WHY INVEST IN FRONTLINE ACTIVISTS?

Historically, women-led organizations have been marginalized and denied access to financial resources. Investments in frontline women’s groups based in the Global South have been particularly lacking. As a result, these organizations tend to be small and operate on shoestring budgets when compared with large international organizations (INGOs). As the activists closest to the issues - with first-hand experience and understanding – frontline leaders know how best to have a real and meaningful impact on the ground, yet they are not given the opportunity to lead. This is not strategic and it is not empowering. It needs to change.

According to OECD data the majority of civil society funding goes to organizations based in donor countries or to large international organizations. In 2018, for example, only 8% of gender-focused aid to Community Service Organizations (CSOs) went directly to those in developing countries.

Distribution-of-Gender-Focused-aid-to-CSOs(OECD-2014)-PieChart

Distribution of Gender Focused aid (OECD 2014)

70.5% - Donor Country-Based NGOs

21.4% International NGOs

8.1% - Developing Country-Based NGOs

WHY INVEST IN WOMEN?

ONE

“Greater gender equality boosts economic growth and leads to better development outcomes.”

- IMF

TWO

Over 99% of Gender Equality funding goes to large NGOs. Less than 1% of Gender Equality funding goes to women's rights organizations.

- OECD 2019

THREE

Two-thirds of all women’s organizations have annual budgets of less than US $50,000

– AWID

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