Women’s leadership and political participation are essential to genuine democratic processes and the transformation of post-conflict societies. Our grants promote women’s leadership in all aspects of society, building more sustainable, open and democratic societies. Over the last six years, the Global Fund for Women has awarded 948 grants totaling more than $11.5 million to women’s groups that promote women’s representation in civic and political spheres through programs like these:

Grantee: Guahan Coalition for Peace and Justice

Location: Barrigada, Guahan (Guam)

Situation: Signed in May 2006, the United States-Japan Realignment Initiatives assigned 8,000 US soldiers to relocate from Okinawa to Guahan. In Okinawa, US military members were known to have committed sexual and other heinous crimes toward women and girls. Additionally, the island’s long history of military occupation has resulted in environmental contamination and degradation.

Program: Founded in 2006 by indigenous Chamoru women, the group is comprised of four member organizations, which include Famoksaiyan, Conscious Living, the Guahan Indigenous Collective, and I Nasion Chamoru, all of which are led by women. These organizations’ leaders are working together to raise awareness about the impact the US military presence will have in Guahan. They are also documenting the presence of heavy metals in women’s bodies, so as to have a baseline for determining the military’s effect on the island and its people.

Total GFW Grants: $9,000

Grantee: House of Folklore

Location: Sana’a, Yemen

Situation: The end of the civil war in Yemen in 1994 and the ascendancy to power of the North resulted in growing political and social repression. One aspect of this was the imposition of a strict unified hegemonic Yemeni dress, culture and tradition.

Program: The House of Folklore is fighting this trend that aims to erase the cultural and historic diversity of Yemen as well as diminish the value of women. The House of Folklore collects, records, and spreads information about Yemeni cultural traditions focusing specifically on women’s role, practices and beliefs.

Total GFW Grants: $44,000

Grantee: Promotion des Femmes de Sabalibougou (Promotion of the Women of Sabalibougou – PROFESAB)

Location: Bamako, Mali

Situation: In Mali, many women are excluded from public life and economic activities, due to lack of formal education and lack of knowledge about how to be effective leaders in the struggle against poverty and for women’s rights.

Program: By participating in PROFESAB’s programs, women learn strategies to participate more actively in public life, allowing them to fight more effectively against poverty, help set the agenda for local development needs, and – as local leaders – encourage other women by example. With its most recent GFW grant, PROFESAB helped women acquire birth certificates, which let women own their identity and demand their rights. With identification, women can apply for micro-credits, open bank accounts, access health services, exercise civic rights, and travel within and beyond the country.

Total GFW Grants: $22,000