Policy Brief: Using feminist foreign policy to fund feminist organising

Funding a more equitable future

Despite a widespread commitment from governments to gender equality, less than 1% of gender-focused official development assistance (ODA) currently goes into the funding of women’s rights organisations and feminist movements.

This leaves critical actors in the fight for democratic resilience and social justice woefully underfunded. Our new policy brief looks into the connection of transformative funding practices and ways to strengthen feminist movements worldwide.

Outstanding examples from France and the Netherlands

The Dutch and French governments can be seen as trailblazers when it comes to feminist foreign policy (FFP) and currently support two innovative feminist funding mechanisms. The policy brief compares these, highlighting essential lessons and providing practical recommendations to increase financial support for feminist movements.

Key proposals include dedicating at least 10% of bilateral ODA to feminist organising and leveraging upcoming global processes, such as the 2025 Financing for Development process in Spain, to catalyse change.

The authors of the policy brief also call upon governments and donors to commit to linking feminist foreign policy with sustainable funding mechanisms, thus unlocking the potential of feminist organising to build a more inclusive future for all.

Read the policy brief here.