Consortiums. An idea that became delicate once funders deprioritised support for these mighty constellations. However, these funded partnerships created real impact: they fostered progress in gender equality, health, peace and security, environmental sustainability and economic prosperity while moving money to where it was most needed and supported movements to make change happen in laws, policies and norms.
During Count Me In!’s Strategic Funding Dialogue – Recalibrating Allyship, feminist funders, community representatives and members from other consortia came together to reflect on the power and value added of global partnerships. Here are some of our main reflections and sparks of inspiration for us to continue to come together, and for funders to continue funding global consortia.
A COMPLEX JOURNEY BUT YIELDS CONCRETE RESULTS
Participants in the dialogue acknowledged that consortia’s journey was complex. Despite strong alignment in values, it took time to build cohesion among organisations with different DNA’s and personalities. It demanded effort to build well-functioning governance structures and investment to ensure meaningful and equitable engagement across members.
But when consortia managed to find a coordination sweet spot, these global collectives created lasting platforms for collaboration and learning. By sharing power and access – and by expanding reach – consortia made feminist voices louder, better articulated and more inclusive.
For instance, leveraging its networks of 1,000 activists in 90 countries around the world, CMI! developed robust recommendations that shaped the Spotlight Initiative – a €500 million programme led by the European Union and United Nations to eliminate violence against women and girls. CMI!’s advocacy influenced Spotlight to include a pillar of action dedicated to funding in-country and regional women’s rights organisations directly; it increased representation of more women’s rights and feminist organisations in Spotlight’s governance structures; and led to bold disbursement strategies, with funds disbursed without interference of local governments, resourcing women’s rights organisations in challenging civic spaces.
RESOURCES REACH PLACES WHERE IT’S NEEDED, NO MATTER WHAT
Consortia helped to mitigate risks associated with funding unregistered groups and addressing politically sensitive issues. Allied to support structurally excluded groups, Count Me In! members brought transformation to groups that only a few funders and organisations would support. This enabled changes that shaped social norms such as the establishment courts for gender-based violence in Kenya, securing maternity leave for teachers in Zimbabwe, and stalling destructive dam projects in Honduras.
Another example is growing support from feminist movements in the fight of sex workers against stigma and harmful laws. The allyship articulated through Count Me In! enabled sex workers to access global spaces for gender equality and regain voice on issues that directly affected them. As one of dialogue’s panellist reflected:
Thinking back to the first CSW I went as an individual sex worker, part of the NSWP delegation, and we were met with violence. Now, the delegation has gone in successive years with support, speaking, and collaborating at CMI! joint events. We’ve made important allies there – Jules Kim, Global Coordinator at NSWP.
UNITED AND DIVERSE, WE THRIVE
Consortiums brought together organizations with diverse strengths, enhancing mutual power and learning. During crises such as COVID-19, consortia served as platforms for collective action facilitating movement of resources and expertise and supporting each other to navigate through sensitive issues.
Relying on longer term funding, these alliances offered enough time to overcome differences and inflict longer term transformational impact. Consortium members had time to (re)create ways of sharing power and responded to time-bound and contextual needs and priorities. Through 10 years of partnership, Leading from the South is a consortium helped to challenge North – South dynamics in the feminist funding infrastructure, directing Dutch funding exclusively to South-based women’s funds.
Being in a consortium can be strengthening. Being in the Global South means we don’t have access to many resources. Being part of Leading from the South helped to mobilise these resources, enabled us to work together, and made us more connected – Laura Morelli, FMS, member of Leading from the South
It will take a while until we fully understand the extent of consortia power. Eager to renew faith in the power of these global alliances, our panellists and Count Me In! partners offered suggestions for philanthropic and bilateral donors to keep in mind when funding gender equality and women’s rights.
- Commit to intersectional risk strategies. Core and flexible funding minimise the risk in investing in feminist and women’s rights movements as it allows partners to plan ahead and to deal with challenges coming their way. As Laura Leoni Morrey reminded us – “We face multiple overlapping challenges like violence, poverty, climate change, and economic injustice. If we are separated in silos, we will not be able to find solutions”
- Sustainability requires collaboration. Funders often overlook elements that ensure the sustainability of funded projects and organisations, such as cross movement collaboration. Jules Kim mentioned as an example how ASWA’s Sex Workers’ Academy, a sex worker leadership development engine in Africa, was exported to Asia Pacific through a collaboration platform with APNSW. “This is the kind of collaborative relationships needed to create opportunities to keep people going”.
- Feminist and women’s rights organisations need bold allyship. Anne Floor Dekker from Wo=men highlighted how the Netherlands stood out as a progressive ally and the huge impact it had on women’s movements. “To step up, speak out publicly when women and human rights defenders are being harassed or when gender equality is being pushed back by other member states. I think these are the sorts of strategic partnerships that we expect and that we’ve seen happening”
