April 2, 2024 – A new report called “A Holistic Approach to Funding Women Environmental Defenders” offers an overview of the dire state of funding at the intersection of women, the environment, and gender-based violence, and makes concrete recommendations for a more holistic philanthropic approach to supporting WEDs.
Global Greengrants Fund is excited to announce the publication of our most recent report, “A Holistic Approach to Funding Women Environmental Defenders.”
Women Environmental Defenders (WEDs) are leading the fight against fossil fuel extraction and climate change, protecting biodiversity, ensuring food security, and advocating for the rights of local communities. However, they bear a disproportionate burden of harm due to entrenched systems of colonialism, patriarchy, and gender norms that lead to increased violence for their activism. The very same extractive systems that give rise to the climate crisis are at the root of gendered oppression.
Billions of dollars in environmental funding moves through the ecosystem each year, but only a small fraction of this funding – just 0.05% – goes directly to support the women facing violence due to their environmental activism.
This report exists to challenge that.
A holistic approach to funding is needed! We have an urgent responsibility and a significant opportunity to transform the current funding landscape and offer much-needed support to WEDs that doesn’t isolate the nature of their activism from the wider systemic violence they face.
Drawing from in-depth interviews with funders, this report offers an overview of the dire state of funding and makes concrete recommendations for a more holistic philanthropic approach to supporting WEDs, while honoring the unique challenges funders face.
