How do you put feminism into action at Womankind?
I put feminism into action by challenging unequal power and creating more equitable ways of working with women’s rights organisations and movements. My approach to grant making at Womankind has been shaped and deeply influenced by working alongside women’s rights organisations and Feminist Funds across the globe, young and queer feminists, and youth-led movements in the Global South navigating shrinking civic space, anti-rights backlash, and extractive funding systems.
I have learned that grant making is never neutral but a relational and political practice that can either constrain movements or expand their capacity to imagine, organise, and sustain change. This understanding has grounded how I design grant making and learning processes, accompany partners, and support thought leadership and mutual accountability. Therefore, through participatory, trust-based grant making, I work to shift power to partners by making funding more accessible, flexible, and responsive to their realities and shifting contexts. This means co-creating processes, reducing barriers for unregistered and grassroots groups and centering partner voices and experiences.
Tell us about your feminist journey?
My feminist journey began with my own lived experience of growing up in a deeply patriarchal society, where gender inequality shaped the opportunities available to girls, and to me. Those experiences ultimately led me to work alongside grassroots women and girls, where I came to understand feminism as both a personal commitment and a political practice of challenging unequal power structures and standing in solidarity with those most affected by injustice and inequality. This has shaped my approach to grant making, premised on the belief that those closest to the issues are best placed to define solutions, and that our role as grant makers is to accompany, trust, flexibly resource, and amplify their leadership.
A feminist hero of yours?
My feminist hero is definitely my mum. She has shown incredible resilience and strength and taught me the value of compassion and standing up for what is right, even when it’s not easy. Watching her navigate life with grace while encouraging me to pursue opportunities she never had has been one of the greatest influences on my feminist journey.
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