Women’s Human Rights
Population pressures exacerbate many of the fundamental obstacles to sustainable development: degradation of natural resources, income disparity, gender inequality and poor maternal and child health. The Fund believes that we can uphold women’s human rights by expanding their reproductive health choices, thereby reducing unwanted childbearing and improving the lives of women and their families.
The Fund seeks policy initiatives which promote globally to:
Objective I: Increase Access to Contraceptives
About 130 million couples in the world today have unmet need for safe, quality contraceptives.
Strategies:
- Strengthen leadership for advocacy and action
- Support watchdog mechanisms directed at major public donors
- Leverage other public and private resources
- Promote responsible U.S. leadership and collaboration in development of solutions to global problems
- Empower grassroots and encourage civic participation
(no grants made in this area in 2005)
Objective II: Increase Access to Emergency Contraceptives
Worldwide, one of every three pregnancies is unintended. In developing countries where abortion is illegal or unavailable, a shortage of contraceptives means unplanned pregnancies and risk of botched abortions. For adolescents, a pregnancy may have grave health and educational consequences. Since emergency contraceptive pills are inexpensive and highly effective, if they are available, they will reduce the number of injuries and deaths of women who may otherwise try to obtain an abortion.
Strategies:
- Strengthen leadership for advocacy and action at the global and regional level
- Leverage other public and private resources for expanding information and availability of emergency contraception
- Policy analysis
- Empower grassroots groups at regional level to prepare environment for introduction of emergency contraceptives
Family Care International - $50,000
To help the International Consortium on Emergency Contraception increase awareness of emergency contraception (EC) with key country-level policymakers as well as conduct global, regional and country-level advocacy in order to provide EC to poor women. (This grant was first made in 2004 to Meridien Development Foundation, who returned the funds upon being unable to undertake the project.)
Objective III: Improve Adolescents’ Ability to Make Informed Choice and Obtain Quality Reproductive Health Services
There are more young people in the world than ever before – over one billion between ages 15 and 24. As they reach their peak childbearing years, they are the key to the world’s demographic destiny. If these adolescents can be reached with information and have access to contraceptives, it will make a great difference in the timing and number of children they choose to bear.
Strategies:
- Strengthen leadership for advocacy and action
- Foster open, public discourse about the effects of public policies on adolescent reproductive health and their impact on the community.
- Cultivate accountability and watchdog mechanisms directed at public institutions
- Leverage public and private resources
Advocates for Youth - $120,000
For renewal support to combat the U.S. Administration’s campaign against reproductive health and rights in the United States and abroad with an emphasis on the “science versus ideology.”
International Center for Research on Women - $80,000/year for up to 2 years
Support for advocacy and strategic communications focused on reducing the incidence of early marriage and childbearing in developing countries.
Objective IV: Increase Access to Safe Abortion
Every year, 70,000 women die of complications of abortions performed by unqualified people, or in unhygienic conditions, or both. Many more women suffer serious, often permanent disabilities. An unintended pregnancy can close off educational and occupational options for young women. Abortion is essential to allow individuals full control over their own fertility. The social, economic and demographic impact of abortion is substantial.
Strategies:
- Strengthen leadership for advocacy and action
- Empower relevant groups for policy and legal change
- Policy analysis
(no grants made in this area in 2005)
Objective V: Resource Mobilization in Europe
European bilateral and multi-lateral donors have been prioritized because they have great potential to fulfill their pledges toward the Plan of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (Cairo, 1994). The EURONGOs, an association of 25 European NGOs, have helped convince European governments to increase annual assistance for population and reproductive health purposes from about $500 million in 1995 to $700 million in 2000.
Strategies:
- Strengthen leadership for advocacy and action
- Support “watchdog mechanisms” directed at public institutions
- Policy analysis
- Leverage public and private resources
Catholics For a Free Choice - $40,000
Support for advocacy and outreach to counter the anti-family planning efforts of the Catholic Church in Europe.
Equilibres & Populations - $90,000
Continued support to promote public awareness of global population issues in France, to encourage the European Union’s commitment to women’s human rights and reproductive health, and to sustain France’s financial commitments to population and reproductive health.
Objective VI: Resource Mobilization in U.S.
The US government remains the largest source of foreign aid, providing about one-third of all population and reproductive health assistance to developing countries.
Strategies:
- Empower affected communities and people to exert grassroots pressure and encourage civic participation
- Support “watchdog” mechanisms directed at both public and private institutions
- Policy analysis
- Strengthen leadership for advocacy and action
- Foster open public discourse about the true effects of public policies on women and adolescents in developing countries
- Leverage public and private resources
- Promote responsible US leadership and collaboration in the development of solutions to global problems
Alan Guttmacher Institute - $60,000
To disseminate analyses and materials to educate advocates and policymakers on the global impact of U.S. policies on international population and reproductive health.
Feminist Majority Foundation - $85,000
For the “Choices Online campus community”, training the next generation of pro-choice leaders, increasing awareness of emergency contraception on college campuses, and opposing anti-reproductive rights nominees and policies.
National Audubon Society - $100,000
Continued support for Audubon’s efforts to educate policymakers and Audubon members nationwide about the importance of international family planning services and the environmental benefits of population stabilization.
Pathfinder International - $70,000
Continued support for the advocacy and public affairs program, which brings in “voices from the field” to convey to U.S. policymakers and the public the actual impact of U.S. policies on family planning programs overseas.
Sierra Club Foundation - $85,000/year for up to 2 years
In support of the Club’s Global Population and Environment Program which seeks to elevate population issues within the environmental community and improve the advocacy skills of the Club’s population activists.
Objective VII: Eradication of Female Genital Mutilation
The practice of female genital mutilation has profound implications for women’s reproductive health and equity in Africa, as noted by the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development’s Cairo Plan of Action. The Fund supports highly leveraged initiatives with potential for global impact.
Rainbo - $75,000
Core support for research, policy analysis and legal reform to enhance global efforts to eliminate female genital mutilation with an emphasis on country-level work to equip local organizations with needed technical expertise.
Women’s International Network (WIN) - $17,600 over 9 months
Continued support to print and distribute Childbirth Picture Books to affected communities in Africa in order to educate about the harmful effects of female genital mutilation.
Objective VIII: Promote Microenterprise
The Wallace Global Fund supports efforts to address how financial markets and public and private development institutions can more adequately address both equity concerns and the reduction of poverty via microfinance, particularly targeted at the empowerment of women.
ACCION International - $75,000
Renewal support to promote commercial viability and institutional growth among its partner microfinance institutions and to improve the policy environment for the microfinance industry.
FINCA International - $75,000
Continued core support for advocacy in support of policies supportive of micro-enterprise, an important tool for creating jobs and economic stability and empowering women.
Objective IX: Ensure that Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) prioritize reproductive health:
The Millennium Development Goals will never be met if reproductive health issues are not addressed. The Fund supports Northern NGOs to help continue the donor government flow of funds for reproductive health and supports Southern NGOs to help them advocate effectively for reproductive health.
- Support advocacy efforts to ensure that reproductive health is prioritized within the MDGS at the global and country levels;
- Build on investments in European NGOs to increase government funding; and
- Strategically support women’s groups and reproductive health advocates to engage in the MDG process in select African countries.
CEDPA - $60,000
In support of the “Reproductive Health Advocacy (REAP) Project,” mobilizing alumni of CEDPA’s programs worldwide to participate in meetings with delegates to the Millennium Development Summit to ensure that women’s reproductive health is included in the country budgets pertaining to these goals.
Columbia University/Earth Institute - $90,000
Support for the African Women Millennium Initiative on Poverty and Human Rights, which empowers poor women community leaders to help shape the policy environment as African countries implement the Millennium Development Goals.
Deutsch Stiftung Weltbevoelkerung (DSW) - $85,000
For “Ensuring Southern Civil Society Participation in the Design and Implementation of Aid Frameworks, Funding Instruments and Development Strategies,” to ensure that reproductive health NGOs are not excluded from the process of establishing priorities for development funding.
Interact Worldwide - $40,000
Continued support for an advocacy program to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights as a vital component of the human rights agenda and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
International Women’s Health Coalition - $50,000 over six months
Continued support for their international policy advocacy, emphasizing the importance of reproductive health and gender equity in the architecture of global health policy.
Marie Stopes International - $75,000
Continued advocacy work to emphasize among EU leaders the importance of sexual and reproductive health and rights in achieving the Millennium Development Goals and tackling global poverty.
Marie Stopes International - $60,000
To enable Southern ngos to participate in the design and implementation of aid frameworks and development strategies for their countries, especially with regard to funding for sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Population Action International - $100,000
To secure global commitments to achieving universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights by 2015, in the MDG-driven framework for development, by encouraging developing countries to include sexual and reproductive health in their strategy papers and budget line items.
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