FUND FOR GENDER EQUALITYGlobal Grantmaking Fund Advancing Women’s Economic and Political Empowerment

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UN WOMEN’S

FUND FOR GENDER EQUALITY:Advancing Women’s Economic Empowerment

In Liberia, women sustained their families through 14 years of armed conflict. Now, they

are reclaiming their livelihoods, too. In just four years, more than 9,000 women and their

families will have reliable sources of income as they revitalize their markets. They will also gain

education and business skills – securing women’s economic empowerment far into the future.

Tens of millions of women worldwide work without legal or social protections, facing discrimi-

nation and unjust compensation. But that is changing, in Egypt, Brazil, the Philippines, and

Cameroon, women domestic and informal sector workers are organizing and making visible

their economic contributions and gaining legal recognition.

In Morocco, women living in 13 oasis communities are gaining both independence and income

through vibrant cooperatives. They are raising their voices in planning and local politics, to help

shape development plans.

These gains share a common root: UN Women’s Fund for

Gender Equality has provided grant money and capacity

building for these programmes and many more.

Taken together, these efforts are helping transform women’s

lives, with more yet to come.

The Fund began in 2009 and immediately became one of the

world’s largest grantmakers for gender equality. It was founded

with the urgent mission of helping women achieve political and

economic empowerment.

Spain established the fund with a generous donation of $65 million, joined by Norway’s

donation of $3.5 million and $800,000 from Mexico. The Fund totals $69.3 million.

The Fund was created as an aid effectiveness multi-donor instrument working to support

nations to advance their gender equality commitments, laws and policies. The Fund also

helps the world make progress towards attaining gender equality goals enshrined in crucial

international and regional agreements, such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the

Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and the Beijing

Platform for Action, among others.

Since the Fund’s inaugural Call for Proposals in 2009 through a five-language, online applica-

tion, demand has far exceeded the money available. The Fund has fielded 1,239 requests for $3

billion in grants from 127 countries. To fairly assess so many requests, the Fund has pioneered

an open process that relies on the expertise of 39 independent technical advisors based in the

The Fund is based in the belief that women can someday achieve full equality.

In less than two years, the grants have sparked change — and laid the groundwork for a brighter future.

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regions of the world and that uses empirical criteria to rank and recommend proposals.

The upshot? In the first grant cycle, the Fund granted $37.5 million to propel 40 programmes

in 35 countries.

ADvANCING WOMEN’S LEADERShIP & POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT

In El Salvador last year, advocates launched a massive public campaign to support a proposed

law on gender equality. Parliamentarians responded; the law was just passed in March 2011.

In Lebanon, Palestinian refugee women are advocating for their rights and taking leadership

to end the double oppression of their lack of citizenship and their gender.

In Ghana, leaders in women’s rights have established the only women’s coalition serving as an

expert organization on gender issues on Ghana’s National Climate Change Committee. Their

efforts have given gender equality a role in determining environmental policies.

The need is great. Gender equality is elusive in the ma-

jority of the world. Women are too often living in

poverty, situations of conflict and are unfairly margin-

alized, excluded from the very decision-making that

affects their lives.

Yet change rarely comes without setbacks. In Nigeria,

the Fund gave training and support to increase the

number of women running for office. But the April 2011

election results were disappointing, with only six women elected to a 109-member Senate, and

another 27 joining a 360-member House of Representatives. Now the aim is to increase the

number of women elected in 2015.

The Fund is based in the belief that women can someday achieve full equality. It ex-

pects results, but knows such changes take time and long-term commitment.

That is why UN Women’s Fund for Gender Equality supports programmes with significant in-

vestments: Multi-year grants of up to US $5 Million put in the hands of women’s organizations,

civil society and governments. The Fund builds powerful partnerships that go beyond verbal

commitments to gender equality, helping create tangible change for the better in the lives of

women and girls.

The effort is paying off

In Nepal, for example, 40 radio station employees (half of them women and members of

ethnic minorities) became trained in women’s equality principles. It was a powerful first step to-

wards a commitment to train staff at 164 stations. The goal? Help women across the country

better exercise their political and economic rights by 2020.

In Bosnia herzegovina, 180 young women learned leadership skills in negotiation, public

relations and campaigning for women’s equality. Through social media outreach, they are

The Fund for Gender Equality has only begun. But already, it is supporting thousands of women to secure their rights. There’s more to come — and so much to do.

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mobilizing more than 6,000 people supporting national youth plans and laws to incorporate

women’s rights and gender equality in 12 municipalities.

In less than two years, the Fund’s grant programme’s have sparked change – and laid the groundwork for a brighter future.

In China, women of three rural provinces are demanding a place at the table and training female

candidates to take greater part in government decision-making.

In Sri Lanka, a broad-based multimedia effort is training women of ethnic and religious minori-

ties to run for office.

The Fund for Gender Equality has only begun. But already, it is supporting thousands of

women to secure their rights. There’s more to come – and so much to do.

INAUGURAL GRANTS: 40 GRANTEE PROGRAMMES IN 35 COUNTRIES 2009-2010

Country name of Lead/Co-Lead organization(s) Primary amount years thematiC area (usd$) CATALYTIC GRANTS

Senegal Alliance Nationale Contre le Sida and SWAA SENEGAL Economic $200,000 2 Uganda Forum for Women in Democracy Political $205,000 2 Cameroon Horizons Femmes Economic $368,750 2 Mozambique Mulher, Genero e Desenvolvimento (Women, Gender and Development) Economic $438,550 2 Nigeria BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights and Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND) Political $480,000 2 Ghana ABANTU for Development and Ghana Gender and Climante Change Coalition Political $500,000 2 IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Women’s Resource Centre and Network Economic $1,680,939 4 Rwanda RCN Justice & Democratie (Justice and Democracy) and Economic $2,000,000 3 HAGURUKA� Association for Defense of Women and Children’s Rights Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Market Women’s Fund (SMWF/US) and SMWF/Liberia Economic $3,000,000 4 sub-total $8,873,239 CATALYTIC GRANTS

Morocco Agence du Sud Political $460,000 2 Occupied Bisan Center for Research and Development Economic $450,000 2 Palestinian Territory Egypt Al-Shehab Organization for Comprehensive Development and Egyptian Society Economic $354,490 2 for Economic and Social Rights Lebanon Palestinian Human Rights Organization Economic $437,140 2 IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS

Egypt Ministry of Manpower and Emigration and Social Research Center- Economic $2,400,000 4 The American University in Cairo sub-total $4,101,630

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Country name of Lead/Co-Lead organization(s) Primary amount years thematiC area (usd$) CATALYTIC GRANTS

Philippines Homenet Southeast Asia Political $100,000 2 Afghanistan Women and Children Legal Research Foundation Economic $161,920 2 Sri Lanka Women and Media Collective Political $496,977 Cook Islands Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Political $200,000 2 India Rajasthan Network for People Living with HIV/AIDS and Political $255,182 2 IMPACT Partners in Social Development Nepal Association of Community Radio Broadcasters Nepal Political $394,000 2 India Gender at Work and DSS project of the Mitra Service Society Economic $492,400 2 IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS

Cambodia Cambodia Health Education Media Services and Economic $1,171,745 2 Cambodian HIV/AIDS Education and Care China All-China Women’s Federation Political $2,456,934 4 India Professional Assistance for Development Action and JAGORI Economic $2,549,974 4 sub-total $8,279,132 CATALYTIC GRANTS

Serbia Women’s Space Political $120,625 2 Russia Center for Migration Studies and Fund Tajikistan, Information and Legal Center “Migration and Law” Economic $420,000 2 Bosnia and KULT and BH Experts Association Political $462,770 2 Herzegovina Ukraine All Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV Political $499,921 2 IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS

Kyrgyzstan Women Support Center and Women-Entrepreneurs Support Association Political $1,290,991 3 Bosnia and Gender Center of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and SNV Herzegovina The Netherlands Development Organization, B&H Office Political $1,472,340 3 sub-total $4,266,647 CATALYTIC GRANTS

Colombia Corporación Sisma Mujer Political $163,361 1 Mexico Asociación Nacional de Empresas Economic $495,000 2 Comercializadoras de Productores del Campo, A.C. El Salvador Asociación de Mujeres por la Dignidad y la Vida LAS DIGNAS and Political $500,000 2 Asociación Movimiento de Mujeres Mélida Anaya Montes LAS MÉLIDAS Ecuador Fundación WAAPONI Political $489,657 2 Dominican Republic Centro de Investigación para la Acción Femenina Political $500,000 2 IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS

Jamaica Bureau of Women’s Affairs and Dispute Resolution Foundation Political $1,729,537 3 Mexico Equidad de Género: Ciudadanía, Trabajo y Familia [Gender Equality: Political $2,295,000 3 Citizenship, Work and Family] Bolivia Asociación Coordinadora de la Mujer [Women’s Coordination Office] Political $2,474,134 3 Brazil Secretaría Especial de Políticas para las Mujeres Political $3,000,000 3 and SOS Corpo - Instituto Feminista para la Democracia [Feminist Institute for Democracy] sub-total $11,646,689 Latin America/Asia International Indigenous Women’s Forum/Foro Internacional de Mujeres Indígenas Political $300,000 1 & the Pacific/Africa sub-total $300,000 grand totaL $37,467,337

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FUND FOR GENDER EQUALITY: $37,519,167 MILLION40 Programmes in 35 Countries

Inaugural Year Grantees:

Catalytic & Implementation 2009-2010

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ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT GRANTS: increase women’s access to and control over goods, income, and land and address women’s vital contributions in the economies of care.

LEADERShIP AND POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT GRANTS: increase women’s participation and influence —particularly of young women and women of ethnic and racial minorities—over decision-making in all areas of life.

$21Million

$16Million

24Grants

16Grants

EMPOWERMENT GRANTS

TOTAL INvESTMENT

Economic Empowerment

Political Empowerment

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CO-ChAIRS

Ms. Michelle Bachelet, Under-Secretary-General

and Executive Director of UN Women

Ms. Soraya Rodríguez,

Secretary of State for Cooperation, SECI, Spain

MULTILATERAL AGENCIES

Ms. Mayra Buvinic,

Director for Gender and Development, Poverty

Reduction and Economic Management, World Bank

Ms. helen Clark,

Administrator, UNDP

DONOR COUNTRIES

Mr. Fredrik Arthur, Ambassador for Gender and Equality, Norway

Mr. Maxime verhagen,

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands

PROGRAMME COUNTRIES

Ms. vabah Gayflor, Minister of Gender, Liberia

Ms. Nilofar Bakhtiar, Former Member of Parliament

and Special Advisor

to the Secretary General of UNWTO

on Women in Tourism, Pakistan

hRh Princess Basma Bint Talal, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador

and Member of the Royal Family, Jordan

CIvIL SOCIETY

Ms. Lucy Garrido,

Member of Cotidiano Mujer, Uruguay

Ms. Mary Rusimbi, Founder Gender Networking Program,

Tanzania

Ms. Otilia Lux de Cotí, Member of Parliament, Guatemala

For information and to donate to the Fund for Gender Equality contact:

E-mail: fund.genderequality@unwomen.org

Phone: +1.917.484.8064

Fax: +1.212.906.1921

Online: www.unwomen.org/fund-for-gender-equality/

To make an online donation visit: www.unwomen.org/how-we-work/fund-for-gender-equality/donation/

ThE FUND FOR GENDER EQUALITY STEERING COMMITTEE

Photo credits from left, UN Photo/M. Wild, UN Photo/Eskinder, Debebe, UN Photo/Tim McKulka, UN Photo/Mark Garten.

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