Tag: AWDF

Written in bold, large fonts at the top of their webpage is the declaration: “We Strive to be Champions of Better Health”, and that is exactly what Better Health Action Group Uganda is turning out to be. Better HAG is a non-profit initiative with focus on Reproductive and Sexual Health, and in September 2011, they were given an AWDF (African Women’s Development Fund) grant of USD $1000 in support of their big, hairy, audacious goal: “… seeking a world of better health with no cases of preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths, where people can access sexual and reproductive health (including HIV and AIDS) services as well as exercise their health rights, and where vulnerability to children in all angles is greatly reduced.”

They are not only bold about their goals and vision, they are physical about it too; having recently made Sports and Events – S & E’s as they call it – one of their means of reaching out to and empowering women, girls, and the people in the community. They saw in football and netball, an invaluable opportunity and ability to bring together people of all makes and ages for a period of fun, interaction, togetherness, and all sorts of possibilities. These sports not only mobilise a lot of people in the community for interaction and information, but also bring them together for education and capacity building. This occurs through their engagement in the planning and delivery of the sports events, and their actual participation in them.

It is through these mediums that Better HAG empowers the participants – girls, youth, and women – in capacity and skills, whiles the sports commentator of the event provides the educational points for reform or advocacy. This is done during the sport activities, where the commentator would educate the crowd and players on the details of a particular issue of concern, say HIV/AIDS prevention, gender equality, child protection, etc. The people are not only educated on these, but also on the best values of the sport that they are engaging in, such as team-work, cooperation, respect for team-mates and other players, and these lessons linked to life values such as leadership, discipline, and conflict resolution. By doing all these, Better HAG helps in grooming happier, healthier, more responsible and protected girls, women, and society … bringing themselves several steps closer to their fierce, audacious goals!

Started in October 2008, in Uganda, by human health rights and development activists, Better HAG is focused on “an advocacy for accelerated realization of women and girls’ health rights”. Not only have they worked hard to sustain this, but they have also given it a new and wider lease of life, by using sports as yet another platform for reaching and empowering the people on life-changing issues.

 

Here at AWDF, we are very proud of our grantee, Better HAG Uganda. Our belief in excellence and the capacities of females to reach great heights is highlighted in their achievements. We hold the deep belief that if women and women’s organizations are empowered with skills, information, sustainable livelihoods, opportunities to fulfill their potential, plus the capacity and space to make transformatory choices, then we will have vibrant, healthy, and inclusive communities. Without a doubt, a hard-working entity like Better HAG fits just right into what we here at AWDF, hold in value when thinking of grants, support, and progress on issues of Reproductive and Sexual Health for women in Africa.

AWDF says “Kudos” to Better HAG!

The African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) in partnership with the African Feminist Forum (AFF) warmly invite you to a series of events organised for the AWID Forum 2012. It will be an opportunity to share our experiences as African feminists on some of the most pressing challenges on our continent. You are warmly invited to attend the African Feminist Forum (AFF) panel on:

Feminists and Questions of Political and Economic Power in Africa, 20645

Date: 21^st April 2012

Time: 11:30am – 1.30pm

Venue: Halic

 

Members of AFF will also participate in the following panels:

• Militarism, Conflict and Violence
• Changing World Geopolitics and Global Governance

(These sessions run more than once so please check the AWID programme for dates and times)

Other networking and learning opportunities are available by:

• Interacting with staff from the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) during our donor office hours at the Resource Mobilisation Hub which will be running throughout the AWID Forum.

 

• Joining us in celebrating the work of women’s funds at a reception for members and grantees of the International Network of Women’s Funds on:

Date: 19^th April 2012

Time: 19:00 – 23:00

Venue: Babylon Lodge

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Accra, 28th February 2012

 

Celebrate International Women’s Day with the African Women’s Development Fund and Alliance Francaise (Ghana)

Every year on 8^th March the world celebrates International Women’s Day. This year, celebrate International Women’s Day with the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) and our partner, Alliance Francaise (Ghana).

On Thursday, 8^th March 2012 at 6.30 pm attend an art exhibition and reception themed, “Young African Women, Inspiring Futures”, featuring Adowa Amoah, Co-Director of the Foundation for Contemporary Art (FCA) and Fatric Bewong, a painter. Although Adwoa’s medium is primarily painting, she experiments with installations and photography, which extends her language of expression to reflect contemporary situations. Fatric is a contemporary artist whose work incorporates a multifaceted approach to the vibrant colours, textures and rhythms of Ghana’s social landscape.

This exhibition is followed at 8.00pm with a concert featuring Sia Tolno, an award winning musician from Guinea and RFI Discovery Award winner of 2011, as well as Lady Jay Wah of Ghana who will perform a medley of inspiring music, including ‘African woman’, a song specially commissioned by AWDF. Ticket sales for this event are GHC10, with sales and a portion of any art pieces sold supporting AWDF’s ‘Arts, Culture and Sports’ thematic area.

ENDS

About the African Women’s Development Fund

Over the past ten years, the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) has blazed a trail for women’s rights and philanthropy across the African continent. AWDF is an African, not for profit, grantmaking organisation. Since the start of operations in 2001, AWDF has provided US$19 million in grants to 800 women’s organisations in 42 African countries. AWDF’s grant making processes are uniquely designed to meet the needs of African women and activities include the provision of small and larger grants to African women’s organisations, capacity building support and a strong focus on advocacy and movement building.

Press Enquiries

Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah (AWDF Programme Officer for Communications)

Tel: +233 302 521 257 (Ghana)

Email: nana@africlub.net/awdf, Website: www.africlub.net/awdf

It is always a joy to come to the house of the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) This is because whenever we come, it is about something to do with women, particularly in terms of advancing our commitment to improving our own well-being and that of several generations of girls and women to come. Today is no exception: from 2006, AWDF obtained a grant from the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) to strengthen the institutional capacities of AWDF and many of our organizations that are grantees of AWDF. If we are here today to sign another contract under Phase II, which is about extending the facility once again over a four year period, then we can celebrate our success and affirm that AWDF has been able to do what it set out to do when it requested for the grant. And indeed that, it has been impactful, hence the decision to upscale.

We do not have to go far to speak about what the grant has meant for our organisations. A week ago today, I was with a number of community groups in Liberia organising a workshop. One of the participants from one of the counties came to me during one of the breaks and asked earnestly: “Do you know this organization called AWDF? It is based in Accra, you know”. I said “Yes, I know AWDF”. She continued, “Well my organization has benefitted from them. Infact they are the only organization that we have had funds from for two consecutive years. The funds have really helped us to reach out and build the capacity of women in our community”

Statements like this are reassuring in the context we find ourselves in as women’s organizations operating in a harsh neo-liberal economic policy framework and in the wake of a global economic and financial crisis. Growing inequalities and unregulated finances are affecting poor women and men everywhere from securing their fair share in the benefits of global prosperity. If this trend continues, our children in Africa will inherit the burden of the devastation we have created in this world. As such, the promise of universal dignity brought by human rights and women’s rights has to be enforced, and the rights of future generations need to be recognized and properly defended. That is where AWDF comes in through recognizing and supporting the creativity and energies of different classes of women in all countries of Africa. Women located in the remotest corners of our various countries in Africa, and who would never have had a chance to contribute to the well-being of other women, are now able to do so with the support of AWDF.

 

An essential element in ensuring the substantive implementation of any international agreement is adequate financial and political support. Despite globally agreed commitments, gender equality and women’s empowerment are rarely high priorities on national development plans. In these times of global economic crisis, state actors are steadily stepping back from international commitments to women’s rights and gender equality by citing the cost of meeting those commitments. In the face of such arguments that justice and equality are too expensive, it is important that women’s oganisations are able to hold governments accountable to their mandate and demand justice and equality even when those goals are seen by them as antagonistic to so-called market growth and productivity. This clearly underscores the importance of ACBF funds for credible institutions like the AWDF.

 

 

Recent research by AWID (2006) has provided in-depth insights into the experiences of local women’s organizations. Responses from over a thousand respondents worldwide show that, many women’s organizations are struggling to secure funds to sustain their core activities. Among the key findings of the research are the following:

• Most women’s organizations are small: two thirds of organizations sampled had an annual budget of less than 50,000 US dollars
• In 2005 a total of 729 women’s organizations had a total income of 79 million US dollars worldwide
• More than half the respondents surveyed are receiving less funding than in 2000: 67% of the respondents said they find it more difficult to raise funds than five years ago, with only 16% finding it easier, and over half of the organizations having to use more staff and resources for fundraising efforts
• On average many organizations also said they would need twice their budgets to be able to do all they wanted to in 2006. Unfortunately, many funders and organizations are usually locked in a vicious circle, as women’s groups are seen as not having the capacity to absorb additional finds, and are therefore not funded, even though additional funds could actually enhance their capacity to expand.

It is in this respect that we need to ensure the availability of funds for civil society and women’s organizations to continue to thrive. Advocating on behalf of women, the poor and excluded groups must continue and this requires a continued building of the capacity of our various institutions to engage effectively in policy dialogue, implementation and monitoring, as well as an understanding of the changing aid and policy making environment. We need to also seek opportunities for regional and international collaboration and obtain funds from a wide range of sources to support our activities so we can remain active, accountable and responsive to the constituents we have committed ourselves to representing.

Our effectiveness as women’s organizations is premised on how we are able to deliver on critical issues of concern to our constituents, women; and to have thriving independent funding institutions such as the AWDF which can support such initiatives that can hold our governments accountable to their mandates.

Support from the ACBF to the AWDF is therefore invaluable and we are looking forward to Phase III, four years on, when we will return here to celebrate our success and sign another contract for more funds to strengthen our capacities further! We know the ACBF recognizes that women’s rights and gender equality work is long term, and that they are committed to being with us for as long as it takes to achieve justice, fairness and equality in Africa.

Thank you.

It really is a great pleasure to be here for the signing of the ACBF/AWDF phase 2 grant agreement. AWDF is delighted with this opportunity to continue our relationship with ACBF – and for many reasons. Of course we welcome the grant from ACBF to AWDF of 2.7 million dollars over a four year period… but what we appreciate more is the way in which that grant is framed. ACBF is giving AWDF the opportunity to both strengthen our core capacity and to reach out to the various women’s organisations we partner with to strengthen their capacities. This is a wonderful opportunity and one for which ACBF should be praised. Only too often, donors focus on projects, wanting organisations to deliver results on the ground without taking into consideration the need for organisations to be strong and sustainable themselves, if they are to deliver on results. ACBF recognises this and makes its funding available in such a way as to strengthen organisational capacity, sustainability and therefore strengthen the impact of programmes on the ground. This allows organisations and activists to look beyond the immediate and be more innovative and strategic in planning and implementing for both the short and long term.

When AWDF was first being planned, there were some people who were sceptical about whether African women could establish an organisation that would raise funds and make grants to African women’s organisations working on women’s rights, gender equity and social justice. They thought it was some crazy dream… well they should have known better because for centuries African women have known how to make things happen. We may dream big dreams – especially on behalf of our families and nations – but we also know how to work hard to make those dreams become real.

AWDF celebrated its tenth anniversary last year… and it’s wonderful that a grantmaking organisation that was founded by three African women, whose whole motivation can be summed up as ‘with, by and for’ African women, can stand here today and tell you that we have made grants worth more than 19 million dollars to more than 800 women’s organisations in 42 African states.

And relationships with organisations such as the ACBF have helped us achieve that success. In the first phase of the ACBF/AWDF project, AWDF was able to strengthen our internal systems and policies, study and learn from other Grantmakers and begin to strengthen some of our partner organisations. In phase two, we will do more. We will continue to strengthen and develop our systems; we will work at improving our monitoring and evaluation, our documentation and knowledge management and we will strengthen our sustainability. Just as importantly, we will increase the capacity building work undertaken with our grantees and develop new and exciting ways of working with our partners to make the most of their ideas, capacity and impact.

That may sound a little boring, but the impact on the ground is not. Take for example the CEO forum that AWDF runs for the leaders of women’s rights organisations across the continent. These gatherings have provided technical support and information to the leadership of some of Africa’s most crucial women’s rights organisations… they have provided a space to think, to plan, to test ideas and to strengthen the ethical and motivational core of leadership that is needed to bring change in often challenging circumstances. We look forward to more of this, but also to making the CEO forum a hub where we can also develop intellectual leadership on some of the key challenges facing the continent’s women. And another example is the way in which our work with individual organisations sets them up for even greater impact: whether it’s the small group on the ground in Sierra Leone doing excellent work on livelihoods with women but unable to raise sufficient funds to scale up its work, who used the small funds received from AWDF to leverage more money from other donors and extend its work substantially; or whether its funding a network like NETRIGHT in Ghana so that a range of different organisations could come together to produce the ‘Women’s Manifesto’ as the base of advocacy on women’s rights issues across all political parties; or whether its funding leadership training for women, the alumni of which include various Ministers in African countries, a range of heads of organisations and key activists across the continent. And we have been able to work with other funding bodies as well, building the capacity of women’s funds in Tanzania and South Africa for example and establishing partnerships with organisations like the NaDef in Ghana.

As AWDF has grown, so have our partner organisations. We thank the ACBF for its support and belief in our capacities and vision. We look forward to an exciting Phase II partnership in which the work of AWDF expands, the rights of women in Africa are recognised and better implemented and the women of Africa are supported to play their full role in the economic, social and political development of our continent.

Thank you

Please find PDF of press release AWDF PRESS RELEASE_FINAL (23-02-12)

Press Release

Immediate

Website: http://www.acbf-pact.org

 

African Capacity Building Foundation signs second phase grant with the African Women’s Development Fund to upscale women’s participation in policy development and implementation on the continent

Accra, 23 February 2012 (ACBF) – The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) today signed a US$ 2.73 million grant with the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) in Accra. The second phase funding will promote the economic empowerment and political participation of women in Africa, by strengthening AWDF’s institutional and human capacity and increasing the institutional capacity of African Women Organizations to engage effectively on issues of women’s human rights and development in Africa. This follows a successful first phase of US$1 million, which ended in December 2011.

Women and girls constitute over 51% of Africa’s 850 million people. In Sub-Saharan Africa over 70% of the poor are women currently living below the World Bank’s poverty headcount ratio of US$2 per day. According to the 2010 UN progress report on the achievement of the MDGs, although, gender parity has been achieved or is close to being achieved at primary school level in over two-thirds of African countries, Africa has the lowest female literacy rate in the world. Much remains to be done at secondary and tertiary levels. Maternal mortality also remains higher in sub-Saharan Africa than in any other region, and the HIV/AIDS pandemic continues to affect more women than men in most African countries, with women accounting for 60% of new infections. Women also have a harder time finding jobs in environments where there are few opportunities due to job rationing with preference going to men.

Against this challenging background some progress has been made regarding the development of women’s organizations working to promote gender equality and women’s rights in various parts of Africa. These organizations are considered as key drivers in efforts to attain gender equality and end discriminatory and exclusionary practices against women.

Capacity for women’s organisations to deliver on all fronts remains thin and further investment is needed in order to realize women’s human rights and development. Several constraints remain for these organisations, including poor ability to build their own dynamic capacity and ensure they are sustainable in the long term. Other challenges include unstable financing, the constant need to build strategic movement, and the need for conceptual clarity, as well as addressing ideological differences and poor employment opportunities.

Speaking at the Grant signing ceremony, ACBF Executive Secretary, Dr. Frannie Léautier highlighted that ACBF recognizes the importance of equal participation of both women and men in the development and implementation of policies, and the continuous need for capacity development in this area. She said: “It has become evident over time that where women have access to education, economic assets or live free of conflict there is a reduction in poverty levels. At ACBF, we have embarked on our third strategic medium term plan. The strength of this plan lies in the Foundation’s ability to strengthen partnerships with institutions such as the AWDF, where work on gender and women is continentally focussed. This allows the Foundation to have a wider reach, and to also make a larger contribution to the capacity strengthening of women’s organizations”.

She added that through such partnerships there is a shared responsibility to achieve results and develop a critical mass of skilled women to deal with gender issues at national levels, while also focussing on policy and implementation at regional and global levels.

This second phase funding will enable AWDF to innovate through their various platforms and fora to engage fully in the development discourse of women on the continent.”

In her address, AWDF’s Interim Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Theo Sowa said: “We welcome the grant from ACBF to AWDF of 2.7 million dollars over a four-year period but what we appreciate more is the way in which that grant is framed. ACBF is giving AWDF the opportunity to both strengthen our core capacity and to reach out to the various women’s organisations we partner with to strengthen their capacities. This is a wonderful opportunity and one for which ACBF should be praised. Only too often, donors focus on projects, wanting organisations to deliver results on the ground without taking into consideration the need for organisations to be strong and sustainable themselves, if they are to deliver on results. ACBF recognises this and makes its funding available in such a way as to strengthen organisational capacity, sustainability and therefore strengthen the impact of programmes on the ground.”

The implementation of the second phase of this project, which runs from 2011-2015 holds significance, as this period coincides with international and sub-regional benchmarks, such as the African Union Decade for Women, the 15 year review of the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals, including those covering gender, and the review of progress under the SADC Gender and Development Protocol by 2015.

 

Ends: //

About the African Capacity Building Foundation

ACBF was established in February 1991. It is the outcome of collaboration between African governments and the international donor community. Its mission is to build sustainable human and institutional capacity for sustainable growth and poverty reduction in Africa. ACBF’s vision is for Africa to be recognized for its socio-political and economic capabilities and endowments – a continent with effective institutions and policies acquired through sustained investment in people and institutions. The Foundation is a leader, major partner and centre of excellence for capacity building in Africa.

The African Union currently serves as an Observer on the ACBF Board of Governors.

For further information on ACBF, please contact:

c.noumon@acbf-pact.org

a.mpunzwana@acbf-pact.org

r.kambarami@acbf-pact.org

 

African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF)

PO Box 1562, Harare

ZIMBABWE

Tel: + 263 4 700208/210

 

About the African Women’s Development Fund

 

Since the start of operations in 2001, the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) has blazed a trail for women’s rights and philanthropy across the African continent. AWDF has provided US$19 million in grants to 800 women’s organizations in 42 African countries. AWDF’s grant making processes are uniquely designed to meet the needs of African women and include the provision of small grants ($1000-$5000) to community-based organizations, main grants (up to $50,000), capacity building support and a strong focus on movement building.

 

For further information on AWDF, please contact:

Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah (Programme Officer for Communications)

Tel: +233 302 521 257

Email: nana@africlub.net/awdf

Website: www.africlub.net/awdf

 

[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”]On Thursday 16^th February 2012, the African Women’s Development Fund, (AWDF) formally introduced Nneka Egbuna, internationally acclaimed musician and activist, as AWDF’s Ambassador for the Arts during a short ceremony at AWDF House in Accra, Ghana. Speakers at the event included renowned feminist writer and professor, Ama Ata Aidoo and Kinna Likimani of the organisation, Mbaasem (Women’s Affairs). In attendance were representatives of women’s rights organisations including Mawuse Awity of the Network for Women in Growth (NEWIG), Adwoa Bame of Women’s Initiative for Self Empowerment (WISE), and Lucy Mensah of Women United Against Aids in Ghana (WUAGG). The event also attracted a number of African women artists including Sherifa Gunu, Yasmeen Helwani-Nsiah and Pauline Oduro.

 

Speaking during the ceremony, Theo Sowa, AWDF’s Interim CEO explained why AWDF’s new strategic plan included ‘Arts, Culture and Sports’ as a new grant making thematic area, “Art can touch the souls as well as the minds of countless people, inspiring passion, anger, joy and other emotions that can catalyse action in ways that court cases and academic lectures and even protest marches may never achieve… Arts – traditional or modern – are integral to our cultural lives… and changes in social, economic and political arenas will never truly take root without parallel changes in our cultural norms, beliefs and practices…we can and must leverage the transformational power of the arts if we are to achieve and to accelerate real social change.”

 

Speaking on her role as AWDF’s Ambassador for the Arts, Nneka stated, “Being AWDF’s Ambassador for the Arts is another way for me to get my message out. Being AWDF’s Ambassador compliments my music. This is also a way of sharing my music and raising awareness of issues affecting women. My music raises awareness about critical social issues, which are the same issues that AWDF works on.”

 

 

ENDS

Press Enquiries

Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah (AWDF Programme Officer for Communications)

Tel: +233 302 521 257 (Ghana)

Email: nana@africlub.net/awdf

Website: www.africlub.net/awdf[/tp]

[tp lang=”fr” not_in=”en”]

Le jeudi 16 Février 2012, le Fonds africain de développement de la femme, (AWDF) a officiellement présenté Nneka Egbuna, musicienne internationalement célèbre et militante, comme ambassadrice AWDF des Arts au cours d’une brève cérémonie à la Maison AWDF à Accra, au Ghana. Intervenante à l’événement, écrivaine féministe renommée et professeur, Ama Ata Aidoo et Kinna Likimani de l’organisation, Mbaasem (Affaires féminines). Étaient présentes comme représentantes des organisations des droits des femmes, y compris Mawuse Awity du Réseau des femmes de la croissance (NEWIG), Adwoa Bame d’Initiative des femmes pour l’autonomisation (WISE), et Lucy Mensah des femmes unies contre le sida au Ghana (WUAGG). L’événement a également attiré un certain nombre de femmes artistes africaines dont Sherifa Gunu, Yasmeen Helwani-Nsiah et Pauline Oduro.

Intervenant lors de la cérémonie, Theo Sowa, directrice générale par intérim d’AWDF a expliqué pourquoi le nouveau plan stratégique d’AWDF inclu ‘Arts, Culture et du Sport’ comme un nouveau domaine thématique ouvrant à des subventions, “L’art peut toucher les âmes ainsi que l’esprit de nombreuses personnes, la passion inspirante , la colère, la joie et d’autres émotions qui peuvent catalyser l’action de manière à des affaires judiciaires et des conférences universitaires et même des marches de protestation qui ne peuvent jamais être atteintes … Arts – traditionnel ou moderne – font partie intégrante de nos vies culturelles … et les changements dans la vie sociale, économique et politique arénas ne sauront jamais vraiment prendre racine sans changements parallèles dans nos normes culturelles, les croyances et les pratiques … Nous pouvons et devons exploiter le pouvoir de transformation des arts si nous voulons atteindre et accélérer un changement social réel. ”

Parlant de son rôle d’ambassadrice AWDF pour les Arts, Nneka a déclaré: «Etre ambassadrice AWDF des Arts est une autre façon pour moi de diffuser mon message. Ambassadeur de l’être, AWDF complimente ma musique. Ceci est aussi une façon de partager ma musique et la sensibilisation aux questions touchant les femmes. Ma musique sensibilise sur les problèmes sociaux essentiels, qui sont les mêmes questions sur lesquelles travaille AWDF “.

ENDS

Réclamation Presse

Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah (AWDF Programme Officer for Communications)

Tel: +233 302 521 257 (Ghana)

Email: nana@africlub.net/awdf

Website: www.africlub.net/awdf[/tp]

 

Thank you for your support to the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF). As of December 2011, AWDF has awarded US$ 19,190,870 to 800 women’s rights organisations in 42 African countries