2020/2021
annual
report
A note from the CEO
What can we say? The last few years have been real doozies. Between the never-ending pandemic, floods in South Asia, other extreme weather events around the globe, and fire damage to our partner’s community markets in Burundi – there has been a lot to contend with. We are certain you have a story, or three, to tell as well.
While we’re not usually the kinds of people who have to search for a silver lining, it has been clear to us that, beyond the hardship, there is still a lot of love and kindness going around. As we’ve continued to support our grassroots partners, you’ve been there, continuing to support us. For this, we are so grateful.
The Global Women’s Project is a small, proudly women-led, volunteer-run organisation, built on partnerships with grassroots women’s organisations in underserved communities. For almost a decade now, we have been offering funding and technical support where we are needed, with a focus on programs that build women’s economic independence.
It’s our experience that, as community caretakers, local women often know best what their communities need, but they struggle to access funding and opportunities to grow their skills. Since 2013, we’ve seen how powerful a model for change it can be when we step in gently, and by invitation, to help them fill the gaps.
During these past two years, we have been able to directly support 1722 women and their families and communities through our three international grassroots partners. In addition to our existing partners, The Women’s Foundation Nepal (WFN) and Stung Treng Women’s Development Center (SWDC) in Cambodia, we began partnering with REAVI-BAHO in Burundi in September 2020.
We provided individualised support to our partners and their communities through the COVID-19 crisis. In Nepal, support was delivered through our five existing rural Women’s Hubs; in Cambodia, through organic agriculture training that addressed local food insecurity; and through a modern basket-weaving and business development program catering to local markets in Burundi.
The Global Women’s Project continues to be fully volunteer-run and remote, which means we are able to invest around 99% of your donations (yes, you read that right) directly into our community programs and international partners.
It also means we’ve kept this Annual Report to the bare essentials. You’ll still find everything you need, including a summary and our financials, but please feel free to contact us directly if you would like to know more.
Thank you for your ongoing support of women and gender equity for all.
With thanks,
Lauren Ryan, on behalf of our passionate team
CEO and Co-Founder
Our impact
The ‘Big’ Picture
3 international partners
Nepal
+
Cambodia
+
Burundi
=
women supported through partner programs
$154,833
RAISED
$118,941
DISBURSED TO PROGRAMS
$31,553
EARMARKED FOR DISBURSEMENT IN EARLY 2022
A quick note about where your money goes
Being volunteer-run means we send 99% of your donations directly to our trusted partner organisations in Nepal, Cambodia and Burundi. We are so proud of this, but we want to acknowledge that this isn't a model that is accessible or suitable to most other non-profits. It's a model that works for us after years of careful planning, largely because we have such incredible donors and grassroots partners who we know and trust deeply.
The finer details
Nepal
1,632 women continued their membership and attended services across five rural Women’s Hubs in Nepal, providing vital legal support, counselling and business training.
Since 2015, The Global Women’s Project has funded the Women’s Hub’s operating costs, as well as specific programs including a rotating microcredit fund, leadership training, gender and rights-based awareness, business development training, and vocational skills training.
“Even in this difficult situation of COVID-19 pandemic and its continuous hits on social, economic and security perspectives of women, The Global Women’s Project has been continuously backing this project for the empowerment of women in Nepal. Thank you for your willingness to hold a space for other women in need to make them strong, brave and share their stories of struggle and change.”
Cambodia
30 women and their families participated in an organic agriculture program in Cambodia
In response to ongoing food insecurity in Stung Treng, compounded by the pandemic, The Global Women's Project funded a three-month organic agriculture program to increase community self-sufficiency in the local region. We also supported the creation of a nursery of indigenous plant varieties to promote long-term ecological responsibility, and a potential form of income for local women.
“So many Stung Treng women live on the edge of catastrophe. Few have any education or skills to fall back on, and no way to pull themselves out of poverty. Stung Treng women who apply for our vocational training say they want more choices. More skills and knowledge. More control over their own lives. A strategy for supporting themselves and living independently. They don’t want to leave their families to work in distant garment factories; they opt for a livelihood that keeps them closer to home.”
Burundi
Baskets are an everyday product used in local communities across the world. 60 women took part in a modern Train-the-Trainer basket-weaving program through our grassroots partner, REAVI-BAHO, in Burundi. There were 28 women in the first round of training, and a further 32 who were trained by the first cohort - the very definition of women supporting women.
Through the program, women received business training, start-up investment, a store-front premises, and support to set up a co-op business at a local market to collectively sell their wares. Sadly, towards the end of the year the local market was destroyed by fire, and we are working with REAVI-BAHO to design an alternative solution to the collective sale of goods, however many entrepreneurial participants have already set up their own streetside stalls.
“This pilot project on vocational training for through basket weaving is for economic empowerment for survirvors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. The production of modern baskets is part of the economic recovery to support girls and young women. Building the base for the basket was the key aspect and took a lot of practice at the beginning. However women quickly familiarised themselves with the the different weaving techniques.”
Our partners
We know thriving communities start with powerful women. To that end, we proudly support our partners and colleagues doing phenomenal work for women and gender equality in their communities.
Women’s Foundation Nepal
The Women’s Foundation Nepal (WFN) was established in 1988 to provide free legal support to survivors of violence, trafficking and slavery. WFN has since evolved into an organisation with thousand of members and a huge range of activities including a shelter for women and their children fleeing violence, vocational and business development programs, microcredit schemes, leadership training, scholarships for young women, legal and psychosocial services, advocacy, community awareness and a social enterprise textiles cooperative, Maheela. WFN has been a partner of The Global Women's Project since our inception in 2013.
Stung Treng Women’s Development Center, Cambodia
Stung Treng Women’s Development Center (SWDC) was founded in 2001 by Khmer Rouge survivors, Chantha Nguon, and her husband Kim Dara Chan. The organisation supports many of Stung Treng’s most vulnerable women and their families through vocational training, skilled employment and a range of health and literacy programs. Many women are employed through their silk weaving centre and business arm, Mekong Blue. SWDC has been a partner of The Global Women's Project since our inception in 2013.
REAVI-BAHO, Burundi
REAVI-BAHO is a grassroots organisation in Burundi dedicated to providing survivors of sexual and gender-based violence with the psychological, emotional and social support they need to rebuild and improve their lives, and become leaders and advocates. Their programs include life skills and business training, individual and group counselling, and referrals for professional medical and legal support. REAVI-BAHO is The Global Women's Project’s newest partner, joining us in September 2020.
Our community
As truly remarkable as our partners are, and as much as we love working with them to bring programs for women to life, none of this is possible without you - our community. Each dollar that comes our way represents someone voting for the kind of world they want to see: a world where every woman has choice, independence and power to create change.
The last two years, more than most, have been incredibly challenging. And often in times of extreme stress, we hold onto what we have even more tightly, and we might not be able to be as generous as we’d like to be.
This community, and part of why we love it so much, has stepped up for women when they needed you most. You prioritised giving and generosity.
In 2020, you donated $38,817 of your hard-earned money and we were the grateful recipients of $19,112 in grants. We also receive $17,918 from our generous business partners. In 2021, despite everything happening in the world, you stepped up again and donated $45,020, and we were the grateful recipients of $14,803 in grants. All while our fabulous business partners continued their support to the tune of $17,378.
That is extraordinary, and we are so grateful.
On behalf of our partners and the women we work with, thank you to the individuals, families, businesses, and foundations who voted for gender equality through The Global Women’s Project in 2020 and 2021.
