Gender Equity Fund

Background information

Many women and girls are affected by discrimination and violence because of their gender. They often have limited opportunities to play an active role in shaping society, and access to education and healthcare is difficult. Worldwide, at least one in three women has experienced physical or sexual violence. The Corona pandemic has led to an increase in cases of domestic violence worldwide. worldwide increased.

Mission 21 looks back on a long tradition in which the work has been specifically committed to the human rights of women at various levels. Gender justice is a guiding principle of all programs and projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The Gender Equity Fund (formerly the Women's Advancement Fund, FFF) provides targeted funding for gender equity projects.

The Women and Gender Unit of Mission 21 works closely with partner organizations. The work for gender justice takes into account women, men, sexual diversity as well as the socio-economic background of a person. In order to focus on the current needs and problems of the partner organizations, information on these needs is developed in women's conferences and regional meetings. The focus of the continents varies: in Africa the focus is on HIV and women in conflict and post-conflict situations, in Asia on human trafficking and migrant women workers, and in Latin America on sexual violence and targeted murders of women and girls. Religious fundamentalism threatens women's human rights in all continents.

Program Goals

Overall Objective:

Gender equity has been achieved and the self-determination of all women and girls has been strengthened.

Objectives of the three lines of action:

• The targeted Promotion of women facilitates access to knowledge for women and girls. They are affirmed in their self-determination and strengthened in their abilities.
• Advocacy empowers and enables women and men of partner churches and organizations to claim their rights at the local, national and international levels.
• Gender mainstreaming means taking gender into account from the program to the project level. Through gender mainstreaming instruments, the importance of gender equity is recognized in all Mission 21 programs and strategically implemented in the individual program phases.

Target groups

• The Gender Justice Fund provides support in actions and initiatives "by women for women" from Mission 21's partner churches and organizations in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
• Advocacy activities target key individuals from partner churches and organizations.
• Together with the responsible persons at Mission 21, materials and methods for the implementation of gender mainstreaming are being developed.

Activities and program progress

Since 2016, an advocacy workshop has been held once a year in Basel. In this, key people from Mission 21's partner organizations acquire important skills for strengthening the human rights of women in their context. Thanks to the Gender Justice Fund, a wider circle of people on the ground has access to the knowledge acquired. The fund is allocated annually and ensures flexible financing of women's advancement projects of partner organizations.

Example from Africa

In Cameroon, the Fund's support enabled a workshop on women's empowerment in rural areas of Cameroon. The workshop was organized by a participant of the advocacy workshop in Basel.

Example from Asia

Women's networks in Asia have developed sustained campaigns to raise awareness about sexualized discrimination and violence. The Association of Women Theologians in Indonesia (PERUATI), for example, annually supports and promotes the international campaign "16 Days Against Violence Against Women," which has even been taken up at the district level and in churches. 

Example from Latin America

In Chile, the Fund financed trainings for the personal and political empowerment of women, with a special focus on the empowerment of indigenous women, who are particularly marginalized. This project was also led by a former advocacy training participant. guided.