October 13, 2005

Dear friends,

On behalf of the entire team of the Global Fund for Women, we want to express our solidarity with you and your families and friends in these difficult times. Our heartfelt condolences go out to our colleagues who have lost loved ones. We hope that it is clear to all of your and your families who are suffering in the wake of Hurricane Stan that we are here to support you as you begin to rebuild your lives.

With this in mind, we have joined the campaign "Women to Women, with Affected Communities," supported by the Association of Women in Development (AWID), the Gender Program of the World Conservation Union (UICN), the Union Nacional de Mujeres Guatemaltecas (UNAMG, National Union of Guatemalan Women), La Cuerda and the Feminist International Radio Endeavour (FIRE), among others. With them, we have sent out an urgent call for feminist solidarity in the face of this disaster.

As you all know, our principal objective, as a women's fund, is providing general support for the women's movement, strengthening women's organizations and their long-range goals, and promoting women's leadership. During this time of crisis in your countries, we want to acknowledge your valuable efforts. We know that women always play a crucial role in society, taking the lead in ensuring the welfare of their families, their work and their lives, particularly in situations of natural disasters and during processes of reconstruction. Nonetheless, the role of women generally is unacknowledged or ignored.

The Global Fund knows that your organizations are under immediate pressure to respond to local emergencies in your communities. Please understand that while our mission is not natural disaster relief, we do want to express our solidarity with Global Fund partners who have been affected by Hurricane Stan and the devastation left in its wake. We are open to providing continued support in a flexible fashion for your efforts to strengthen women's rights in your communities and in the promotion of reconstructions efforts with a gender perspective.

We understand that it is of paramount importance that you now take action to support your families, friends and the women with whom you work in their efforts to rebuild their lives. We hope that you will share with us your hopes and expectations for the future of your organizations and your communities. You may communicate directly with us by writing to

1375 Sutter St., Suite 400
San Francisco, California, 94109
USA

by fax to (1-415) 202-8604

or by e-mail to .

In Solidarity,