensuring that we embody the spirit of Lemlem and infuse it throughout our processes and governance.
Meet the new Board members:
1. Dr. Lamyaâ Achary (they/them), a dedicated sociologist and Human Rights researcher, possesses over a decade of expertise spanning analytical proficiency, research, policy analysis, and non-profit advocacy. Their career has been marked by a passionate commitment to advancing women’s and SOGIE rights, particularly in Morocco and North Africa.
2. Nicolette Naylor: With over two decades of experience leading strategies at the intersection of justice and philanthropy, Nicolette has spent over fifteen years working within one of the largest global philanthropies, the Ford Foundation. Nicolette led the Ford Foundation’s Southern Africa office and International Program on Gender, Racial & Ethnic Justice and has managed diverse teams across New York, India, West Africa, Southern Africa and Latin America.
3. Mariama Abdou Gado: Medical doctor, independent consultant; activist for the rights of girls, women and the inclusion of young people in decision-making bodies, Mariama is a young “nigérienne” specialist in public health policies and community development. She has more than six years of experience in reproductive health rights and family planning, working to ensure better health for women.
4. Jean-Ann Ndow (she/her) has over 15 years professional experience working in the legal field and in international development. Focusing on girls and women’s rights, youth mobilisation and education, she has worked with youth movements, global organisations and collaborated with UN agencies to lead advocacy and campaigns on ending violence girls and women, girls’ education and youth engagement.
Looking into the future:
As we move forward with these inspiring additions to our Board of Directors, we remain more committed than ever to our mission to fund, strengthen and uphold the organisations and movements led by African feminists, women, girls and gender-diverse people, in pursuit of gender justice and social transformation.
Lamyaâ, Jeann-Ann, Mariama and Nicolette join AWDF at a pivotal time in our organisational journey. Having just launched our new strategic framework, Lemlem, which will guide our work into the next ten years, AWDF will greatly benefit from these four activists’ perspectives and leadership. We look forward to walking that journey together with them and with you all!
Join our team and let’s make a difference!
Join our team and let’s make a difference!
Are you passionate about contributing to changing the narrative about African women’s rights and feminist activism? Are you highly motivated, innovative, passionate about women’s rights in Africa, excited about African feminisms, and embrace African women’s diversity? We have three exciting openings that may just be what you need for your next career move.
1. Knowledge and Voice Specialist:
Are you an experienced and creative strategist in co-creating and utilising African feminist knowledge and voice in many colourful ways using an approach that grounds, transforms, inspires and influences to unlock the narrative agency of African women’s rights and feminist activists, leaders, organisations, collectives and movements so they flourish and are impactful?
Do you have experience in decolonising research, preserving and sharing identities, politics, stories and voices of African women and gender diverse people inside and beyond feminist spaces?
To apply for the position of Knowledge and Voice Specialist, please click on this link for more details and application portal
2. Programme Officer – Knowledge and Voice:
Do you have experience coordinating initiatives, working groups and collaborations to exchange knowledge and advance shared goals to influence the donor community, and have you got experience piloting innovative and creative approaches documenting and sharing good practice?
To apply for the position of Programme Officer – Knowledge and Voice, please click on this link for more details and application portal.
3. Programme Officer – Agency and Resilience
Do you have experience contributing to the re-imagining and implementation of the ambition of AWDF’s Agency and Resilience work and experience with African women’s rights and feminist organisations, collectives and movements working for gender justice in Africa?
Are you excited about the opportunity to support the implementation of AWDF’s Agency and Resilience (A&R) strategy so that African women’s and feminist organisations and movements flourish and thrive?
To apply for the position of Programme Officer – Agency and Resilience, please click on this link for more details and application portal.
********************************************************************
All applications should reach AWDF no later than Thursday 9th November 2023.
Due to our limited capacity, only short-listed candidates will be contacted for additional information and interviews.
In line with AWDF’s Mission, qualified African women are encouraged to apply.
Consultancy Opportunities for African Feminists
Consultancy Opportunities for African Feminists
1. Documenting the Story of African Feminist Philanthropy
We are seeking to highlight the transformative power of African feminist and women’s funds in promoting the strength, power and transformative social justice agendas of the feminist movement. Through the exploration of lessons and insights from African feminist philanthropy, our aim is to showcase and amplify the impact and effectiveness it has on the feminist and women’s rights movements it serves. The process will also contribute to the narrative and evidence-building efforts in re-imagining Pan-African and Feminist Philanthropies. By doing so, we seek to uplift African feminist narratives and increase resourcing for gender justice through the African Feminist Philanthropic Ecosystem.
This assignment will involve the mapping and assessment of the context of African Feminist Philanthropy, feminist and women’s funds, networks, and platforms, and their role in shaping and spearheading philanthropic responses to gender inequities on the continent.
For more details on this consultancy, please download the Terms of Reference here
2. Monitoring Site Visits
Monitoring visits is one of the key aspects of AWDF’s Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning mandate, undertaken annually. It is one of the various external processes that AWDF uses to assess funded projects’ performance, measure project outcomes, validate information, interact with stakeholders, including selected feminists, and familiarise with grantee partners and their beneficiaries. The visit also serves as a learning opportunity for AWDF to gain insight and in-depth understanding of organisations current systems and structures and identify gaps and challenges that might require capacity-building support. In addition, the monitoring visit helps AWDF to learn about the pertinent women’s rights issues affecting women and girls in the countries visited, and this information is used in strengthening our programming and philanthropy work.
AWDF is looking for individual consultants based in selected African countries to undertake the visits. The procedure and approach to be used for the monitoring visits will be communicated and agreed with selected consultants at the inception stage. Consultants might also be required to carry out a physical visit if the need arises.
For more details on this consultancy, please download the Terms of Reference here
Closing date for submission of proposals is: Wednesday 8th November 2023
Exciting Consultancy Opportunities!
Exciting Consultancy Opportunities!
Are you a creative soul with a passion for visual storytelling? Or perhaps you’re a dedicated advocate for collective care and institutional transformation? If you’re an African feminist looking to make a meaningful impact, the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) has two exciting consultancy opportunities for you!
- Graphic Designer – Annual Report: AWDF is on the lookout for a talented Graphic Designer to help bring our annual report to life! If you have an eye for detail, a flair for creativity, and a commitment to advancing the cause of African feminists, we want to hear from you.
Closing date for application for this consultancy is Friday 20th October 2023
For more details and mode of application for the Graphic Designer, please download the Terms of Reference here
- Collective Care and Institutional Assessment: We are seeking a dedicated Consultant to lead the charge in conducting a thorough assessment of our collective care and institutional framework. If you have a wealth of experience in assessing and improving organisational structures and a deep understanding of the importance of collective care within feminist movements, we invite you to be a part of this transformative journey.
Closing date for application for this consultancy is Monday 23rd October 2023
For more details and mode of application for Collective Care and Institutional Assessment, please download the Terms of Reference here
Vacancy for an Intern: Partnerships and Philanthropy
Vacancy for an Intern: Partnerships and Philanthropy
AWDF has a vacancy for a French-speaking Intern who will be responsible for providing administrative, communications, and translation support in French to the AWDF Partnerships and Philanthropy (P&P) Department. The main objective of this department is to establish and nurture partnerships, as well as to engage in, and with the philanthropic ecosystem.
The P&P Intern role is an exciting opportunity for an African feminist who is passionate about gender justice and provides an excellent opportunity to gain valuable experience in partnerships and philanthropy within a feminist fund, while also developing administrative, communications, and translation skills and promoting language inclusion within the team.
Duration: 6 months
Location: Virtual/Remote, preferably based in a French-speaking African country
Please send your application to the Human Resources Manager via this link: Simplicant Jobs
Applications should include:
- A cover letter of not more than a page explaining your interest and excitement in applying for the position to work for AWDF; and highlighting your experience and competencies as they relate to the specific areas of duties indicated in the vacancy to demonstrate a good fit for the role.
- A recent CV with references outlining your educational qualifications and internship records.
Closing date for applications: Monday 25th September, 2023.
Access, Courage, Solidarity: Reflections on Women Deliver 2023
Access, Courage, Solidarity: Reflections on Women Deliver 2023
At the recent Women Deliver 2023 conference in Kigali, the African Women’s Development Fund resourced the participation of 32 representatives of African feminist and women’s organisations, feminist collectives and individual activists. We are excited to share insights from a selected number of these AWDF-resourced partners as they reflect on the moments that inspired and challenged them at the conference.
Read their reflections: Access, Courage, Solidarity, for a glimpse into the powerful narratives that emerged at Women Deliver 2023.
Consultancy Opportunity: Resource Mobilisation Strategy
Consultancy Opportunity: Resource Mobilisation Strategy
The African Women’s Development Fund has started implementing our new ten-year (2023-2033) strategic framework, Lemlem, to guide our efforts to advance gender equality and gender justice for girls, women, and gender-diverse people across Africa. At its core, Lemlem focuses on resourcing, nurturing, and strengthening African women, feminist groups, organisations and movements to achieve transformative change. A key strategic priority within Lemlem is to grow and manage AWDF’s financial resources to sustain our ambitions and progress towards financial security. AWDF aims to particularly focus on generating and attracting the type of funding that will give us the flexibility we need to better resource, amplify, and sustain our movement partners – especially long-term, flexible, and unrestricted funding.
To meet this ambition, AWDF is recruiting a consultant (or teams of consultants) to act as a Resource Mobilisation Accelerator – a Resource Mobilisation strategist and expert who can assist the team in ensuring our resource mobilisation strategy, donor relationship management, practices and competencies are aligned with our new strategic vision. The Resource Mobilisation Accelerator’s work will run over a period of six months, and include an accompaniment program for key staff at AWDF around donor relationship management.
For more information and mode of application, please download the Terms of Reference here
Closing date is Friday 15th September 2023
We have a vacancy for a Programme Officer
We have a vacancy for a Programme Officer
We are hiring to fill a vacancy for the position of Programme Officer, Solidarity and Care. To fill this position, we are looking for a highly motivated person who is innovative, passionate about women’s rights in Africa, excited about African feminisms and embraces African women’s rich diversity.
As part of our new strategy, AWDF is building on our approach of strengthening the movement and funded partners to a more transformative and de-colonised approach which gives feminist and women’s rights activists, organisations and collectives in Africa the ownership and space to make transformative choices and impact their communities across the continent.
The Programme Officer is responsible for supporting the implementation of AWDF’s Solidarity and Care strategy to strengthen and uphold African women’s and feminist organisations and movements. The role will work under the leadership of the Programme Specialist – Solidarity and Care. The Solidarity and Care unit follows a cross-cluster operational model and the post-holder will therefore work with and be supported by various clusters, units and teams across the Programmes Department.
If you have experience in contributing to a programme and portfolio of work with identified entities, particularly individual activists in a strategic, inclusive, feminist, trust-based, collaborative and responsive approach for longer-term support, we’d love to hear from you.
How to Apply:
For more information on the role, and also on the application process, please visit the Application Portal here
Remember to include the following:
- A cover letter of not more than 2 pages to the Human Resources Manager, explaining their interest and excitement in applying for the position to work for AWDF; and highlighting their experience and competencies as they relate to the specific areas of duties indicated in the vacancy to demonstrate a good fit for the role.
- A CV of not more than 3 pages outlining their educational qualifications and employment records with key achievements on relevant positions held.
Applications for the vacancy should reach AWDF no later than Thursday 10th August 2023. Due to our limited capacity, only short-listed candidates will be contacted for additional information and interviews.
In line with AWDF’s Mission, qualified African women are encouraged to apply.
Consultancy Opportunity: Annual Report Writing
Consultancy Opportunity: Annual Report Writing
Are you an adept storyteller and experienced in report writing?
AWDF seeks the expertise of an Annual Report Writing Consultant with a remarkable storytelling ability to compile, structure, and narrate the organisation’s Annual Report for the fiscal year 2022. The consultant will infuse life into our accomplishments, struggles, and hopes, making the report a captivating testament to the collective efforts of the AWDF community.
The consultant’s responsibilities will include the following:
- Immerse themselves in AWDF’s rich tapestry by reviewing project reports, financial statements, and other relevant materials.
- Embark on a journey of discovery by conducting interviews or meetings with key staff, grantees, and partners, capturing the essence of their experiences.
- Collaborate with AWDF’s Communications and Programme teams, blending data to create a seamless and compelling narrative.
- Craft the report’s structure, ensuring each chapter unfolds like a new chapter in a captivating book.
- Write the report’s content in a way that demonstrates our impact, grounded in human interest stories and lived realities.
Work with the designer to integrate infographics, charts, and visuals to underscore the impact of our collective journey visually.
For more details please download the Terms of Reference here
Submissions must be received on or before July 24, 2023.
Qualified African women and gender-diverse candidates, including those identifying as women, are encouraged to apply.
Exciting Vacancies for Funded Initiative Coordinators
Exciting Vacancies for Funded Initiative Coordinators
We are looking for two highly motivated individuals who are excited about African feminisms and embrace African women’s diversity, to join our team as Funded Initiative Coordinators.
- Funded Initiative Coordinator, Leading From the South
Are you ready to develop, implement and manage a diverse portfolio under the Leading from the South (LFS) Initiative, to ensure that the team goals and set standards are met, in addition to providing initiative level monitoring, impact and learning and evaluation support to the LFS funded partners? If yes, then apply for the position of Funded Initiative Coordinator – Leading from the South Initiative
This role will be central to AWDF’s effort to cultivate, maintain and strengthen AWDF’s relationships with existing and new partners in feminist and social justice movements, the philanthropic sector and international development. The role holder will also be key to the execution of initiatives and activities to advance AWDF’s philanthropic advocacy and influencing agenda – working closely with the Director for Partnerships and Philanthropy (who they will report to), Programme Manager -Resourcing (in a matrix management arrangement), the CEO and the Director of Programmes.
Applications for the Leading From the South Coordinator must be sent to the application portal via this link: https://awdf.simplicant.com/jobs/49633-funded-initiative-coordinator-leading-from-the-south/detail
2. Funded Initiative Coordinator, Gates Initiative
A member of AWDF’s newly-created Partnerships and Philanthropy team, the Funded Initiative Coordinator – Gates Initiative will be central to AWDF’s effort to cultivate, maintain and strengthen AWDF’s relationships with existing and new partners in feminist and social justice movements, the philanthropic sector and international development. She/They will also be key to the execution of initiatives and activities to advance AWDF’s philanthropic advocacy and influencing agenda – working closely with the Director for Partnerships and Philanthropy (who they will report to), Programme Manager -Resourcing (in a matrix management arrangement), the CEO and the Director of Programmes. The Funded Initiative Coordinator – Gates Initiative will also support the development of donor reports and proposals, and other donor relations work.
Applications for the Gates Initiative Coordinator must be sent to the application portal via this link: https://awdf.simplicant.com/jobs/49634-funded-initiative-coordinator-gates-initiative/detail
Applications for both positions must comprise the following:
- A CV of not more than 3 pages, outlining your educational qualifications, employment records with key achievements
- A cover letter of not more than 2 pages, explaining your interest and excitement in applying to work with AWDF.
Applications should reach AWDF no later than Thursday 27th July 2023. Due to our limited capacity, only short-listed candidates will be contacted for additional information and interviews.
In line with AWDF’s Mission, qualified African women are encouraged to apply.