A Feminist Approach to Grantmaking:
To create sustained social change, AJWS takes a feminist approach to grantmaking. That means our philanthropic actions are designed to challenge patriarchal norms, draw insight from the lived experiences of women, girls, and those who experience gendered marginalization to realize equality and justice. Within our Sexual Health and Rights portfolio, AJWS supports our partners’ efforts to enrich understanding of the lives of women and girls, influence community norms about sex and sexuality, and foster gender-transformative change in the lives of lesbian, bisexual, and queer women in the countries where we work.
Select LBQ Organizations Supported by AJWS:
- Sappho for Equality in India:
Sappho is a LBQ women-led organization that centers queer women. Sappho is working with rural and semi-urban grassroots groups and important stakeholders such as media, medical and legal professionals to build capacity to resist gender and sexuality-based violence and discrimination. As an important anchor institution that links feminist and LGBTQI+ communities in West Bengal, they are well placed to resist forms of institutional discrimination that impact communities marginalized due to gender and sexual orientation. - Upinde Advocates for Inclusion in Kenya:
This LBQ women’s organization works to improve access to mental health and psychosocial support for LBQ persons in Kilifi County by establishing a peer-to-peer trauma informed community empowerment program, hiring a counselor and conducting mental-health outreach. The most recent grant from AJWS will also support UAFI’s institutional growth by supporting BOD meetings, staff retreats and the organization’s community convening. - Backyard Politics in Thailand:
Backyard Politics is a feminist collective dedicated to building a feminist movement from the ground up by supporting young, marginalized LBQ women from across four regions of Thailand to connect and learn from each other’s experiences and support each other in their efforts to challenge the oppressive patriarchal and hierarchical structure of class and ethnicity. Backyard Politics has successfully established partnerships with approximately 40 grassroots women/LBQ collectives and individuals, including other AJWS grantees. Their programs enhance the capacity of grassroots activists to grow their movement with a feminist intersectional approach as well as centering well-being.