Global Fund for Women

For the past year, there has been abhorrent civilian violence and destruction across Gaza, Lebanon, and Israel. We loudly join our partners’ collective call for safety, dignity, and freedom: this includes protection from genocide and an immediate ceasefire.    In Palestine, grassroots feminist organizations are standing with their communities to save lives and create sustainable futures. Even as ongoing military attacks intensify, they are leading with creativity, resilience, and courage. We must stand with them today.     Below we share our partners’ stories on justice, healing, & accountability in Palestine as they demand long-term justice building. https://lnkd.in/eA6mBFTY

💬 “One key factor contributing to the siloed funding model between climate change and reproductive justice is the lack of gender and power analysis to address the effects of the climate crisis. To bridge this gap, we need to recognize that women, girls, and all historically marginalized people are creating and leading solutions to the climate crisis in their local communities and that people do not experience issues in isolation. These solutions have the potential to catalyze transformative change, but they remain under-recognized, undervalued, and under-resourced.” 🎙️ Our President and CEO, PeiYao Chen, spoke at the #CGI2024 & highlighted the vital connection between climate and reproductive justice, calling for more integrated funding models to tackle these interconnected challenges. Watch the panel here:  clintonglobal.org/2024 

Domestic workers in India face significant challenges including lack of social security, arbitrary pay decisions, and abuse. Most of them make less than $150 a month, and 74% do not have access to medical care.  In Karnataka, the Minimum Wage Act has been in place since 2004, but its implementation has been inconsistent, leading to unequal wage practices.  Geeta Menon, Joint Secretary of the Domestic Workers Union, is a leading advocate for women's rights in India. “Our struggles are to achieve equality, end caste discrimination, and build a safer world for all women and children. The values of equality, fraternity, and justice guide us,” she says.  Read more about how #DomesticWorkers in India are advocating for reforms to improve working conditions, especially to women and young people. #MovementPartner https://lnkd.in/dq99dfJP 

The future of global gender justice is at stake. Equal Measures 2030's new SDG index reveals that a girl born today will have to wait until her 97th birthday to live in an equal society. 💡 Today, nearly 40% of countries are stagnating or regressing on gender equality, putting hard-won gains in women's and girls' rights at risk due to rising anti-feminist rhetoric, political polarization, increasing economic instability, and climate change.   True equality will only exist when women and girls have full access to their rights—from equal pay and land ownership to sexual and reproductive rights, freedom from violence, access to education, and maternal health rights.     ➜ https://lnkd.in/daH3Z8gb

The Green Wave movement made history in Mexico when the Supreme Court ruled that criminalizing abortion is unconstitutional –– influencing discussions and policies on sexual and reproductive health across Latin America. 🌿 Di RAMONA, a Mexico-based organization dedicated to making abortion accessible for all, shared insights on what made this victory possible, the stakes for the future, and the critical role of grassroots activism in securing abortion rights and reproductive healthcare for everyone.  https://lnkd.in/dSVAX5kD 

Across the African continent, #AbortionAccess remains highly restricted, with many countries enforcing severe limitations that endanger reproductive health and bodily autonomy. Despite the impact of imperialist and harmful policies like the global gag rule, feminist organizations are turning the tide by pressuring lawmakers, providing sexual and reproductive services, and helping individuals access abortion. ➔ In Kenya, unsafe abortion accounts for 35% of maternal mortality. Women Spaces Africa, a feminist, disability-led organization, is working to change this reality by training health providers to deliver stigma-free, inclusive abortion and contraceptive care for people with disabilities. ➔ In Cameroon, The Voice Up is creating a safe space for victims of gender-based violence, addressing the specific needs of transgender individuals who face disproportionate levels of violence. They are increasing access to abortion and other sexual and reproductive services by providing trauma-informed listening, psychosocial follow-up, and raising community awareness. ➔ In Benin, where 20% of maternal deaths are due to unsafe abortions, feminist organizations like Filles en Action are pushing back against cultural stigma and criminalization. They are creating safe spaces for girls and young people to learn about sexual and reproductive health, training healthcare providers, operating a hotline for comprehensive support, and collecting data to understand girls’ needs and advance access to critical services in the face of ongoing challenges.

On #InternationalSafeAbortionDay, we stand with global feminist groups to demand better funding for abortion rights and reproductive justice movements. Abortion bans restrict control over bodies, lives, and futures. They disproportionately harm all historically marginalized people, including Black, Indigenous, and low-income communities. Legislative restrictions on bodily autonomy—including abortion bans, anti-trans policies, and constraints on gender-affirming health care—are violent embodiments of systemic racism, sexism, and oppression. Even when abortion is legal, it isn’t necessarily accessible or safe. Feminist leaders worldwide are calling for increased support to ensure safe, legal, and free abortion access for all. Image caption: Abortion rights activists at the Mexico City March for Decriminalization of Abortion. Photo: Diana Caballero.

Across the African continent, #AbortionAccess remains highly restricted, with many countries enforcing severe limitations that endanger reproductive health and bodily autonomy. Despite the impact of imperialist and harmful policies like the global gag rule, feminist organizations are turning the tide by pressuring lawmakers, providing sexual and reproductive education, and helping individuals access abortion. ➔ In Kenya, unsafe abortion accounts for 35% of maternal mortality. Women Spaces Africa, a feminist, disability-led organization, is working to change this reality by training health providers to deliver stigma-free, inclusive abortion and contraceptive care for people with disabilities. ➔ In Cameroon, The Voice Up is creating a safe space for victims of gender-based violence, addressing the specific needs of transgender individuals who face disproportionate levels of violence. They are increasing access to abortion and other sexual and reproductive services by providing trauma-informed listening, psychosocial follow-up, and raising community awareness.    ➔ In Benin, where 20% of maternal deaths are due to unsafe abortions, feminist organizations like Filles en Action are pushing back against cultural stigma and criminalization. They are creating safe spaces for girls and young people to learn about sexual and reproductive health, training healthcare providers, operating a hotline for comprehensive support, and collecting data to understand girls’ needs and advance access to critical services in the face of ongoing challenges.  #InternationalSafeAbortionDay  

In Lebanon, devastating bombings have killed hundreds and displaced thousands. As the country reels, Global Fund for Women stands in solidarity with our partners: we are providing emergency funding to the grassroots groups on the ground aiding women, girls, and historically marginalized communities caught in the crosshairs of this horrific violence. We join our partners’ collective call for safety, dignity, freedom, and an immediate ceasefire. We’ve been supporting groups in Afghanistan, Palestine, and Lebanon for decades—and we won’t stop now. We respond during crises with unrestricted funding, which goes directly to the hands of gender justice leaders immediately after a crisis starts and long after aid leaves. Make a gift to Global Fund for Women today to provide urgent support to feminist crisis response and women and girls in Lebanon and beyond: https://lnkd.in/ebYukbGU

In West and Central Africa, the fight for #SafeAbortion is not just about access—it’s about shifting power to local movements. 🌍 Global Fund for Women’s West and Central Africa Abortion Rights “Movement Committee” is made up of eight partners from Benin, Cameroon, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire, collectively directing $1.2 million in grants to fund abortion rights in their communities.  They are:  🔑 Centering feminist leaders as the region’s first decision-making body for abortion rights funding with young leaders   ✊ Building community-led solutions for safer reproductive health access  💡 Challenging patriarchal norms in countries with severely limited access to abortion Read their reflections on how funders can better support locally-led movements for reproductive justice: https://lnkd.in/g-Ahctjs    #AbortionRights #ReproductiveJustice #InternationalSafeAbortionDay