As we prepare to attend the upcoming International Human Rights Funders Group conference focused on innovation in human rights philanthropy, we’re reflecting on “what’s new” and looking for opportunities to strengthen the field.
In 2015, the International Network of Women's Funds (INWF), Mama Cash and the International Human Rights Funders Group conducted research to better understand the contributions, strategies, challenges and opportunities associated with women’s funds in the global South and East. Through the resulting ten case studies, featured in Collective Change: The Value of Mobilizing Local Resources for Women’s Rights in the Global South and East, it became clear that “what’s new” is the recognition these organizations are gaining at the local level as leading agents of change. Women’s funds are also gaining recognition at the international level as key contributors to shifting domestic cultures of philanthropy from prioritizing charity to supporting social change.
Local resource mobilization builds a local, sustained base of support over the long-term that provides an unmatched stronghold for women and girls’ rights. Building a culture of support for women and girls’ rights takes money, connections, innovation and tenacity. Most importantly, local resource mobilization builds a local, sustained base of support over the long-term that provides an unmatched stronghold for women and girls’ rights. We believe that supporting out-of-the-box resource mobilization strategies is critical to grow local support for human rights and strengthen the sustainability of local movements over the long-term.
