A thank you to our supporters and community in 2024/25
27 October 2025
By Womankind Worldwide
By Womankind Worldwide
Our supporters
Womankind Gala
On Thursday 27 February 2025, we welcomed over 400 guests from the UK’s top banks, investment firms, and law practices to celebrate International Women’s Day at the iconic Natural History Museum.
Now in its eighth year, the Womankind Gala Dinner and Auction raised a record-breaking £1.3 million in unrestricted income. Unrestricted income is especially valuable – it strengthens our ability to act in solidarity with women’s rights organisations and support their priorities on their terms.
We’re incredibly grateful to all who make this event possible: our loyal sponsors, the 60 generous donors who power the auction, and the corporate teams who return each year for a spirited and impactful night of fundraising.
We were honoured to be joined by Olga Ghazaryan, former Co-Chair of Womankind’s Board of Trustees, who reflected on the challenges women’s rights organisations face and reminded us that, through collective action, a hopeful, feminist future is within reach.
Heartfelt thanks to our Gala Committee, whose passion and dedication make this event such a success year after year.
Funding and strengthening the women’s movement in Uganda
The Ing Foundation generously funded Women’s Advocacy, Voice & Empowerment (WAVE II), a multiyear project alongside partners in Uganda focused on strengthening the women’s movement, ensuring the inclusion of marginalised women and adopting an intersectional approach in their practices. The outcomes of movement strengthening are often intangible and difficult to capture in traditional reporting, but the Ing Foundation demonstrated remarkable flexibility and understanding of the importance of strengthening women’s movements. This grant was also unique in it’s provision of funding specifically for collective and self-care activities, something that our partners said was a first for them. We are grateful to the Ing Foundation for leading the way in progressive, trust based and innovative funding practices!
Volunteer fundraiser spotlight: Emma Wise 
Womankind is incredibly grateful to the many individual supporters who inspired us with their generosity, flexibility and passion over the last year, reinforcing their commitment to Womankind and our partners support our work through regular and one-off donations and legacy gifts.
We would like to spotlight the efforts of one supporter, Emma Wise, who has been volunteering her time and efforts within her local community to raise funds to support women in Afghanistan.
Emma has organised various fundraising events over the last year, including yoga sessions, sound baths and cold swimming retreats to raise money to specifically support Womankind’s work with our Afghan partners.
Each time we’ve practiced yoga, we’ve consciously held the plight of these women in our hearts.
– Emma Wise
To date, Emma raised over £5,000 for Afghan women. Supporting women’s civil society and the women’s movement in Afghanistan is crucial. This means advocacy to ensure women’s rights are protected and promoted and that Afghan women are not just talked about, but heard.
Engagement and support from people like Emma shows that every single individual makes a difference in the fight for women’s rights and equality.
And our deepest thanks to...
Our partners and grantees
Afghanistan
Women’s Regional Network (WRN)
Afghan Women’s Resource Centre (AWRC)
Afghan Women’s Network (AWN)
Kabul Orthopaedic Organization (KOO)
Farageer (formerly Canada’s Feminist Forum (CFFA))
Ethiopia
Centre for Accelerated Women’s Economic Empowerment (CAWEE)
Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA)
Ethiopian Women with Disability National Association (EWDNA)
Setaweet
Siiqqee Women’s Development Association (SWDA)
Synergy for Action Ethiopia (SAFE)
Light for the Vulnerable Organization (LVO)
Kenya
Federation of Women Lawyers Kenya (FIDA Kenya)
Minority Womyn in Action (MWA)
Polycom Girls
Women Challenged to Challenge (WCC)
Young Women’s Leadership Institute (YWLI)
Centre for Rights Education and Awareness (CREAW)
Bungoma Big Sisters Self Help Group
Tabaka Ward Uongozi Wa Utu (TAWUWU)
Innovators 4 Climate Action (ICA) Foundation
Kisumo Grassroots Friends Self Help Group
Utu Wetu Trust
Femicide Count Kenya
Kibera Feminists
Nyeri Disability Network
Kenyan Network Advocating for the Rights of Women and Girls with Disabilities (KNWGD)
Badili Africa
Coalition for Grassroots Human Defenders (CGHRD)
Feminist for Peace Rights and Justice Centre (FPRJC)
Girlkind Kenya
Zamara Foundation
Equality Vanguard
Nepal
Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO)
LOOM
Mitini Nepal
National Indigenous Women’s Federation (NIWF)
Nepal Disabled Women Association (NDWA)
Saathi
Sankalpa Women’s Alliance for Peace, Justice & Democracy
Tewa
Voices of Women Media (VOW Media)
Women for Human Rights Group (WHR)
Fresh International
Sunita Foundation
Pan-Africa
African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET)
The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA)
Uganda
Centre for Domestic Violence Prevention (CEDOVIP)
Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE)
Freedom and Roam Uganda (FARUG)
Mentoring & Empowerment for Young Women (MEMPROW)
National Association for Women’s Action in Development (NAWAD)
National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE)
National Association of Women’s Organisations in Uganda (NAWOU)
National Union of Women with Disabilities of Uganda (NUWODU)
Women’s International Peace Centre (WIPC)
Empowered At Dusk Women’s Association (EADWA)
Care For Us Uganda (CFU)
Integrated Green Media Foundation (IGMF)
Zimbabwe
Deaf Women Included (DWI)
Female Prisoners Support Trust (FEMPRIST)
Musasa
Pakasipiti
Women and Land in Zimbabwe (WLZ)
Women in Politics Support Unit (WiPSU)
Women’s Action Group (WAG)
Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ)
Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Associations (ZCEIA)
Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association (ZWLA)
Adolescent Girls and Women Rights Forum (AGWRF)
KumbeKumbe Arts Trust
She Decides Zimbabwe
Our team
Alexandra Webber, Policy and Advocacy Manager: Womens Economic Rights
Alicia Luther-Jones, Philanthropy Manager
Alya Adekola, Fundraising & Marketing Intern
Anoojah Ganeshalingam, Finance and Office Assistant
Bethan Williams, Manager, Resourcing Feminist Movements
Debra Lillistone-Squires, Philanthropy Manager – Events
Deirdre McCann, Leadership Support Manager
Diana Njuguna, Chief Executive Officer
Dinah Musindarwezo, Director of Policy and Communications
Disha Sughand, Chief Executive Office
Faiza Ali, Her Voice Fund Manager
Fiona Wilks, Impact and Learning Advisor
Florence Chester, Major Gifts Manager
Glory Kasongo, Programmes and Learning Intern
Gurvir Deol, Programme Finance Manager
Hannah Coombes, Communications Officer
Hannah Little, Fundraising Manager, Digital
Hulai Bah, Finance and Resources Manager
Iria Dominguez Reguera, Interim Programme Manager: AWESOME
Jessica Hill, Manager of People, Culture and Wellbeing
Jill Anami, Interim Policy and Advocacy Manager: VAWG
Kalie Weninger, Trust & Foundations Manager
Kavinya E. Makau, Director of Policy and Communications
Laura Brown, Programmes Manager: Movement & Network Strengthening
Louise Wise, Major Gifts Manager
Martina Hoggart, Director of Fundraising & Marketing
Maryam Rahmani, Advisor/Advocate: Afghanistan
Moreen Majiwa, Programme Manager: AWESOME
Natasha Horsfield, Programme Management Officer
Ornela Hysomemaj, Finance and Office Assistant (Maternity Cover)
Sally Gift, Communications Manager
Sarah Masters, Director, Programmes and Learning
Sierra Schraff Thomas, Interim Director of Programmes and Learning
Stephanie Zabonas, Interim Programmes Manager: Movement & Network Strengthening
Susan Hutton, Director Finances and Resources
Tehillah Hinds, Fundraising and Database Officer
Wanjiru Linda Kroeger, Policy and Advocacy Manager: Women’s Participation & Leadership
Yvonne Ndirangu, Communications Officer
Our trustees
Olga Ghazaryan, Co-Chair
Lusungu Kalanga, Co-Chair
Rebecca Olschner-Wood , Vice-Chair
Vanessa Rice Honorary, Treasurer
Alison Stiby Harris, Trustee
Dumiso Gatsha, Trustee
Faith Nkatha, Trustee
Jasmine George, Trustee
Lauren Dark, Trustee
Lubna Qunash , Trustee
Maggie Baxter CBE, Trustee
Scheaffer Okore , Trustee
Siobhan Allen , Trustee
Susana Leith Smith, Trustee
Tamara Palamakumbura , Trustee
Our donors
Alison Jaques
Clementine Drackett & Hunter Philbrick
Eleanor Holloway
Helen Carter
Jane and Gavin Anderson
Maria Ledeneva
Scott Colwell
Sophia Ruck
Park Square Capital
White & Case LLP
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Fitch Ratings
Goldman Sachs International
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
Optibac
Hempuli
Smartly.io
ActiveOps
Nick Leith-Smith
Michaela Christine Wolf
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Alan & Babette Sainsbury Charitable Trust
Ing Foundation
ShareGift
Gala Committee
Catalina Stoica
Denise Gibson
Emma Barrier
Federica Gironi
Lia Larson
Lubna Qunash
Maria Andrisani
Susana Leith-Smith
Yasmine Bassili
Supporting women's movements to change the world
