Resourcing Resistance: Womankind launches an evaluation of the Her Voice Fund’s impact on feminist advocacy

Since 2021, Her Voice Fund (HVF) has provided flexible funding to women’s rights and feminist organisations and activists in the Global South. With an intersectional focus, it has supported them in their advocacy efforts to influence policy at local, national, regional and international levels.

Launched in 2021, the Fund has supported feminist groups and women rights organisations in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nepal, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, leveraging a total of £1,568,687 in 98 grants through five grant- making cycles. This has enabled advocacy addressing intersectional issues on gender-based violence, disability rights, LBQ inclusion, climate justice and land rights, women political participation and economic rights, driving transformative change in challenging and constantly shifting contexts across Africa and Asia.

Today, Womankind is launching ‘Resourcing Resistance: an evaluation of the Her Voice Fund’s impact on feminist advocacy (2021-2024)’. This research focuses on the first three cycles of HVF, the distribution of funds across these five countries and the out of cycles grants. It reflects Womankind’s broader approach of intentional commitment to supporting feminist organising in diverse and often challenging contexts.

The evaluation highlights HVF’s timely and transformative role in nurturing feminist advocacy, while identifying critical opportunities to enhance and strengthen its impact and sustainability. For Womankind and its funders, lessons and recommendations provide a clear roadmap to strengthen HVF, ensuring feminist movements thrive in pursuit of equity and justice.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the 80 respondents from 37 Her Voice Fund (HVF) grantees across Ethiopia, Kenya, Nepal, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, who shared their insights and personal narratives with openness and trust. We would like to thank to Isabella Matambanadzo, Esther Svova, Abraham Magoto, and Rungano Muchetu from Balise Consultants for their dedication, care, and thoroughness in conducting this research across all our focus countries and synthesising findings, and to Her Voice Fund Manager, Mercy Otekra, for summarising these for this evaluation.