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Susana Klein Leaders for change: why support women’s rights organisations? Emily Esplen, Womankind Worldwide “In a patriarchal society, it is extremely difficult for women to be heard, so it is important that women come together. Unless they act together, no-one is going to hear them. They find security and strength in each other’s experiences.” Bandana Rana, Director of Saathi, Nepal March 2013 2 Leaders for Change Foreword “While there is Recent years have seen increasing attention Development (AWID) in 2011 found that more money to women and girls from development only one-tenth of the organisations out there for actors. Powerful institutions such as the received funding from bilateral, national 5 women and World Bank have championed women as governments and INGOs . Only 6.9% ‘agents of change’. For the first time in 2012 received funding from UN Women and only girls, it is not the World Bank’s World Development 3% from corporate funds. reaching Report focused exclusively on gender So while there is more money out there for women's rights equality. Private foundations such as the women and girls, it is not reaching women’s organisations.” Gates Foundation and Nike Foundation, bi- rights organisations. lateral donor agencies including Norway, This situation makes it difficult for women’s Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands and the UK, rights organisations to undertake the and large international non-governmental longer-term structural work essential to organisations (INGOs), have all expanded shifting gender power relations. It also their focus on women and girls2. prevents them from developing their This spotlight has acted as an impetus to organisational capacity and independent expand funding commitments on gender political agenda or strategy. Instead their equality and women’s rights. However, energy and resources are directed towards women’s rights organisations are often delivering short-term projects that often unable to tap into these new funding reflect the priorities of donors rather than opportunities3. constituents’ needs, and which are Just 1.3% of all Organisation for Economic unsustainable in the longer-term6. Co-operation and Development (OECD) This brief seeks to increase recognition of Development Assistance Committee (DAC) the unique and essential roles that women’s screened funds dedicated to gender equality rights organisations and movements play in in the 2010 budget went to women’s rights advancing gender equality and women’s organisations4 and ministries. rights around the world. It makes the case A global survey of 1119 women’s for increasing funding to southern women’s organisations from over 140 countries by rights organisations and explores promising the Association of Women’s Rights in donor practices being used to achieve this. Why support women’s rights 2. Alpizar, L., Clark, C., Rosenhek, S. and Vidal, V. 2010. Context and Trends Influencing the Funding Landscape for Gender Equality and organisations? Women’s Organizations and Movements, Association for Women’s Rights in Development “Supporting women’s rights equality and women’s rights – women and (AWID) organisations… to make change and women’s rights organisations8. 3. Ibid build strong and inclusive social 4.Tolmay, S. 2012. Financing For Women’s rights organisations, defined as Gender Equality: Rhetoric Versus movements is the most effective Real Financial Support, Association women-led organisations working to for Women’s Rights in mechanism for ensuring sustainable Development (AWID) advance gender equality and women’s change in the lives of women and girls.” 5. Pittman, A., Arutyunova, A., rights, comprise a huge spectrum and Vidal Degiorgis, V and Shaw, A. 2012. 2011 AWID Global Survey: UK Department for International diversity. Some operate primarily at the Where is the Money for Women’s Rights, Association of Women’s Development Theory of Change for grassroots level and have a strong Rights in Development Tackling Violence Against Women and 6. Castillejo, C. 2011. ‘Building a connection with communities. Others are State that Works for Women: Girls, 20127 Integrating Gender into Post- active in advocacy and accountability work Conflict State Building’, Working Paper 107, FRIDE National governments hold ultimate at national, regional and international 7. DFID, 2012, How To Note: A responsibility for promoting and protecting levels. Many are self-led organisations – for Theory of Change for Tackling Violence against Women and Girls women’s rights. But sustainable change example, of rural women, farm workers, 8.Women’s rights organisations are requires governments and donors to work women living in urban slum areas, domestic women-led organisations with a strong commitment to gender in partnership with the primary workers, migrants, indigenous women, Dalit equality and advancing women’s rights stakeholders of efforts to achieve gender women, sex workers, disabled women, 3 Leaders for Change women living with HIV, lesbians, • ensure that they invest sustainably in transwomen. those organisations with the ability to History has shown that women’s rights tackle root causes of inequality and organisations and movements are a vital catalyse long-term shifts in the status quo. catalyst for gender equality and the This is an intensely political project that 12 realisation of women’s rights9. Over and needs to be locally driven . over again, in all different contexts, women This brief shows why it is so vital to support have realised the necessity of organising women’s rights organisations. It is based on autonomously in order to raise their existing research and evidence from the concerns and achieve change. Women’s literature as well as the learning of rights organisations can empower and Womankind’s partners and programmes mobilise women, including the poorest and around the world. most marginalised, to come together to Creating spaces for women to see know and claim their rights. Especially in themselves and their situation the case of self-led women’s organisations, differently they also have a solid base in the daily “By getting together, becoming united, by 9. Htun, M. and Weldon, L. 2012. realities of women’s and girls’ lives and the ‘The Civic Origins of Progressive becoming members [of Sagtagram] we Policy Change: Combating legitimacy to speak on behalf of women Violence against Women in Global have learnt. When we were by ourselves, Perspective, 1975–2005’, and represent their concerns and priorities American Political Science Review, there was no unity. Now everyone is Cambridge University Press and in a way that mainstream (non-gender the American Political Science 10 together. There are 20 members here: can Association focused) organisations lack . anyone’s husband come here to beat her?” 10. However it is important to recognise that women’s rights Of course not all women’s rights organisations are not necessarily Jamuna, a member of Sagtagram, a representative of all women – they organisations are exemplary. Many lack may be led by elite women with landless women’s organisation in rural little connection to grassroots capacity, for example in areas such as 13 communities, for example. Care is Bangladeshv therefore needed in determining monitoring and evaluation, administration, which organisations to partner Strong women’s organisations and with. organisational development, advocacy and movements play a critical role in creating 11. Women’s Resource Centre, fundraising. Some are led by elite women 2011, Hidden Value: spaces for women and girls to come together, Demonstrating the Extraordinary who have little connection to grassroots Impact of Women’s Voluntary and analyse their situation and how it could be Community Organisations communities. Some can be quite improved, and realise that the injustices they 12. O’Connell, H.,Forthcoming, conservative in their approach, for example What added value do experience are also experienced by others, organisations that are led and promoting agendas focused on traditional managed by women and girls are structural, and can be challenged14. bring to work addressing the gender roles and family reunification. rights, needs and priorities of Research by the Pathways of Women’s women and girls?, prepared for However, by selecting partners with proven Comic Relief Empowerment Programme shows that 13. Kabeer, N. and Huq, L. 2010 commitment to women’s rights, and The Power of Relationships: Love relationships fostered in the spaces created and Solidarity in a Landless building their capacity where required, Women's Organisation in Rural by women’s rights organisations often bring Bangladesh. IDS Bulletin, 41: 79– partnerships with women’s rights 87 about the kind of changes associated with organisations can enable donor agencies 14. O’Connell, H.,Forthcoming, empowerment – growth in self-confidence, What added value do and international NGOs to: organisations that are led and acquisition of new capabilities and managed by women and girls • support existing local agendas for bring to work addressing the consciousness about gender injustice, and rights, needs and priorities of women’s rights rather than setting women and girls?, prepared for capacity to act collectively to demand Comic Relief agendas from the outside that don’t rights15. These are an essential precondition 15. Pathways of Women's Empowerment (2012) necessarily reflect the priorities of women to women starting to challenge this Empowerment: A Journey Not a Destination, Brighton: Pathways of themselves; injustice in their everyday