July 2018: Letter from the Editor

Dear Sisters and Partners:

Today has been aptly called the “Moment of Movements.” This is evidenced in new forms of collective solidarity and organizing across the globe. Movements are linking economic and environmental justice, land defense and women’s sexual rights, and domestic workers and migrant rights. Global movements like #MeToo, #FeesMustFall in South Africa, and #NiUnaMenos in Latin America are reframing public conversations and shifting power relations. What is perhaps most exciting is that these are broad-based movements that are not only led by women, but by women from historically marginalized groups who bring an intersectional analysis to the table. As a result, movements are working across issues, geographies, and populations in new and exciting ways.

Global Fund for Women uses a movement lens in our work, which means that we too see connections and possible collaborations across issues, organizations, and sectors.  We support movements in five integrated ways:

1. We provide a continuum of grant support, including seed and sustaining grants that are multi-year, and general operating grants. We also provide travel and event grants for convenings (to allow for in-person connecting and strategizing across regions), and crisis grants for when grantee partners are under political attack or during natural/climate disasters.
2. We support movements in our own fundraising efforts as well as theirs. We mobilize funds for collective action, and actively work on resource mobilization to support various movement actors and movement leadership.
3. In addition to grants we provide infrastructure and capacity support – to help strengthen the eco-system of women’s rights organizations and movements.
4. Together with our partners, we shine a spotlight on issues that are often ignored or made invisible, ensuring that women’s and girls’ realities and solutions are seen in order to inspire and activate new advocates and donors.
5. We develop tools and provide technical support to help movement actors to access strengths, challenges, and opportunities of their movements and plan accordingly. Check out our Movement Capacity Assessment Tool!

Global Fund for Women is deeply committed to strengthening movements for women’s rights around the world. We know that it is through movements that we can truly advance and sustain the social justice we seek. And we thank each of YOU for your continued commitment to growing powerful global movements.

In Solidarity,

Leila Hessini, Vice President of Programs
PeiYao Chen, Vice President, Impact and Effectiveness