FUND WHAT WORKS 2024

Feminist activism works! So, funders wanting to create lasting change must provide more and core funding to grassroots, autonomous feminist movements.

For the last two years, CMI! has showcased stories of how feminist movements led by our partners and activists catalyse positive change. Under this year’s #FundWhatWorks campaign, we are pleased to share seven brand-new Stories of Change from 2023. The stories portray how activists and organisations worldwide are working to advance human rights and gender justice.

CENTERING YOUTH VOICES: RETHINKING THE GENDER-BASED DISCOURSE

Young people are frequently viewed as recipients of protection from Gender-Based Violence (GBV) but not active participants in determining the nature of that protection. Even when they are not completely ignored, few platforms take their voices seriously or allow them to contribute meaningfully to the discourse. CREA and partners provided a rare and crucial platform for young activists from five South Asian countries to voice their unique perspectives and experiences regarding GBV. CLICK TO READ THE FULL STORY.

GOING DEEPER TO CONFRONT EXTRACTIVISM IN INDONESIA

Local communities, especially women, have found their voices suppressed and their concerns marginalised for years. Activists speaking out against extractive injustices have faced persecution in the form of media vilification, casting them as uneducated and anti-development people. Yet, despite these daunting challenges, resistance has not only persisted but evolved. This is a story of how JASS’s partner, FAMM Indonesia, is defending their land. CLICK TO READ THE FULL STORY.

VOICES FOR VISIBILITY: PIONEERING INTERSEX RIGHTS IN ASIA

In 2018, intersex activists from ten Asian countries—Hong Kong (China), India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam—came together with a ground-breaking vision. They formed Intersex Asia (IA) –  the first regional network to champion and protect the human rights of intersex individuals across Asia. IA is a grantee partner of Mama Cash. CLICK TO READ THE FULL STORY.

ELEVATING SEX WORKERS’ RIGHTS ON THE FEMINIST AGENDA

In 2023, during the Women Deliver Conference in Kigali, Rwanda, there was a turning point, with one session in particular stealing the spotlight. The event, titled “Get Your Hustle On: Be a Good Ally to Sex Workers,” marked an important step towards inclusivity in feminist movements, highlighting the often-overlooked struggles and rights of sex workers. Red Umbrella Fund contributed significantly in creating this visibility of sex workers’ rights at this global advocacy space. CLICK TO READ THE FULL STORY.

JUSTICE FOR STRUCTURALLY EXCLUDED WOMEN IN POST-CRISIS MALAWI

In Mulanje district, Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) acted swiftly to address the crisis. They engaged with women to better understand their needs and map out a response guided by them. Two partner organisations of UAF-Africa spearheaded this initiative: Extra Mile Development Foundation, which focused on rural women and girls, including Women With Disabilities (WWDs), and Liwonde Female Sex Workers’ Alliance, which engaged with Female Sex Workers (FSWs). CLICK TO READ THE FULL STORY.

RHYTHMS OF RESILIENCE: HOW MUSIC HELPED REVITALISE A COMMUNITY

When crises strike, they often expose and deepen the vulnerabilities of structurally excluded communities. The Zayzafoun Network in Lebanon, a partner of the Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism, understood this instinctively and sprang into action when the Migrant Community Centre (MCC) in Beirut, a crucial space for migrant workers to connect, build skills, and share resources, was forced to shut down in 2022. This closure, set against the backdrop of an ongoing economic crisis, had stripped migrant women of a vital safe space. CLICK TO READ THE FULL STORY.

COMBINING FUN, FOOD AND FEMINISM TO ADVANCE GENDER JUSTICE

What better way to engage in shared learning and inspiration on how to achieve gender equality than by bringing together activists from all over the world for an evening of fun, food and feminism? Results don’t always come from serious panel discussions and keynote addresses. Sometimes, great outcomes arise when you try something different, like the new concept of a Feminist Foreign Policy Pub Quiz organised by WO=MEN and allies. CLICK TO READ THE FULL STORY.

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