FRIDA | The Young Feminist Fund ANNUAL REPORT 2012 by FRIDA The Young Feminist Fund

ANNUAL REPORT 2012

“Another World Is Not Only Possible… She Is On Her Way” - Arundhati Roy

Compiled by: Amina Doherty Designed by: Elisa Solinas Edited by: Amanda Shaw Acknowledgements: Special thanks to Lydia Alpízar Durán, Ana Criquillon, Cindy Clark, Angelika Arutyunova, Carla Lopez, Jessica Horn, Marisa Viana, Ghadeer Malek, Amanda Shaw, Elena Georgalla, Alexandra Pittman, the FRIDA Advisory Committee, and all the staff at the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) and El Fondo Centroamericano de Mujeres/ The Central American Women’s Fund (FCAM). 2012|FRIDA The Young Feminist Fund. This publication may be redistributed non-commercially in any media, unchanged and in whole, with credit given to FRIDA and the authors. www.creativecommons.org

This publication is available online in English, French, and Spanish at www.youngfeministfund.org FRIDA gratefully acknowledges the generous support of The Association for Women’s Rights in Development, The Oak Foundation, Channel Foundation, Mama Cash, HIVOS, Fondo Centroamericano de Mujeres/Central American Women’s Fund, The Gruber Family Foundation and all our individual donors.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

01 02 03 3

Letter from the Coordinator

Letter from The Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) and El Fondo Centroamericano de Mujeres (The Central American Women’s Fund) (FCAM)

The Context of Our Work: Surviving The Fierce New World

04 • • • • •

05 • • • • • • •

Another World Is Possible… About Us Our Vision Together We’ll Spark A Feminist Revolution OurStory Our Values

Another World Is Not Only Possible, She Is On Her Way! Grantmaking Grantmaking Process Meet the First Cohort of FRIDA Grantee Partners! In her own words… Capacity Building Donor Engagement: Making the Case for Supporting Young Feminist Activism

06 07 08

Highlights of FRIDA’s First Year •

Spreading the Word

Finances •

Resource Mobilization

•

Income/Expenditure

•

Supporters and Partners

•

Supporting FRIDA

•

Our Values

09 10

Letter from FRIDA Advisors

The Year Ahead

LETTER FROM THE COORDINATOR Dearest friends and supporters, I’m so excited to share with you FRIDA’s first-ever End of Year Report. The year itself has been one of many firsts for FRIDA – our first group of advisors, coordinator, events, donors, call for proposals, grantee partners, intern, volunteers – the list is long! In the past 12 months, FRIDA has blossomed quickly from an idea that took shape in hallways and meeting spaces to what we have today: a fully-fledged, operating fund that provides accessible, strategic and responsive funding and capacity-building opportunities to young feminist groups.

You will read about our efforts to place both financial and non-financial resources into the hands of young feminists and to mobilize resources for FRIDA herself.

FRIDA’s success reflects the strength, solidarity and creativity of global, multigenerational feminist movements and all that can be accomplished when a dedicated and committed group of women put our heads together. It feels like just yesterday that a group of passionate women from different corners of the world came together for our very first advisory meeting in Beirut in November 2010. Ideas were abuzz and we asked ourselves, “how can we mobilize more resources for young feminists’ work? How can we innovate, creating bold, brave and effective ways of resourcing young feminists’ work that propose new, democratic approaches to grantmaking?” These were some of the ways in which we challenged ourselves and, two years later, I am thrilled to report that FRIDA has accomplished this and more.

The report also shares FRIDA grantee partners’ incredible stories of persistence, struggle, and solidarity as they pursue the work we all believe in. Grantee partners are breathing new life into feminist activism, as Arundhati Roy says: “another world is not only possible, she is on her way!”1

In this report, you will read about FRIDA’s journey and about the work being done by young feminist activists globally to contribute toward a more just, inclusive and safe world in which all can enjoy their rights and thrive. You will hear about how FRIDA has grown and been strengthened to participate at the heart of women’s rights and youth organizing globally.

From the heart of this young African Feminist to yours – a luta continua (the struggle continues)!

FRIDA is contributing to building strong women’s rights movements and we look forward to engaging with a growing community of supporters. On behalf of the FRIDA team – advisors, grantees, and all of our supporters – I’d like to offer our thanks to all who have lovingly supported our vision,dreamt with and believed in us, held the line and grown with us. If you haven’t already, please consider donating to FRIDA.

Amina Doherty, FRIDA Coordinator

1 From a speech entitled Confronting Empire given at the World Social Forum in Porto Allegre, 28 January 2003.

LETTER FROM THE ASSOCIATION FOR WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN DEVELOPMENT AND EL FONDO CENTROAMERICANO DE MUJERES The Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) and Fondo Centroamericano de Mujeres/The Central American Women’s Fund (FCAM) are honored to have been a part of FRIDA’s creation. It was an idea that began, like many, in a regional meeting of young women from the Middle East and North Africa in mid 2008—the idea that young feminists around the world urgently needed a fund dedicated to supporting their initiatives. But this idea didn’t just stay in the pages of the meeting report. It continued to grow and evolve, getting another boost during the 2008 AWID Forum where the commitment to develop a “Young Feminist Fund” was publicly launched. As the discussions advanced, it became clear that building a Young Feminist Fund was about more than just a “fund” — it was about a broad approach to feminist resource mobilization that could challenge some of the traditional funder/grantee dynamics and also build on some of the exciting and innovative experiences within the community of women’s funds.

Lydia Alpizar Executive Director AWID

Cindy Clark Director of Programs AWID

Thus AWID and FCAM came together to support the creation of FRIDA. In keeping with our longstanding commitment to support young feminist activism, AWID agreed to cover coordinator expenses, and provide staff and other support to FRIDA, while FCAM shared their model of participatory grantmaking and provided vital expertise and accompaniment in the setting up and operation of this new women’s fund. Looking back on the first year of FRIDA’s operations, we are awestruck at its accomplishments in this short time. Thanks to the incredible leadership of FRIDA’s coordinator and guided by a committed and diverse group of young feminist advisors, not only has FRIDA completed its first round of grantmaking, building relationships with young feminists doing exciting work around the world, it has also been breaking ground in exploring innovative possibilities for resourcing young feminist initiatives. We have no doubt that FRIDA will continue as a powerful force in catalyzing and growing young feminist activism, strengthening feminist movements worldwide.

Ana Criquillon Founder and Board Member FCAM

Carla Lopez Executive Director FCAM

THE CONTEXT OF OUR WORK

“Surviving the fierce new world”

“We are living in a fierce new world where social contracts are be ing broken, where new players are emerging, but old ones are not willing to give up… whether it is what happened to young Trayvon Martin in the United States, or the ongoing atrocities against Dalits in India, the killing of LGBT activists in different parts of the world, the backlash against migrants. This kind of viciousness is part of this fierce new world. And it is the context of our struggle to see how we can go forward from here.” - Gita Sen, ‘Surviving the Fierce New World’

Young Feminists at the Community of Practices Meeting in Nicaragua, August 2012. Photo Credit: Sarah Van Brussel.

Today young people under 30 make up a significant and growing percentage of the world’s population. The United Nations estimates that youth currently account for approximately one billion of the world’s population and that one person in five is between the ages of 15 and 24. Eighty-nine percent of these young people live in the Global South.2 In this context, young feminists are organizing around the specific needs and perspectives of young women, and around broader women’s human rights, social, environmental and economic justice concerns. These activists are using a number of platforms to work on a range of issues from HIV/AIDS to LGBTQI rights, violence, labor rights and others. Alongside these youth-led initiatives, there is a growing array of development-oriented initiatives for girls and young women that address critical issues such as girls’ education and health. In the past year alone we’ve witnessed significant attention by a wide range of actors to the needs of young women and girls and undoubtedly these shifts will have profound implications on financing for gender equality.

FRIDA Grantee Partners Yocoyani from Mexico.

Still, many young feminist activists around the world face resource challenges that limit their organizing and hinder their contributions to the advancement of women’s rights and social justice. This moment represents a significant opportunity for young feminists, women’s rights activists and organizations, and new and diverse actors in the field to work together to collectively push for changes in financing and prioritizing gender equality and women’s empowerment. FRIDA believes that women’s movements are strengthened when young feminist activists and their organizations are provided with the resources and capacity they need to mobilize resources for their work. Supporting young feminists is key to the expansion, rejuvenation and sustainability of women’s movements and organiztions, both now and in the future. As a fund, FRIDA believes in the power of young people as agents of change and promotes progressive youth leadership through our membership and the initiatives we support. We believe that diversity in experience, identity, and opinion are crucial to strong women’s movements.

2 United Nations. “World Program of Action for Youth” (2010). http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/global.htm

ANOTHER WORLD ABOUT US FRIDA is a global initiative founded and led by young feminists under 30 that mobilizes resources, provides funding, and strengthens the participation and leadership of young feminist activists working to advance human rights and social justice globally. FRIDA sparks social justice and gender equitable change through five primary strategies:

•

Direct Grantmaking with small and flexible grants determined in partnership with grant-seekers to fund initiatives designed and led by young women and transgender youth;

•

Capacity Building that is both accessible and responsive to the needs of young feminists;

•

Networking and Connecting groups of young feminist activists gloally and contributing to building effective multigenerational women’s rights movements;

•

Donor Engagement on the needs, interests and priorities of young feminists;

•

Resource Mobilization from traditional and non-traditional donors such as young philanthropists and young entrepreneurs, and utilizing new communication technologies and social media.

OUR VISION Our vision is for a world where all women live free of violence and discrimination irrespective of race, gender, age, religion, physical or mental ability, sexual orientation, HIV status, ethnicity, caste and social class. FRIDA envisions progressive multigenerational women’s movements that are strong, effective, well-resourced and that reflect the diversity of women’s rights organizing globally. FRIDA envisions a world where all young women and girls have access to quality education and healthcare and have the right to make informed choices about their bodies and theirlives; a world wherein young women and girls have opportunities to access and participate fully in political and economic decision making processes at all levels and in society at large; a world where transgender and other gender non-conforming individuals are not discriminated against on the basis of identity; and where feminist principles of equality, justice, and human rights prevail.

TOGETHER WE’LL SPARK A FEMINIST REVOLUTION3 FRIDA believes that the world that we envision can be achieved through catalyzing collaborative networks of feminists, which cultivate collective shifts in consciousness and action. We believe the most effective way of achieving a gender equitable world, free from patriarchy and discrimination, is through stimulating and supporting diverse and political feminist activists, organizations, and movements. And we are not alone in this assessment; recent research shows that feminist movements are key to tackling rights violations and discrimination, such as gender-based violence.4 When young feminist activists and their organizations are well-resourced with strong capacities, we believe that women’s movements overall are strengthened. Moreover, diversity in experience, identity and opinion are crucial to strong women’s movements. We believe that young feminists represent a new cadre of progressive leadership for civil society, in economies and the public sphere, and are vital for sustaining and bringing new ideas to gender equality agendas. FRIDA supports young feminists as a critical strategy to the expansion, rejuvenation and sustainability of women’s movements and organizations, both now and in the future.

3 Pittman, Alexandra and Amina Doherty (2012). “FRIDA | Monitoring and Evaluation Plan” (Internal Document) 4 Weldon, S Laurel and Htun, Mala (2012). “The Civic Origins of Progressive Policy Change: Combating Violence against Women in Global Perspective, 1975-2005,” American Political Science Review.

However, feminist activists of any generation, if they are working in isolation, cannot achieve the types of collective changes we envision. Rather, this vision requires integration, collaboration, and networks of change with diverse actors. That is why FRIDA: connects young feminists to other progressive peers as well as to more experienced feminists and changemakers; strengthens the capacity of young feminist leaders and groups and; collaborates with other women’s funds and traditional donors to underscore the importance of supporting emerging feminist leaders and feminist change efforts in general.

OUR STORY The idea for a young feminist fund first emerged in April 2008 in Marrakech at a meeting supported by the Global Fund for Women and coordinated by the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID). Discussions at that meeting were inspired by four key factors: •

The emergence of young feminist activism in all corners of the world and the resource needs that stem from this growth and expansion;

•

The funding gap felt by young feminist organizations alongside rising interest by a number of large donors in funding girls and young women;

•

The urgency of advancing sustainable alternatives that respond to the fact that girls and young women face daily violations of their rights which impact them individually and society at large;

•

The need to mobilize new resources and expand existing resources to support the groundbreaking work being done by women’s rights organizations and movements worldwide, including young feminists.

Following that meeting, AWID conducted a feasibility study to answer key questions in relation to the creation of this new fund. The study included extensive interviews with stakeholders from the women’s funding community, philanthropists, international development agencies, feminist networks, as well as young women working on the ground in different parts of the world – with an emphasis on the global South.

To generate ideas and test the vision for the fund, AWID sought collaboration with The Fondo Centroamericano de Mujeres/Central American Women’s Fund (FCAM). FCAM has significant experience using an inclusive model of supporting youth-led activism in Central America. In November 2010, a group of eight young feminist activists (under age 30) and six feminist allies met to bring all of this knowledge and analysis together and frame the vision, core values and role of what we now know as FRIDA | The Young Feminist Fund. In its start up phase (2010-2012), FRIDA has been “incubated” by AWID and FCAM through the provision of technical assistance and some financial support towards FRIDA’s operational expenses. In March 2011, FRIDA’s Coordinator was hired and began mobilizing resources and formalizing a relationship with a financial host for the Fund in order to facilitate grantmaking. Just one year after the initial planning meeting, FRIDA launched its very first call for proposals, receiving close to one thousand applications from 120 countries, with requests totaling nearly four million USD. Such overwhelming demand demonstrated the extent and breadth of young feminist organizing, underscoring the disproportionate lack of resources to satisfy this demand.

OUR VALUES FRIDA believes in the power of young people as agents of change and promotes progressive youth leadership through our grantee partners and the initiatives we support. We believe that diversity in experience, identity and opinion are crucial to a strong women’s movement. Our core values are:

FRIDA Grantee Partners Civil Society & Helping Hand NGO, Georgia.

Flexibility • Resources • Inclusivity • Diversity • Action We practice these values by: respecting the judgment and self-determined strategies of young feminists and young feminist groups; respecting cultural diversity in beliefs and visions; ensuring multigenerational movement building and collaboration, and; employing dynamic, creative and practical ways of supporting the needs of young feminists.

ANOTHER WORLD IS NOT ONLY POSSIBLE, SHE IS ON HER WAY!

FRIDA Grantee Partners Young Feminists Movement (Y-Fem) Namibia.

“I think the participatory process is good because it enables everyone to express their ideas and gives us the chance to judge a proposal without the use of “palakasan” (favoritism based on prior friendship between established NGOs and funding agencies).” - 2011 FRIDA Applicant

GRANTMAKING FRIDA is a global initiative founded and led by young feminists under 30 that mobilizes resources, provides funding, and strengthens the participation and leadership of young feminist activists working to advance human rights and social justice globally. FRIDA sparks social justice and gender equitable change through five primary strategies: •

Direct Grantmaking with small and flexible grants determined in partnership with grant-seekers to fund initiatives designed and led by young women and transgender youth;

•

Capacity Building that is both accessible and responsive to the needs of young feminists;

•

Networking and Connecting groups of young feminist activists globally and contributing to building effective multigenerational women’s rights movements;

•

Donor Engagement on the needs, interests and priorities of young feminists;

•

Resource Mobilization from traditional and non-traditional donors such as young philanthropists and young entrepreneurs, and utilizing new communication technologies and social media.

FRIDA’S GRANTMAKING PROCESS FRIDA trusts that young feminist activists have both the capacity to think critically about the issues affecting their lives and are best placed to offer input about how funds are allocated to meet their needs. In the spirit of our feminist principles and FRIDA’s core values to encourage democratic decision-making, grant applicants are invited to collectively vote on which proposals FRIDA funds. We view this as an empowering and innovative process, giving applicants a greater sense of investment in the process and rendering FRIDA more accountable to our constituency of young feminists. This participatory grantmaking model helps democratize the funding process and breaks down divisions between, and re-conceptualizes the roles of, grantmakers and grant recipients. In addition, FRIDA’s model promotes learning and exchange between grantees, helping broaden their awareness of the landscape and critical strategies that feminist groups are using to combat discriminations, rights violations, and inequalities around the world. This allows them to strengthen their own organizations and work. In March 2012, FRIDA’s first cohort of grantee partners was selected through the Fund’s participatory decision-making process. All applicants to the fund were asked for their feedback about the grantmaking process, which was overwhelmingly positive and included some suggestions for improvements. Most comments focused on how participatory, democratic, transparent, empowering, clear and creative the process was.

Others mentioned how FRIDA’s grantmaking process allowed them get to know the work of other groups in their countries and regions, build up their own knowledge about new or existing issues, and gain ideas for their own work.

“It’s wonderful to have input into the process. It’s inspiring and interesting to see what other proposals are like, as a learning process about fundraising and about interesting activism.” - 2011 FRIDA Applicant

Many comments focused on how this process was important for determining not only the most relevant initiatives, but the “the real issues” and the most urgent, pressing and hard to fund issues. Many expressed how much they enjoyed the process and that participating gave them a sense of their own personal power and of young feminists’ collective power. Several said that this was their first experience with such a participatory decision-making process, a “rare opportunity” in the words of one and that it was empowering to be “not only a subject of evaluation, but we are a part of it.” One applicant mentioned that the process made them think about how to collaborate together for future projects rather than compete for the same activities. The main complaint about the grantmaking process was that it was difficult to pick only five worthy initiatives! Other suggestions for improvement included creating a way for applicants to stay in touch, providing more information in the summaries used to make the shortlist and adjusting the time and timing of the short-list process. FRIDA is considering these and other suggestions in planning the next grantmaking cycle.

HOW FRIDA’S GRANTMAKING PROCESS WORKS

MEET THE FIRST COHORT OF FRIDA GRANTEE PARTNERS! 2011-2012 FRIDA Grantee Partners In 2012, FRIDA committed $64,000 USD to 16 groups.5 All groups were awarded grants of $4,000 USD. Association of Young Women for the Culture and Development of Haïti Port Au Prince, Haiti What we do: We are working to fight against sexual violence against young women and girls in the temporary settlement camps. With FRIDA support we are documenting women’s rights violations in the camps. Civil Society & Helping Hand NGO Tbilisi, Georgia  What we do: We provide women’s rights educational programs to homeless and orphaned young women and girls and other at-risk groups living in conflict zones. We believe in providing rights-based learning opportunities outside of the traditional classroom and with FRIDA support we are putting together a program that focuses on building personal and leadership skills of young women living in conflict zones in Georgia. Colectiva Juana Julia Guzmán Bogotá , Colombia  Website: http://las-juanas.blogspot.com What we do: We are working to fight for the rights of women generally, but particularly for young women that have been deprived of their freedom in Colombia. With FRIDA support we are working to publish a booklet that documents the reflections and experiences of young women being held in Colombian jails. We will address a range of issues including sexual orientation, effects of militarization, and mechanisms of control of young women’s bodies.

5 FRIDA has committed funding to 16 groups, however we are currently working to develop the capacity of one group before paying out the grant.

Kampala, Uganda  Website: http://crestedcranelighters.blogspot.co.uk What we do: We are working to protect and advance the rights of female sex workers and their children. We do this by advocating for the adoption of international human rights instruments, and pushing for national legislation and protection policies for female sex workers. With FRIDA support we are also documenting and reporting violations experiences by young sex workers. Eternal Flame Resource Center, Palestine Hebron, Palestine What we do: We are a group of young women with disabilities working to train other young women to use computers and social media. With FRIDA support we are creating a space for young women to come and learn practical skills. We also provide trainings and peer learning on women’s rights and gender equality issues.

Photo Credit: Amanda

Equal Rights Yerevan City, Armenia What we do: We are committed to raising awareness of women’s rights and gender equality in Armenia. With support from FRIDA we are setting up a program that will build young women’s awareness of sexual and reproductive health rights issues. Friends of Life Foundation Kumasi, Ghana What we do: We believe that photography is a universal language. We are using photography to communicate to the general public various issues experienced by young women and girls in Ghana. With support from FRIDA we are training 22 young women to take photographs reflecting experiences of violence, sexual health and rights as part of our advocacy campaigns.

I’m Glad I’m A Girl Camp Kingston, Jamaica Website: http://gladamgirl.weebly.com/index.html What we do: We have developed a summer camp that brings together marginalized young women and girls from urban and rural communities in Jamaica. Through our camp and with support form FRIDA we are creating a safe space to provide group learning on issues such as sexual violence and reproductive health rights. Our activities include the use of music, art and dance.

Khadija Center for Muslim Women Studies Manila, Philippines Website: http://khadija-sisters.tumblr.com/ What we do: We are working to tell the stories of rights violations experienced by Filipino Muslim women in Manila. With FRIDA support we are conducting research and intend to produce a publication that draws attention to the issues and challenges faced by young internally displaced, migrant Muslim women. LesBit Bangalore, India What we do: We document cases of discrimination and provide support to lesbian and bisexual women and transpersons. FRIDA’s core funding supports a range of activities including the production of a booklet about women’s rights for sexual minorities, street theatre, and media advocacy. Radical Queer Affinity Collective Budapest, Hungary Website: http://rqac.wordpress.com/about/   What we do: We are working to raise awareness about sexual pleasure and safety for LGBTIQ youth in Budapest. We do this by running workshops and activities about safe sex, the safe use of sex-toys, self-defense, knowledge about HIV/AIDS and STIs. With FRIDA support we are working to open a community center that allows us to run artistic and activist workshops centered on feminist, queer, and trans issues.

Photo Credit: Young Feminists (YFem) Namibia

Ruidad Weekly Publication Kabul, Afghanistan Website: https://www.facebook.com/RuidadWeekly What we do: We are working to promote feminism by developing a platform to effectively communicate womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rights issues and struggles in Afghanistan. With FRIDA support we are creating and working to publish the first young feminist newspaper in Afghanistan. We will distribute the paper to Afghan youth in high schools and universities in Kabul and Heraat. Tumba Lata Davao, Philippines Website: http://tumbalatadavao.blogspot.co.uk What we do: We are working to build feminist consciousness among Moro, Tausug and Sama youth. With FRIDA support we are conducting a series of speakouts, syeyring (life sharing), poetry readings, and story writing about our experiences as young lesbians and transpersons in Davao.

Yocoyani Mujeres Guadalajara, Mexico What we do: We are working to advance, promote and defend womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rights in the poor urban areas of Guadalajara and in the independent Zapatista communities in Chiapas. With FRIDA support we are organising a series of visits to Tiaquepaque and Chipas to facilitate discussions on issues such as domestic violence, and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Young Feminists Movement (Y-Fem) Windhoek, Namibia Website: https://www.facebook.com/YFemTheYoungFeministsMovementNamibia What we do: We are working to build feminist leadership among young women in Namibia by providing them with knowledge on feminism, research skills, critical thinking and analysis, as well as to build solidarity among young women across all diversities. With FRIDA support, we are working to create spaces and forums for young feminists to express themselves through spoken word, music, dance and creative writing. Young Women for Change Kathmandu, Nepal What we do: We are working to encourage and to make young women aware of their rights and be able to attain them. With FRIDA support we are organizing a series of meetings and trainings for young women on their rights and advocacy skills. We are preparing a declaration that we expect to present to the president outlining the issues faced by young women in Nepal.

IN HER OWN WORDS… In this section we share some reflections from a few of our grantee partners. We asked for their views on who they are, what they believe in, why they think their work is important and what FRIDA’s support means to them. “For us feminism is a social and political movement, a theory, it’s a new way of living, it’s a different way of relating between women and men, women and women, men and men. n the words of Marcela Lagarde: ‘feminism characterizes itself by promoting relationships where no one exercises sexual/gendered power over other/s’. Above all, for us feminism represents the hope that we can be part of building a world where many possibilities exist.” - Yocoyani, Mexico

“We are radical: we favour non-institutionalized means of activism, and strive to rupture and dismantle dominant structures of privilege and power via direct action, art, and alternative reclamation of spaces. We are Queer: we aspire to disrupt the limiting imperatives of heteronormativity, homonormativity, and reproduction. Our community is based on the ideals of mutual trust and respect for each other. We value personal integrity, and passion for what we do and what we stand for. Our group is an autonomous, decentralized entity, in which we strive for non-hierarchical, consensus-based decision-making.” - Radical Queer Affinity Collective, Hungary

Photo Credit: Tumba Lata.

“FRIDA means to me a group of people who believe in the power and potential of the youth—of young feminists who are committed to social change and towards making possible a world where gender justice and equality are part of reality. It means to me Leaders of young feminists around the world, sharing the passion for women’s rights and raising the voice of the marginalized. It means to me my sisters around the world.” - Tasneem, Khadija Center for Muslim Women Studies, The Philippines

“FRIDA is a friend supporting us from afar.” - Mherz, Tumba Lata, The Philippines

CAPACITY BUILDING FRIDA believes that capacity building support is an integral element to supporting young feminists’ work. FRIDA helps to build grantees’ capacity through: the provision of one-on-one support with feminist trainers and activists in specific areas based on needs identified by groups themselves; knowledge-building and peer-learning with the support of AWID’s Young Feminist Activism (YFA) program and; networking and connecting groups with other local, national and regional women’s rights groups. In April 2012, FRIDA brought our first grantee cohort to the 2012 AWID Forum. The AWID International Forum on Women’s Rights and Development is both a conference and a call to action. The largest recurring event of its kind, the Forum brings together women’s rights leaders and activists from around the world to strategize, network, celebrate, and learn in a highly charged atmosphere that fosters deep discussions and sustained personal and professional growth. At the 2012 Forum, FRIDA conducted its first capacity building meeting in Istanbul where grantee partners had the opportunity to work with the FRIDA advisory team to develop the ideas outlined in their proposals. At the meeting, grantees shared and exchanged ideas, strategies, and plans around resource mobilization, monitoring and evaluation, budgeting and planning. They also participated in an AWIDorganized Young Feminist Activist Day where they had the opportunity to meet sixty young feminists brought together to discuss the AWID Forum theme “transforming economic power to advance women’s rights and justice.”

“When I arrived in Istanbul I didn’t really know what to expect but I really liked that the session was facilitated by the FRIDA advisors. Interacting with other young women made me feel more relaxed and open to sharing my ideas.” - FRIDA Grantee Partner

As part of our efforts to build capacity and support learning for our grantee partners, FRIDA also helps to facilitate networking and learning opportunities. We do this by recommending and supporting grantee partners to attend regional and international meetings and convenings. In September 2012, our partner I’m Glad I’m A Girl, Jamaica was selected to attend the International Planned Parenthood Federation’s (IPPF) “Emerging Youth Leaders Summit” in Oslo, Norway. Twenty-two yearold Shanique Campbell was selected to participate. She reflected on her “My participation at this summit reinforced the fact that what is being done by I’m Glad I’m A Girl is not only relevant to young women in Jamaica but all over the world. We are now in the process of modifying our mentorship plan to more formally include discussions about sexual and reproductive health and rights. The most rewarding moment for me was being selected to represent the “ Emerging Leaders” group at the Global IPPF Meeting in South Africa in November. I was humbled by this selection as I went to this conference hoping to raise awareness of the issues faced by young women in Jamaica, and to be part of a global movement involved in these issues.” Responding to the needs expressed by our grantee partners, FRIDA has supported groups with one-on-one social media and communications training and provided support to attend CREA’s 2012 Feminist Leadership and Movement Building Institute in Nairobi.

“Making the Case for Supporting Young Feminist Activism”

DONOR ENGAGEMENT FRIDA undertakes donor advocacy as part of our work to increase the amount and improve the quality of funding for young feminist organizing. FRIDA advocates for and spreads the word with other donors about the importance of supporting young feminist activism globally. This year brought FRIDA to a variety of spaces where we shared this vision, including:

•

In November 2011: A briefing hosted by the Women Donor’s Network in San Francisco. This event brought together a dynamic group of young feminists from the area to learn about FRIDA and the vision for the Fund. The event generated much excitement and interest an resulted in FRIDA’s very first donations from young women that attended;

•

In February 2012: Co-hosting a session on new approaches to philanthropy at the Hauser Center for Non-Profits at Harvard University in Boston. Attended by a broad mix of students, young people interested in philanthropy, activists and experienced fundraisers, this event was well-received and led to one of FRIDA’s largest contributions from a young woman donor;

•

In March 2012, FRIDA attended and participated in the 56th UN CSW Meeting in New York. FRIDA Advisors and Staff co-hosted a side session on “Youth Approaches to Funding Gender Equality and Women’s Rights” together with U.S.-based youth funders Spark! and The Third Wave Foundation. Bringing together this unique set of youth donors working to advance women’s rights and gender justice was an incredible opportunity not just to showcase FRIDA’s work and unique approach but also allowed for sharing strategies and ideas with donors and youth participants. As one participant blogged: “this panel was an invigorating and stimulating experience – it’s hard not to feel excited when you see that work being done by these organizations is truly on the side of innovation.”

•

As a demonstration of solidarity in the women’s funding community, the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice hosted an event in New York to introduce FRIDA. The event was attended by an incredibly dynamic group of allies and young activists working on a broad range of global issues from LBTIQ rights to street harassment, HIV and AIDS advocacy, and environmental justice. FRIDA advisors introduced the Fund to these groups who were excited to learn both about FRIDA and about opportunities for crossmovement alliances and partnerships.

•

In April 2012, FRIDA organized a series of activities at the 2012 AWID Forum in Istanbul. “Making the Case for Young Feminist Activism,” (co-hosted with Mama Cash, the Central American Women’s Fund and the Global Fund for Women) brought together young feminists attending the forum with other, longer-standing groups and various donors in order to discuss the value of supporting a younger generation of feminists. The session also served to introduce FRIDA as a funding initiative emerging out of the previous 2008 AWID Forum and as a fund with a specific mandate to support young feministled work. The session generated much debate, with rich and insightful contributions from the young activists in the room as well as from donors. FRIDA was officially launched at the Forum, with grantee partners sharing more about their work and the issues they address. FRIDA Advisors also facilitated sessions for the Grassroots Girls Initiative, and held donor office hours at the resource mobilization hub. FRIDA was also invited to take part in one of the forum’s key plenaries: “where is the money for women’s rights”, that brought together women’s rights activists and donors from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Global Fund for Women, Action Aid International, AWID and the Oak Foundation.

Photo Credit: AWID

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In July 2012: the Mama Cash and FCAM Community of Practices meeting on funding girls’ activism;

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The Social Good Summit on harnessing the power of technology and social media for social good and;

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In September 2012: the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting, where AWID and FRIDA announced a joint commitment to fund 15 seed grants focused on transforming women’s economic power;

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The World University Service Canada’s Forum “Innovation in Sustainable Development: Youth Leading Change” in Ottawa and;

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In November 2012, the annual meeting of the International Network of Women’s Funds in Johannesburg.

•

The Worldwide Network for Gender Empowerment at Fielding Graduate University and;

•

Bryn Mawr’s international colloquium: “The Next Wave: Disruption, Transition and a New Era Global Women’s Advancement.”

As part of our efforts to engage with a broader constituency of youth activists FRIDA Advisors have also been invited to attend and speak about FRIDA and the importance of mobilizing resources for young feminist organizing in several spaces including: •

Alverno College in Milwaukee at the “Empowering Women: A Tale of Two Generations” conference convened by the Veteran Feminists of America;

•

Taking It Global’s ‘Youth Movements Summit’ in New York;

•

The ‘CatchAFyah Caribbean Young Feminist Grounding’ supported by Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN) in Barbados;

We are already seeing the outcomes of this “donor and philanthropic education” work, with increased attention being given to women’s rights issues and with more resources being mobilized from several non-traditional and individual donors. This has included success in mobilizing resources from individual donors (many of whom have been young women) and whose contributions have ranged from the $20 USD to $2,000 USD (the largest amount received from a single young woman donor).

• The Nexus Global Youth Summit on innovative philanthropy and social entrepreneurship;

Photo Credit: AWID

HIGHLIGHTS OF FRIDA’S FIRST YEAR SPREADING THE WORD

Photo Credit: Amina Doherty

FRIDA has been supported by a strong constituency of young feminist organizers, youth groups, women’s funds, organizations and donors that have helped to spread the word about our work. On social media, FRIDA now has close to three thousand followers on Facebook and over one thousand on Twitter. Since its launch, FRIDA has garnered visibility and interest from a wide range of sources and has been featured in a number of spaces including: •

The Public Policy Blog of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University: Empowering Evaluation: Looking beyond the numbers, November 2011, (USA).

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The Hauser Center Blog: Emerging Models Of Participatory Philanthropy: FRIDA | The Young Feminist Fund, December 2011, (USA).

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Feature on The Council of Europe Website, December 2011 (Europe). March 2012, (UK).

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Feature in UN Youth Flash Newsletter, December 2011 (Global).

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Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist Annie Lennox recognized FRIDA as a “cool young feminist initiative to watch,”

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The Market Magazine, April 2012, (UK).

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Feministing, ‘Girls (Not the HBO show)’, April 2012.

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Sylvia Global Online Radio and TV, May 2012.

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Women in the World Foundation, June 2012, (Global).

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Taking It Global: Youth Movements Platform: June 2012, (Global).

FINANCES RESOURCE MOBILIZATION From its inception FRIDA has mobilized 270,617 USD in mostly flexible, core support grants from several donor allies. Of this total amount, FRIDA mobilized 240,059 USD between September 2011 and September 2012. FRIDA is currently supported by the Association for Women’s Rights in Development, the Oak Foundation, Mama Cash, HIVOS, The Gruber Family Foundation, The Channel Foundation and several individual donors. By the end of the first quarter of 2012, FRIDA had already mobilized enough resources to support 16 groups through grantmaking and capacity building – offering six more grants that previously anticipated.

2012 INCOME (SEPTEMBER 2011- SEPTEMBER 2012)

2012 INCOME

USD

THE ASSOCIATION FOR WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN DEVELOPMENT (AWID)

45,9411

19%

OAK FOUNDATION

75,000

31%

CHANNEL FOUNDATION

20,000

MAMA CASH

41,135

17%

HIVOS

26,242

11%

THE GRUBER FAMILY FOUNDATION

25,000

10%

INDIVIDUAL DONORS

6,741

TOTAL INCOME

240,059

100%

1 This figure represents AWID’s contribution to FRIDA between September 2011 – September 2012. AWID has provided FRIDA with financial support from March 2011 to cover start-up core costs and the Coordinator’s salary. Between March 2011 and September 2012 the total sum of AWID’s total contributions to FRIDA was 76,499 USD.

2012 EXPENSES (SEPTEMBER 2011- SEPTEMBER 2012)

2012 EXPENSES

USD

60,00022

31%

II. GRANTS MANAGEMENT

32,939

17%

III. CAPACITY BUILDING & KNOWLEDGE BUILDING

41,638

22%

TOTAL PROGRAMS

134,576

70%

TOTAL FUNDRAISING & COMMUNICATIONS

23,242

12%

TOTAL ADMINISTRATION

35,629

18%

193,374

100%

I. DIRECT GRANTMAKING

TOTAL EXPENSES

The figure excludes one gran of 4,000 USD that has been committed but has not yet been disbursed. Following discussions with the group FRIDA is providing initial capacity building support before that grant will be disbursed. 2

SUPPORTERS AND PARTNERS FRIDA acknowledges the generous contribution of friends and supporters who have sustained our efforts to mobilize resources, fund, and strengthen the participation and leadership of young feminist activists globally. We believe that everyone has a vital role to play in transforming our communities. We wish to thank the following institutions and individuals for their support.

INSTITUTIONAL DONORS The Association for Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rights in Development (AWID), Canada Fondo Centroamericano de Mujeres (FCAM), Nicaragua The Oak Foundation, Switzerland Mama Cash, The Netherlands The Channel Foundation, USA The Gruber Family Foundation, USA HIVOS, The Netherlands

INDIVIDUAL DONORS Alexandra Rabsey (USA)

Devi Leiper (USA)

Kellea Miller (USA)

Merteuil Morgane (France)

Allison Domicone (USA)

Dinah Musindarwezo (Kenya)

Kimberley Oxholm (USA)

Mia Briones (USA)

Amina Doherty (Nigeria/Antigua)

Els Rijke (Kenya)

Kimberly Wolf (USA)

Michele Baer (USA)

Ana María González Ortiz (Spain)

Emily Jones (USA)

Kitty Rudman (USA)

Nancy Natilson (USA)

Anita Sarkeesian (USA)

Erin Aylward (Canada)

Leila Roberts (USA)

Ozden Yalim (The Netherlands)

Ann Carney (USA)

Esther Obaikol (Uganda)

Lina Abirafeh (USA)

Rachel Wareham (Afghanistan)

Annie Wilkinson (USA)

Fatoumata Traore (Mali)

Lisa Rudman (USA)

Raquel Delgado-Valentin (Puerto Rico)

Anonymous

Gretchen Bloom (Italy)

Louise Forrest (USA)

Stella Ramsaroop (USA)

Becky Lourey (USA)

Heather Masaki (USA)

Margo Okazawa-Rey (USA)

Suzanne Lerner (USA)

Betsy Hoody (USA)

Janet Price (UK)

Maria Carmen Regueiro López (Spain)

Toyin Okungbowa-Bakare (Nigeria)

Cathy Raphael (USA)

Jennifer Berger (USA)

Maria Consuelo Mejia Piñeros (Mexico)

Colleen LaFontaine (UK)

Jennifer Lee (USA)

Mariam Gagoshashvili (Georgia)

Cynthia Rothschild (USA)

Kai Spratt (USA)

Marlene Kayser (USA)

Deborah Salkind (USA)

Katy Lebow (USA)

May Miller-Dawkins (Australia)

GIFTS MADE IN HONOUR

IN-KIND SUPPORTERS

Katie Hoody (USA) in Honour of Betsy Hoody

Alexia Lenoir (UK/France)

Meghan Faulkner (USA)

Mariam Gagoshashvili (Georgia) in Honour of Sandra Ljubinkovic

Ana Criquillon (Nicaragua)

Nadia Leila Aissaoui (France)

Anika Sway (Georgia)

Natia Gvianshili (Georgia)

Caroline Brac de la Perriere (France)

Ndali Amobi (France)

Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN)

Patrick Lee (Canada)

GIFTS MADE IN MEMORY Nicole Regalado (USA) in Memory of Rebecca Anne Mabunay

Elisa Solinas (Italy/Jamaica) Fondo Centroamericano de Mujeres (Nicaragua) Helen Dixon (UK/Nicaragua) Hender Gercio (Philippines) Jacqueline Patiño (Bolivia)

Sarah Hedges-Choo (Canada) The Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice (USA) The European Foundation Center (Europe) The Hauser Center for Non-Profits (USA)

Jean Casey (UK/Nicaragua)

The Women’s Funding Network (USA)

Jess Luckhardt (USA)

Toshi Reagon (USA)

Leslie Ning (Canada)

Women Donors Network (USA)

SUPPORTING FRIDA FRIDA believes in the leadership, activism and organizing work of young feminists. Along with a strong global community of supporters mobilizing non-financial resources, young activists also need financial resources to move their work forward. The fund is generously hosted by our fiscal sponsor the Tides Foundation, a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) charity based in the United States. Contributions from U.S. donors are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. As a collectively owned global fund, FRIDA believes that everyone can make a valuable contribution to supporting the efforts of young feminists around the world. We have already begun building a community of supporters that includes the champions of women’s rights funding but we need your support to achieve our ambitious plans. Whether you can give $10, $20 or more, support of any amount widens FRIDA’s community of supporters and contributes to young feminists’ work to transform our communities. You can donate online through our website: www.youngfeministfund.org or by writing a check to the Tides Foundation with “FRIDA Fund” in the memo section. Tides Foundation c/o Alex Rojas, Fund Advisor 55 Exchange Place, Suite 402 New York, NY 10005 USA

THE YEAR AHEAD In 2013 FRIDA will:

•

Launch its second call for proposals with a plan of providing at least 15 first grants to young feminist initiatives from around the world.

•

Provide renewal grants to a number of current grantee partners, to be determined together with grantees and FRIDA advisors.

•

Provide capacity building and linking and learning opportunities to all grantee partners as defined by the groups themselves.

•

Advocate with donors not currently funding women’s rights, including those primarily funding youth-led initiatives, to mobilize resources from a women’s rights and feminist perspective.

•

Mobilize resources through innovative fundraising tools and strategies such as online giving and crowdfunding.

LETTER FROM THE ADVISORS Young women and girls are often excluded from broader youth movements’ claims for space in key development policy and decision-making fora. This exclusion from, and the power dynamics involved in youth leadership and representation affect how young women and girls are perceived by donors as well as by governments and society at large. These perceptions affect the politics of funding for our work as young women (and feminists!) and whether we are seen as competent or capable of managing funds. The proposals of young feminists are often rejected based on our identities or because our work is seen as too idealistic or controversial. Yet funds are not only “charitable gifts” but resources generated from public and private processes to which we have rights to participate. FRIDA aims to democratize rights to resources through an alternative and flexible approach to funding young feminists. We do this by supporting our peers’ work within their communities, holding donors to account, and by investing in our movement’s sustainability. Between 2010 and 2012, we were able to materialize our dream for a fund supporting the initiatives of young feminists globally, thanks to the support of many people who believed in and shared this dream. It is an overwhelming sensation to finally be able to offer young feminists an alternative model of grantmaking, in a world where development initiatives are dominated by outputs and obsessed with numbers, which can only tell partial stories of social change. As advisors, our role goes beyond “advising” FRIDA, grantees and supporters. We see our roles as advisors as contributing toward building global, regional and national movements where young women can meaningfully participate.

Our work has been to mobilize more resources for transformative political action, help leverage information resources, and foster collaboration and communication. Serving as advisors has also taught us how to reflect on and strive to improve feminist action, and helped us to learn how to “translate” our work, passion and commitment for addressing inequalities across different regions. Serving on the advisory board has also been a tremendous opportunity for us personally to learn about and to stay in touch with the diverse realities of young women’s lives. Indeed, serving as FRIDA advisers has transformed each of us in different ways, enabling us to link our ideas and dreams, and to share, learn and accompany other young feminists. FRIDA strives to link the rhetoric on the importance of youth and young women to the resources young feminists and women’s rights movements need to do their work. We hope you will continue to support this dream and FRIDA’s work.

- Rachel and Perla On Behalf of the 2011-2012 FRIDA Advisory Committee

CURRENT ADVISORS 2012 Paulini Turgabeci, Fiji Rachel Arinii Judhistari, Indonesia Mariam Gagoshashvili, Georgia Elizabeth (Betsy) Hoody, USA Purity Kagwiria, Kenya Perla Sofía Vazquez Díaz, Mexico Maissan Hassan, Egypt Shantal Partamian, Lebanon Fanta Cissé - (Senegal)

PAST ADVISORS 2011 Jessica Horn (Uganda) Fatma Emam (Egypt) Nadine Moawad (Lebanaon)

“FRIDA connected me to magnificent feminists from all over the world, each coming with a unique experience, each facing different issues, but all of whom I could relate to… FRIDA was a place that helped me to look to feminism as an ideology that resembles a mosaic, different colors and different spirits. In fact, I found myself inspired by women my age or younger who are working able to build their dreams, and also supporting their sisters tobuild their dreams as well…” - Fatma Emam, Egypt “It’s been an amazing time being a part of the conceptualisation, birth and growth of FRIDA- the fastest rise of a fund that I myself have witnessed! Obviously that is down to a flexible, creative and dedicated team of people as well as with the incredible Coordinator that is Amina-- keeping us all in shape and focused on the goal and pushing boundaries with innovative ideas! I transitioned from working on fund development to being ‘an advisor to the advisors’ to retain the historical memory of the early conversations but clearly you advisors are rocking it- and were from the start! Congratulations to this team of dedicated feminists, to young women opening new ground and to intergenerational solidarity and activism that respects young feminist leadership. I will always be a FRIDA supporter and am not so far away....Viva FRIDA, viva!” - Jessica Horn, Uganda

CONTACT US For more information about FRIDA | The Young Feminist Fund: Email us: info@youngfeministfund.org Visit our website: www.youngfeministfund.org Write to us: FRIDA | The Young Feminist Fund c/o The Association for Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rights in Development (AWID) 215 Spadina Ave, Suite 150; Toronto, Ontario M5T 2C7 Canada