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Dear Friends,
 Seasons' greetings to you from all of us at the Global Fund for Women! We have just mailed out this year’s, Annual Report, Building Momentum. In it we reflect on the power of collective organizing and alliance building led by women. Whether ensuring women’s access to non-traditional skills training or influencing policy on
free trade agreements, the groups we support in countries around the globe know that building strong sustainable movements for peace, justice, and human rights are key to transforming relations of power. [Download the Report]
Over its twenty-year history, the Global Fund has seen tangible returns on its investments in movement building. Our grants have helped women to overturn unjust laws, lead campaigns for safe workplaces, and clean up toxic sites. They have increased the capacity of individual women-led organizations and enabled groups to work effectively across regional, national and international borders. There now exists an extraordinary cadre of women leaders, ready and willing to serve their communities and to offer an alternative vision of how our world can face multiple challenges.
Yet, despite these achievements, groups that prioritize the realization of women’s rights globally remain woefully under-resourced. As a Women’s Fund, we both mobilize and re-distribute funds in line with our belief that putting power into the hands of women begins by ensuring their access to financial and other resources. It is, therefore, with a sense of hope that we have responded to a new initiative led by donor activists in the United States. The Women Moving Millions Initiative challenges philanthropists to step up their commitments to women’s funds both here in the US and around the world by raising $150 million by 2009.
All of us have the power to make a difference by contributing to closing the growing divide between those born with privilege and possibility and the many millions for whom the realization of basic human rights remains but a distant dream. Gandhi’s words never rang truer than they do at this season of giving, “we must be the change we wish to see in the world”. Our choices make a world of difference.
 In peace and solidarity,
Kavita N.Ramdas
President & CEO
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Isda Funari
- A Creative Donor!
“I really believe in women, in their strength, so rather than just doing yet another bunch of clothes, I wanted to tie the line to something more meaningful,” says Isda Funari, founder of Isda & Co, a clothing company that generously donates a portion of its proceeds to the Global Fund. “I travel a lot, so the idea of helping women around the world appealed to me,” adds Isda, on her commitment to give to the Global Fund through her company. The fact that the Global Fund was in her city, San Francisco, made the connection that much easier. Isda's clothing line, recently created a new line of tee shirts and dresses made of conventional and organic fibers — recognizable by the simple peace symbols on the white labels. Four percent of net profits from the line go to the Global Fund. Read More and buy from Isda's clothing line this holiday season!
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"From Outrage to Courage" - Former Global Fund president's new book!
Sama Resource Group in New Delhi, India, a women's resource center, organizes and educates local communities in north-east India. With support from the Global Fund for Women, Sama has organized advocacy and information workshops on women's health and rights that have been attended by over 1200 women. The group has also co-organized forums and conferences that bring together health activists, sexual rights advocates, legal and medical professionals, journalists and other experts interested in creating policy that benefits women's health. Sama is just one of the several shining examples of "women's courage" documented in Anne Firth Murray's latest book "From Outrage to Courage: Women Taking Action for Health and Justice." Read the review!
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Shop Your Values This Holiday Season!
This holiday season we encourage you to buy gifts from organizations that generously donate a portion of their sales' proceeds to the Global Fund. Give a copy of Paola Gianturco's book Women Who Light The Dark. All royalties from this beautiful book's sales go to the Global Fund. Or give your loved ones roses from Organic Bouquet's exquisite collection. Here's a full list of Global Fund's partners for mindful shopping in the holidays.
Vote For the Global Fund by December 31st!
Are you a Working Assets customer? If you haven't voted already, then you can still help decide how Working Assets should distribute their annual donations. In 2005 your votes helped us secure an additional $70,000 for the global women's movement. Vote for the Global Fund by December 31st!
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