Background

In order to grow its funding base to scale up support to women’s organisations involved in activities around climate change mitigation and adaptation, AWDF is currently aiming at gaining accreditation to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) with support from Both ENDS. The GCF is a new global fund created to support efforts made by developing countries to respond to climate change effects. Specifically, GCF provides grants to projects aimed at helping developing countries limit or reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to climate change. It seeks to promote a paradigm shift to low-emission and climate-resilient development, taking into account the needs of nations that are particularly vulnerable to the impact of climate change.

Purpose of the consultancy

Considering the demands of the accreditation process, AWDF requires the services of a consultant, who is familiar with environmental, climate change, and gender issues and has an understanding of the funding landscape for women’s rights activities and of the workings of the GCF. The consultant’s main responsibility would be to study the requirements of the accreditation process, assess AWDF’s readiness to access the fund, advise on adequate steps, produce a concept note as well as any additional required policies.

Interested in this offer, Click here for full TOR and mode of application

“Cancer took so much away from me but in return has given me so much. I have a better perspective on life, what matters and who counts. I live my life like its golden. I don’t take anything for granted” Twena Harvey-Ewusi

Twena is a Ghanaian fashion designer and a breast cancer survivor. She fought and survived breast cancer, the most common cancer that affects women in Ghana and the leading cause of cancer deaths among Ghanaian women.

The mention of any kind cancer sends shivers down the spine of many; for a lot of women, cervical and breast cancers are a death sentence. Does it have to be tough? Definitely not! Undeniably, breast cancer does claim lives. Such was the case of the late Mrs. Beatrice Mensah Osae, the beloved mother of AhmazingGrace Baaba Danso. “She was diagnosed in 2011 when she discovered a tumor in her left breast which grew bigger to the point it became inoperable. It burst and became an open sore on her chest and ate away at her breast even claiming her nipple. She had three chemo treatments which weakened her greatly till she switched to homeopathic treatment. This helped her regain her strength a bit but ultimately she succumbed to the disease and passed in September 2016” recalls AhmazingGrace. Madam Beatrice was one of the 1% of breast cancer patients who are likely not to survive breast cancer.

Okay! Let’s pause briefly and talk about what breast cancer really is. Dr Grace Gyimah-Boateng, a general medical practitioner at Sonotech Medical and Diagnostic Center describes breast cancer as growth of abnormal cells in the breast. Ideally, the body has a way of working to control how the cells in the body divides but cells become cancerous when they grow abnormally and at a rate that the body can no longer control.

Breast cancer comes in two main classifications: primary and secondary. Primary breast cancer cells originate or start from the breast, whereas secondary breast cancer occurs when cancerous cells in any other parts of your body spread to the breast. According to Dr Gyimah-Boateng, primary breast cancer makes up about 90% of diagnosed cancers in our part of the world. She further elaborated that the breast has 3 main parts, the lobule, duct and connective tissues. Breast cancer most commonly found is the Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (phew! this one is kind of heavy) which in simple terms means invasive cancer (abnormal growth) in the breast duct.

For Twena, finding out she had breast cancer “...was very devastating. My heart was broken, I was scared, didn’t know where to go and what to do. I was very scared because where I come from, the word cancer is a death sentence“. Was Twena’s fear unfounded? Of course not! Imagine processing a medical diagnosis as a death sentence. Nobody really wants to die. This fear of breast cancer lingers even in women who have never had a breast screening.

Karen Aziza Yassine is a Malian-Ivorian entrepreneur, a translator and a breast cancer survior. When I asked Karen what her diagnosis experience was, she said: “The day of my “official” announcement, the day I heard the doctor tell me that I had stage 3 out of 4 breast cancer, 4 meaning that you have a 99.9% of change of dying, the conversation went like this:

The doctor: I’m sorry to inform you that you have stage 3 breast cancer, and the younger you are the faster cancer spreads”

Me: ok! So what do I do now?

The doctor: (repeated) you have breast cancer ma’am!

Me: I heard you the first time around, I already cried yesterday… what do I do now?”

Karen was 27 years and had a 2 month old baby when she herself discovered a lump in her breast. Doctors told her it may just be a clogged milk duct as she was breastfeeding. It wasn’t until she went back a few months to get it checked again after having watched the cancer story of Angelina Jolie, that she was officially diagnosed. In a few months, the small lump had progressed to a stage 3 cancer. This news would scare anyone, I know I would have been scared, but her response! She had 99.9% surety that she was going to die but she said “…I already cried yesterday, what do I do now” She wanted to do something about her situation so she decided to make use of the 1% survival chance she had.

In her interview, Karen said her reaction surprised the doctor. She didn’t consider dying an option, saying: “…I was not going to waste another second being sad, I saw my grandmother dying of breast cancer and I was not going to let it win this time. I thought about my kids, my mother, my family and I knew that 70% of your recovery is in your attitude and my plan was to be as POSITIVE as possible and take the bull by the horns!” And she did take the bull by the horn. She survived it!

What caused Karen, Twena, Madam Beatrice or any other woman to develop breast cancer? Well, doctors don’t know that, yet! Scientists don’t know the exact cause of breast cancer. Dr Grace Gyimah-Boateng explained that there are risk factors; things that could make one prone to developing breast cancer. These are categorised as modifiable and non-modifiable factors. Non modifiables are factors women have no control over, they include genetic mutations, family history, radiation treatment to the chest, dense duct, prolonged exposure of endogenous estrogen (eg: early menstruation, late menopause and late age of beginning child birth) increasing age and being female, as 99% of cancer is found in women. One other minor non modifiable risk factor which Dr Grace mentioned is still being researched is height. Tall people have been found to be more susceptible to breast cancer. Modifiable risks which are factors women have control over are obesity, alcohol intake, and physical inactivity. These risk factors however do not always have a bearing on a woman’s diagnosis, as especially more now than before, women below age 45 are increasingly being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Breast cancer can be scary, we’re not here to tell you it isn’t. What it also is, besides being scary, is that it is curable. Twena did “6months of chemotherapy, surgery (lumpectomy) and 30 rounds of radiation. I was put on medication for 7yrs“. Karen on the other hand did “10 rounds of chemotherapy, and IV (Intravenous therapy)…a double mastectomy – took out both of my breasts and 3 months of radiotherapy” Not everyone diagnosed with breast cancer goes through these same treatments. Treatment is tailored to the type and level of cancer one has.

Depending on the stage and type, breast cancer treatment may include surgery to remove the cancer tissues, radiation to kill or shrink the cancer cells and medication which includes chemotherapy.

So you see, unlike dysmenorrhea- I know this a terrible comparison but I couldn’t help it, forgive me, breast cancer has a definite cure and you can get rid of it before it becomes life threatening. How do you do that? Early detection!!! My mind’s voice actually screamed that. Twena emphasised that “early detection is the reason I’m still here. Cancer if detected early can be cured. Girls/boys should be educated from the age of 12 on how to do the monthly self-exam. We should all mark it on our calendar to do it monthly” For AmazingGrace, her mum’s death has made her “hypersensitive and aware and desperate to ensure that women detect it early so they have better chances of survival…” She has since become a staunch breast cancer awareness advocate who dedicates time to encourage women to overcome their fears and get screened. This October, AmazingGrace says she’ll continue sharing her mother’s story to encourage women to get regular breast screening, although she wishes she had money to do more.

As we mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, I’d like to tell you that You Don’t Have to Die. Breast cancer is curable, it’s okay to be afraid to get screened but don’t let fear cause you to lose your life. Breast cancer doesn’t have to be a death sentence. Read on breast cancer, go and get screened by a medical professional at least once a year, learn to examine your breast by yourself and do it regularly.

To examine your breasts:

1. Lie on your back and put one arm behind your head. With your three middle fingers placed flat on your breast, move your hand gently in circular motions checking for lumps, knots or thickening. Do this over the entire breast area including the area from your collarbone right down to the ribs below your breast. Apply pressure moderately as your fingers move. Put the other hand behind your head and do same for the other breast.
2. Stand up straight, raise your left arm and use the right hand to check your arm for lumps. Squeeze your nipple between your thumb and index fingers and look out for any fluid or discharge. Do same for the other breast.
3. Stand in front of a mirror with your hands on your waist and observe your breast. Look out for any changes in size, shape, any swelling or dimpling of the skin.

These are best done within the first week after menstruating. Report any unusual observation to a medical practitioner. Remember this does not replace getting screened by a professional.

Let these words of Karen Aziza Yassine who survived a stage 3 breast cancer resound in your ears this month and every other day – “I’d like to remind people that 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. Men can also develop it…So Inform yourself, touch your breast in the shower or when you’re putting cream on, don’t be scared, fear will not help you. No matter what happens, remember that you are stronger than you think you are, we all have it in us!”

And remember, it’s not a death sentence. Get screened.

By Sarah Benewaa Fosu, Knowledge Management Assistant, AWDF

01/10/2019

(Picture) Rural Female Volunteers in Mudzi District, Zimbabwe-Cancer Association of Zimbabwe

Breast cancer is a growing problem in low-resource settings. A report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, GLOBACOB revealed that an estimated 94,378 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in sub-Saharan Africa annually, with incidence rates varying between African countries.

In a bid to empower women to take charge of their bodies and health, the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF), provides resources to women’s organisations and groups under its ‘Body and Health Rights’ thematic area. These organisations and employ innovative strategies to help improve behaviour in symptomatic women in seeking health-care and referral. They also empower women with skills to undertake self-examination for early detection of lumps in the breast.

Since inception, AWDF has invested over $300,000 in grants and capacity support to about 10 breast cancer related organisations on the African continent. These are national and community based organisations who are well grounded in issues of breast cancer prevention and support programming. The organisations undertake activities such as breast cancer education, free breast screening campaigns in institutions and communities, education, counselling and support for women diagnosed with breast cancer as well as providing hospice services to patients with breast cancer related problems. The women’s rights organisations also empower the health sectors within the various countries by training health care workers to educate and provide gender-friendly health care services at the grassroot level. The initiatives of such women’s organisations and groups have had a great impact on health seeking behaviours of women, patients and breast cancer survivors.

“The education, interaction, free screening project and the usual hospital visitations have created an avenue for support and bonding with patients, and this has led to the reduction of anxiety and the feeling of isolation. The sharing of experiences by survivors who are volunteers helped the patients to relate to their journeys in the knowledge that there is life and hope after breast cancer”, says Mrs. Gladys Boateng, Reach for Recovery-Ghana.

“Continuous visits to survivors aside from offering peer support also helped families of patients better relate to what is happening to their loved ones and in turn served as a source of hope, comfort and relief to both the patients and their families,” Cancer Association of Zimbabwe.

The organisations also engage strategic health sector stakeholders as well as sector policies to advocate for friendly policies on diagnosis and the availability of appropriate treatment; sustainable pathological resources; palliative care for patients with late-stage breast cancer as well as reduced financial burden for average patient with breast cancer in sub-Saharan Africa. Such strategies are known to improve early diagnosis.

As we celebrate the breast cancer month, AWDF is lending its voice to the cause to reiterate the urgency of investing more in women’s body and health rights to ensure autonomy over their lives in general.

In solidarity with all women and survivors, together we can surmount!

By Rose Buabeng, Programme Officer, Grants.

We are pleased to announce the final list of selected applicants for the 2019 African Women Writers Workshop due to be held in Ghana.

The quality and sheer volume of applications received was truly amazing, and we thank everyone who put in an application to be part of this wonderful experience. We received over 1,300 applications and it was really tough deciding on the finalists and we couldn’t have done it without the assistance of our partners Femrite and facilitators Yewande Omotoso and Sylvia Vollenhoven.

We are truly sorry if you applied and did not make it this time. We hope you will try again at the next opportunity.

We take this opportunity to congratulate the selected finalists as listed below, as we prepare to welcome them to the workshop in Ghana.

1. Paula Akugizibwe (Rwanda)
2. Lydia Ume (Nigeria)
3. Fatima Derby(Ghana)
4. Dorcas Tiwaa Addai (Ghana)
5. Awa Badara Joof (The Gambia)
6. Anne Waruguru Kiai (Kenya)
7. Lerato Molisana (Lesotho)
8. Louise Mutabazi (Rwanda)
9. Gcotyelwa Jimlongo (South Africa)
10. Makomborero Muzenda (Zimbabwe)
11. Musih Tedji (Cameroon)
12. Shameelah Khan (South Africa)
13. Sharon Tshipa (Botswana)
14. Beryl Adhiambo (Kenya)
15. Ingrid Nayame (Zambia)
16. Jessica Mandanda (Malawi)
17. Ndapewoshali Ndahafa(Namibia)
18. Sophie Efange (Ethiopia)
19. Bigoa Chuol (South Sudan)
20. Aminata Sanneh (Gambia)

PROGRAMME OFFICER – DONOR LIAISON

Job Summary

The role of the Programme Officer – Donor Liaison is to work with other team members to coordinate and manage AWDF’s donor portfolio, ensuring that AWDF is meeting its implementation and reporting obligations to all stakeholders as identified. The post holder will work cross organisationally to ensure the development of strong quantitative and qualitative reporting on the work of AWDF. The role includes key responsibilities in the AWDF fundraising structure, including development of fundraising initiatives, writing of funding proposals, tracking and documentation of initiatives geared towards AWDF’s financial sustainability.

FOR FULL DETAILS ABOUT THIS POST, CLICK HERE

PROGRAMME OFFICER- GRANTS

Job Summary

The Programme Officer – Grants plays a critical role in the grants department taking primary responsibility for assessing new grants applications, recommending organisations to be funded, and preparing dockets in collaboration with the Grants Manager, and other colleagues in the Grants Department, and in line with AWDF’s strategic plan. With a focus on Francophone grantmaking, the post-holder will work to grow the Francophone grantmaking portfolio in line with the overall strategy, conduct desk and field based assessments in both French and English, and prepare dockets in English for review and approval. The position also provides grants management services and supports technical assistance to grantees. Contributing to due diligence processes, site visits and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning activities related to grant making, the post holder also supports with outreach and networking as well as fundraising activities.

INTERESTED IN THIS POSITION? CLICK HERE

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST (KMS)

Job Summary

The Knowledge Management Specialist’s role is to lead and coordinate the work of the AWDF Knowledge Management function- producing analysis, generating new knowledge around women’s rights in Africa, and collaborating to communicate the impact of AWDF’s work and the work of its grantees, advocacy and movement building partners. The KMS coordinates also the documentation of organisational learning and knowledge generation within AWDF. The work of the KM function is conducted in English, with selected initiatives in French.

The Knowledge Management Specialist will work with colleagues to sustain a programme of knowledge generation and management initiatives (including documentation, archiving, building knowledge resources, co-developing and managing knowledge production by staff and external actors), and to grow the work of the Knowledge Management unit in line with the AWDF strategic framework and direction and with support from Senior Management. As a member of the AWDF staff team, the Knowledge Management Specialist supervises the Knowledge Management Assistant, engages in other cross-departmental activities of AWDF and represents AWDF in external events as relevant.

TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION, CLICK HERE

By: Sabine Afodanyi, Knowledge Management Intern

I began my internship with the African Women’s Development Fund with eagerness and desire to soak in as much knowledge as I can concerning African feminism. I had the opportunity of interning with the Knowledge Management department, which is responsible for archiving and analyzing feminist knowledge produced by the African Women’s Development Fund and its grantee organisations. As someone who is interested in development and advocacy work, I
believe this internship gave me the opportunity to learn what it entails to accomplish such type of work. My six-week internship, supervised by Knowledge Management Specialist Rita Nketiah was a thought-provoking, fulfilling and memorable experience. During this process, I was amazed by the critical work and impact that AWDF has and will continue to accomplish in the venture to support its grantee organisations in radically transforming the state of women’s rights
in the African continent.

The work of AWDF is quite fundamental in advancing the state of women’s rights in the African continent, as it is in a unique position of providing funds to various women’s organisations in order for them to actualise the principles of African feminism in their local communities. For example, NETRIGHT is involved in aiding rural women to reclaim knowledge concerning land rights in the northern region of Ghana. This is done through a knowledge
building initiative which allows for these rural women to adequately fight for their rights so they can be able to be in control of their own economic futures without having to rely on male figures within their households. Having the opportunity to craft stories around organisations such as NETRIGHT opened my eyes to what African feminism really entails. In my opinion, I believe a key mechanism through which African women can be empowered is for the actualisation of their true economic autonomy in addition to their social and political rights. Organisations such as NETRIGHT allow for African women’s empowerment in a system which has long allowed for their oppression from and dehumanized them as a result of colonialism and patriarchy. Seeing how the AWDF is working to further advance this goal allows me to further understand how these systems have held African women back from truly actualising their personhood in political,
economic and social spheres.

Beyond obtaining the opportunity to gain knowledge about how a pan-African organisation such as the AWDF supports its grantees, I was also able to strengthen my writing abilities. A key aspect of my internship was being able to adequately and efficiently produce stories concerning important work grantees have been doing with support from the AWDF. Initially, I felt intimidated to write for a much larger audience beyond that of a classroom audience. This was my first opportunity in writing from the perspective of a women’s rights organisation with a large audience. With the support and guidance of my supervisor, I quickly overcame this uncertainty, allowing for me to confidently produce two key short profiles on AWDF grantees. For me, this is a testament to one of AWDF’s goals of supporting young African women in growing their voice and leadership capabilities. I also was able to build my ediorial skills by contributing to AWDF’s knowledge generation series Bread and Butter series, which offers radical feminist macroeconomic analysis to shape and transform policy. Having the opportunity to collaborate with my supervisor on this task was also another manner in which I was able to further enhance my knowledge of how African women are leading the way in transformational approaches to macroeconomic policies. Apart from enhancing my writing and editorial skills, I subsequently had the opportunity to support with the weekly operations of the Resource Centre. The Centre houses hundreds of materials on African feminist knowledge including books, films and institutional reports. As a support staff, I had the opportunity to meet with members of the public who visited the Centre to access materials or needed a quiet study space away from the noisiness of Accra. As a KM intern, I also contributed to researching and
uploading content to AWDF’s online repository called AfriREP. This process allowed me to engage with key African feminist knowledge producers, through open source platforms.

In summary, my internship experience with the AWDF is one which I believe will positively impact my educational career and beyond. There were many thought provoking questions, such as the role of social class in African feminism, and how this impacts the lives of everyday African women. While I was not able to visit some of the local organisations supported by AWDF, I am amazed by the important work the AWDF is doing with its revolutionary take on confronting injustices committed against African women through systems rooted in patriarchy and colonialism.

Gender activists from across Southern Africa launch the#VoiceandChoice 2019 Barometer alongside the State of Women in SADC 2019 report.

The Barometer has been produced for the last eleven years by the Southern African Gender Protocol Alliance, a network of Women’s Rights Organisations that campaigned for the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development in 2008, its updating and alignment to the Sustainable Development Goals in 2016.

In keeping with global and regional trends, reflected in the #MeToo, #TimesUp, #TotalShutdown and related campaigns, the 2019 Barometer departs with past tradition in focusing specifically on Sexual Reproductive Health and Right (SRHR).

The 2019 #VoiceandChoice Barometer is the first civil society shadow report on the recently adopted SADC SRHR strategy. It measures 100 indicators in seven thematic areas including Sexual and Reproductive Health; adolescent SRHR; safe abortion; GBV; HIV and AIDS; harmful practices and sexual diversity. The State of Women report details progress made against the provisions of the SADC Gender Protocol using two important yardsticks, the empirical SADC Gender and Development Index (SGDI) and Citizen Score Card (CSC) to measure progress made towards Gender Equality in the region.

For the findings of the Barometer and to gain context on the state of Women’s rights in the SADC Region, click here.

Why this primer?

This primer provides an overview of key terms, trends, approaches, and evidence used to frame violence against women (VAW) prevention programming. It is designed to strengthen programming, advocacy, and research for evidence-based violence against women prevention in Africa. We hope that it will both contribute to individual learning and promote collective knowledge on VAW—enabling organisations and groups to engage more meaningfully in VAW prevention programming, advocacy, research, and activism.

Who is this primer for?

This primer is intended for African women’s organisations, African women’s funds, and allied philanthropic actors to broaden their understanding of the trends in the rapidly evolving field of VAW prevention. The primer also serves to increase the participation of African women’s organisations, researchers, activists, and programme developers in advancing evidence-based work on VAW prevention grounded in feminist politics.

Ultimately, it is our hope that this primer supports African women’s organisations to take the lead on VAW prevention programming, innovations, implementation, and advocacy.

HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PRIMER

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Deepening Roots is a report on our achievements, learnings and growth in 2018. We strongly believe in the power and potential of African women to shape our own destinies and this report is a testament to all the growth work that continues to guide our cause. The report has been structured across three major themes: growth, reflection, and learning. Each theme captures the ways that AWDF implemented our strategic vision in 2018. We stay committed to
supporting a range of African women’s organisations to live out their visions of justice and freedom for all African women. As we continue to reach upwards and outward in our feminist journeys, we also remember to dig deeper and more intentionally into the values that root us to do this work. We hope
you enjoy reading as much as we enjoyed growing, reflecting and learning in 2018.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL REPORT ENGLISH VERSION

TO READ THE FRENCH VERSION, PLEASE CLICK HERE

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L’enracinement (Deepening Roots) est un rapport sur nos réalisations, nos apprentissages et notre croissance en 2018. Nous croyons fermement au pouvoir et au potentiel des femmes africaines à forger nos propres destins; et ce rapport est un témoignage de toutes les activités qui ont marqué notre croissance et qui continuent de guider notre cause.

Le rapport a été structuré autour de trois principaux thèmes: croissance, réflexion et apprentissage. Chaque thème représente les voies par lesquelles notre vision stratégique a été mise en oeuvre par l’AWDF en 2018. Nous demeurons engagées à notre volonté de soutenir un éventail d’organisations de femmes à accomplir leur vision de justice et de liberté pour toutes les femmes africaines. En poursuivant notre engagement à la cause féministe vers les sommets et l’extérieur, nous nous rappelons également de puiser profondément et de manière plus intentionnelle dans nos valeurs qui nous lient à ce travail qui nous passionne tant.

Nous espérons que vous trouverez du plaisir à lire ce rapport tout comme nous avons été heureuses de croître, de réfléchir et d’apprendre en 2018.

CLIQUEZ ICI POUR LIRE ET TELECHARGER LE RAPPORT

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We are happy to share this update on the upcoming African Women Writers Workshop. The number of applications received was truly amazing and we’re excited by the high level of interest in the event.

Screening is still ongoing, but due to the high number of qualified applications received, we are unable to respond to every single applicant. We will notify shortlisted applicants by 30th August 2019. If you have not heard from us by the end of August, it means you did not make the shortlist. There will be an opportunity to try for the next one.

Thank you!

The AWWW 2019 Team