To tackle the pushback on gender equality, foster and fund inclusive feminist movements

Building on the calls for funding, Sumaiya Islam, Acting Director on Intersectional Justice and Global Programs at Open Society Foundations, emphasized the importance of intersectionality. Only a fraction of the 1 per cent of Overseas Development Assistance goes to Black women-led organizations, she pointed out, calling for feminist movements in all their diversities to be better supported. 

Open Society Foundations is a Leader of the Action Coalition on Feminist Movements and Leadership and has committed to invest more than $100 million in strengthening a range of feminist-led movements and increasing their leadership across a broad range of sectors. Together, the Action Coalition on Feminist Movements and Leadership is taking priority action to promote, expand and protect civic space for feminist action, organizing and mobilization. 

Countering anti-gender campaigns requires inclusive feminist movements and coalitions, emphasized H.E Paula Narváez Ojeda, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Chile to the United Nations, moderating the discussion.  

And the voices and experiences of grassroots women and local actors must be at the centre. “We need to start seriously investing in grassroots women. We need to come together, we need to share partnership, we need to share knowledge, we need to share our skills, we need to share expertise, and we need to reach back to where we are coming from, which is at that local level, with the local authorities, with the grassroots women. Engage us to be part of the process. Because without us, there’s no you,” urged Lana Louise Finikin, Executive Director of Sistren Theatre Collective in Jamaica and Vice-Chair of the Governing Council at the Huairou Commission.  

Huairou Commission is a Leader of the Action Coalition on Economic Justice and Rights, bringing grassroots women in partnership with cross-sector actors to accelerate progress towards the realization of women’s economic rights.