Category: News

[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”]AWDF is excited to announce the award of the second round of grants for “Leading from the South” for Africa and the Middle East, supporting advocacy and lobbying to advance women’s rights.

We received many exciting applications from women’s rights organisations and coalitions from across Africa and the Middle East that spanned the full range of our thematic areas, and contained innovative approaches to advocacy work. We would like to commend all eligible applicants for putting forward thorough and engaging applications. After a rigorous screening, 22 grants have been approved with grant awards totaling US $5,657,900.

See the breakdown of the Data and the full grants list below.

 

LFS Grantees: Round 2

Yalla Grantees

1. Association Démocratique des Femmes du Maroc / Rabat, Morocco
2. Association des Femmes Handicapées de Madagascar (AFHAM), Madagascar
3. Institute For Social Transformation (IST), Uganda
4. Rural Women’s Movement (RWM), South Africa

Ananse Grantees

1. ABANTU For Development, Ghana
2. Alliances for Africa, Nigeria
3. Anti-Racism Movement (ARM), Lebanon
4. EarthLore Foundation, South Africa
5. Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA Kenya), Kenya
6. Horizons Femmes, Cameroon
7. Psycho Social Counseling Center for Women, Palestine
8. The Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa, South Africa
9. Womankind Kenya, Kenya
10. Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC), Nigeria
11. Women and Law in Southern Africa, Zambia
12. Women Filmmakers of Zimbabwe (WFOZ), Zimbabwe
13. Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE), Uganda
14. The Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), Nigeria

 

Pamoja Grantees

1. Collective for Research and Training on Development Action (CRTDA), Lebanon
2. FEMNET- The African Women’s Development and Communication Network, Kenya
3. Women in Law and Development in Africa – Afrique de l’Ouest (WiLDAF), Togo
4. Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL), South Africa

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L’AWDF a le plaisir de vous annoncer sa deuxième série de subventions octroyées en Afrique et au Moyen Orient dans le cadre du projet «LE SUD AUX RÊNES DU LEADERSHIP» dont l’objectif est d’appuyer les actions de plaidoyer et de lobbying en vue de la promotion des droits des femmes.

La demande était très énorme. Les organisations de défenses des droits des femmes et des coalitions en Afrique et au Moyen Orient ont envoyé des propositions de projets intéressants et après un examen rigoureux de ces dossiers, 22 subventions d’un montant total de 5657900 de dollars américains ont été approuvées.

Ci-dessous les détails sur les organisations sélectionnées

Bénéficiaires de LFS : 2^e cycle de subventions

Bénéficiaires de la catégorie Yalla

Association Démocratique des Femmes du Maroc / Rabat, Maroc

Association des Femmes Handicapées de Madagascar (AFHAM), Madagascar

Institute For Social Transformation (IST), Ouganda

Rural Women’s Movement (RWM), Afrique du Sud

 

Bénéficiaires de la catégorie Ananse

ABANTU For Development, Ghana

Alliances for Africa, Nigeria

Anti-Racism Movement (ARM), Liban

EarthLore Foundation, Afrique du Sud

Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA Kenya), Kenya

Horizons Femmes, Cameroun

Psycho Social Counseling Center for Women, Palestine

The Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa, Afrique du Sud

Womankind Kenya, Kenya

Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC), Nigeria

Women and Law in Southern Africa, Zambie

Women Filmmakers of Zimbabwe (WFOZ), Zimbabwe

Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE), Ouganda

The Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), Nigeria

 

Bénéficiaires de la catégorie Pamoja

Collective for Research and Training on Development Action (CRTDA), Liban

FEMNET- The African Women’s Development and Communication Network, Kenya

Women in Law and Development in Africa – Afrique de l’Ouest (WiLDAF), Togo

Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL), Afrique du Sud

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The CEO Forum and coaching programme, designed by African feminists, develops the individual and collective leadership skills of women leaders who are at different points in their careers (senior, mid-level and emerging). As a Capacity Building Programme, this space also addresses critical gap areas while strengthening institutional and governance structures and providing an enabling framework for their sustainability. With this 7th CEO Forum and 4th coaching programme, we have over the years gained specialised knowledge of the persistent challenges African women’s organisations contend with concerning resource mobilisation, communications, governance, leadership transition, safety and wellbeing.

The story below, is from one of the participants of the CEO forum and Manda program. She describes how the programme has changed not only her approach to leadership, but her approach to life in general.

VALNORA EDWIN
Executive Director: Campaign for Good Governance
Sierra Leone

 

“This has been a mind-opening experience. I think of a quote that says, It’s not about you but it’s all about you. It’s not anything personal about you but there’s a lot you have to do about yourself to be a better person. As the CEO, you take the lead in making the organisation a better place. There have been quite a lot of conversations both in the sessions and informally that shows that you are not alone. You feel you are alone in the bad experiences – you have a feeling of, is something wrong with me? What am I not doing right? Am I not communicating well? But in conversation we realise that it is something common but we need to work on ourselves to make things better.

The Wheel of Life – the nature and pace of the organisation – we’re all paying attention to that rather than ourselves. We need to work on ourselves, reflect and set targets and goals and that will help us to strengthen the team. I want my colleagues to do some reflection. Our governance structure is not too bad but it could be better than what we have now. While we were doing the baseline evaluation, in practice we are doing a couple of things but in terms of formalizing and developing tools, written policies and structures, these are things we will work on when we return to the office.

I’m very excited about the coaching and I’m really looking forward to it. I’m in another leadership training program in Sierra Leone which is also a 9-month program and it’s almost similar. This is preparing me for the next level – I don’t know what – and so I am excited for being equipped to do this”.

AWDF is thrilled to have been selected for support under the NoVo Foundation’s Radical Hope fund- a bold and imaginative initiative that seeks to support efforts focused on nurturing the movements we need and deepening our collective ability to build a more just and balanced world.

We are looking to re-inspire radical hope amongst African feminists through Flourish Project- a three-year initiative that will strengthen feminist organising across Africa through three key interventions:

1. Seedinginspiration for the growth of African feminist movements through intergenerational dialogues and documenting a generation of liberation-era feminist trailblazers;
2. Grounding through a pilot model of a retreat for African feminist activists facing burnout and stress, and in need of a reflective and healing space—designed and implemented in collaboration with AIR, a network of African practitioners developing transformative feminist approaches to trauma, emotional wellbeing, and mental health
3. Connectingfeminist activists to convene and grow their organising at national and community levels linked to the African Feminist Forum.

“The Flourish Project aims to do what the name suggests- refresh and tend to the vibrant movement of African feminists who have and will continue to shape the future of Africa” says Jessica Horn, Director of Programmes at AWDF. “We are excited that Novo has recognised the need to invest in the deep movement work that also needs support alongside frontline advocacy: the work of documenting and sharing our activist legacies, of finding durable ways to sustain activists working in hostile terrain, and of keeping movement strategy and base-building spaces alive”.

For more information on Radical Hope, read the Novo Foundation press release here

 

 

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Are you passionate about women’s rights in Africa, excited about African feminism, and embrace African women’s diversities?

Do you have experience of implementing programmes aimed at movement building, encouraging innovation?

Are you ready to contribute to developing cutting-edge programming in women’s rights around feminist movement building, activist well-being and artivism/ arts, culture and tech for women’s rights?

 

The Programme Officer- Catalytic Initiatives, plays an exciting role in the Programmes Department supporting AWDF’s role as host of the African Feminist Forum and implementation of new programming areas around the arts, culture and technology for women’s rights; and activist wellbeing. Reporting to and working in close collaboration with the Director of Programmes, the Officer will implement a diverse portfolio of projects that involve a high level of creative thinking and an open attitude to experimentation, learning and programme improvement. The Officer will work with the Grants Department to support grantmaking in line with the project areas, as well as with the Knowledge Management and Communications teams in producing externally-facing information, documentation and analysis. The Officer will also liaise with external consultants in the delivery of project objectives.

Excellent knowledge of English is required. Working knowledge of French is desirable.

For the full Job Description CLICK HERE

 

 

The Bear Foundation (TBF) was formed in 2011 to help survivors of violence build their confidence and realise their self-worth. It is an organisation born out of the personal struggle of the Executive Director of the Bear Foundation, Nomzamo Gcwensa, (TBF) who survived an emotionally and physically abusive relationship. She felt the need to help other women who were struggling to get back on their feet and regain their sense of self after they left their abusers and formed the organisation to combat gender-based violence. The organisation works mainly with school girls and young women both in and out of school.

TBF also works on building leadership skills in young women and girls with programmes and activities in the Diepsloot township in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Bear Foundation was awarded a grant by AWDF in 2016 as part of its 16 days of activism, a grant process that supports various women’s organisations fighting against Gender based violence. During the period, they organized a walk to raise awareness on gender-based violence in Diepsloot; they were also on the Diepsloot community radio and participated in the community dialogues that spoke to the issue of Gender based violence. The project therefore helped reinvigorate the discussions around eliminating Violence Against Women.

 

Their grassroots focus and determination to make change in young women’s lives is what makes The Bear Foundation one of our #FacesofTransformation.

 

In recognition of her contribution to shaping gender policy around the world, AWDF CEO Theo Sowa has been listed among the top 100 influencers of global policy.

Apolitical, a global platform for public servants and policymakers to stay informed about policy and the public service, announced its compilation of the 100 most influential people in gender policy around the world, citing Theo for her work in Philanthropy! This accolade recognises her incredible efforts, both at AWDF and in her own personal capacity, to make the world a better, kinder, and freer place for women.

 

For the full list of actors please click HERE

To achieve true gender parity and transformation requires changing not just the law, but the hearts and the minds of the people within that community. TGNP Mtandao works to transform and inform its stakeholders and Tanzanians at large about the rights of women, as well as engaging women to know and champion their own rights.

TGNP is a membership organisation based in Tanzania and is well-known within its field as a trailblazer in empowering women for the achievement of their rights. Their recent accreditation as well as their partnership with COADY Canada, where they help run some of its capacity building programmes puts it in a strong position within the women’s movement of Tanzania and the country as a whole. Their drive to share knowledge and resources throughout the country has resulted in the creation of a network of knowledge and research centres that serve as hubs that guide movement building activities all over Tanzania.

Their impressive reach throughout Tanzania means that when TGNP was awarded a grant to build the capacity of informal Women Cross Border Traders (WCBT) and duty bearers on gender mainstreaming in trade for women’s economic justice, they were well positioned and well equipped to achieve their goals. Their project focuses on strengthening women’s economic skills and empowering women’s cross border traders. They also work to advocate for gender friendly trade policies with key stakeholders on all levels of government.

TGNP’s innovation and research driven approach to their work is what makes them one of our #FacesofTransformation

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Based on feedback received and from frequently asked questions, we have jut released a video aimed at simplifying the grantmaking process for Leading from the South. This video gives valuable insight into LFS grantmaking including how to approach the application process and also shares a few lessons learnt from previous rounds of grantmaking.

 

Please follow this link: LFS: An Insight into our Grantmaking to view the video and also share with your networks for the benefit of others who may want to apply for a Leading from the South Grant.

 

 

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Nous avons publié une vidéo visant à simplifier le processus d’octroi de subvention. Ceci pour répondre à vos préoccupations relatives à notre initiative LE SUD AUX RÊNES DU LEADERSHIP (LFS).

Cette vidéo donne un aperçu général de l’octroi de subvention dans le cadre de l’initiative LFS, y compris comment aborder le processus de demande et partage également quelques leçons tirées des cycles de subventions précédents.

 

Cliquez sur ce lien Un aperçu de notre octroi de subvention pour regarder la vidéo et partager le avec vos réseaux et d’autres personnes qui désireraient postuler pour une subvention dans le cadre de cette initiative.

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African women have always played an integral role in sustaining the planet’s biodiversity, conserving the environment around them, and EarthLore fits right into this mould. This is one of the women-led organisations that is rural-based, and that often forms the backbone of the community and the starting point of the agri-food value chain.

Earthlore’s work ensures that these women continue to play a central role in the continued life cycle of our planet.

Earthlore was provided a grant to improve the economic security of rural women in Mpumalanga, South Africa, and to promote conservation of the environment and biodiversity. The project included community dialogues, exchange meetings and workshops for rural women to revive and strengthen women’s leadership, traditional knowledge and governance systems. Earthlore also organized agro-ecology trainings and support visits to small-scale women farmers to revive traditional knowledge and indigenous seed and food systems. They undertook advocacy activities to protect community lands and sacred natural sites– as a way of continuing their legacy of honouring the land they live on. Earthlore’s unique respect of traditional methods provides them a unique advantage when it comes to conservation methodology and allows them to centre women and the earth in their work in spiritual and revolutionary ways.

Earthlore’s understanding of the environment and recall of traditional methods of farming make them a forward facing organisation that acknowledges, respects and carries the path with them. Their love for the environment, and the hope and methods they’ve instilled in their community make them one of our #FacesofTransformation.

Click here to see EarthLore’s Method Gundidza, speaking at the UN, New York, on African Perspectives on Earth Jurisprudence