Hello,
We are back to share some long-awaited news. In this issue, we have summarized everything that happened during the first quarter of this year and believe it is worth presenting to your attention.
We wish you an enjoyable read.
Let’s begin this issue with a recap of the previous year. In 2024, together we managed to implement a number of projects and create opportunities for many girls and women across Armenia by supporting the realization of their ideas.
You can read the annual summary through this link for a look back at our activities.
Continuing with highlights from last year’s publications, we invite you to read the 2024 Partnership Assessment, which aims to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the partnerships established between the Fund and groups of grant recipient partners.
You can read it on our website by following this link.
We would also like to present some data on the main trends in grantmaking at the Women’s Fund in 2024․ Read here.
By the way, in 2024, with the support of the Women’s Fund, 96 projects were implemented aimed at developing the feminist movement and empowering women and girls across different regions of Armenia — from small villages to major cities.
Thus, staying true to our principles of transparency and accountability, we analyzed all the projects funded by the Fund in 2024 and sought to understand how successfully we met the goals and challenges we had set for ourselves.
You can read the programmatic and financial analysis of the past year on our website by following this link.
Finally, we present to you the results of the research titled “Feminist Movement in Armenia Between Crises and Achievements,” which was conducted by the Women’s Fund Armenia during 2022-2023, amid post-war and ongoing crises. The research summarizes 33 interviews aimed at understanding the current situation of women/feminist movements in Armenia.
The research is available on our website through this link.
We know you have been waiting for this news!✨
We are happy to announce that the new issue of “Armenian [contemporary] working woman” is now ready! It is the result of months of work by us and our female partners, dedicated to discussing the issues of women and systematically neglected groups in our society. The issue includes a variety of stories, interviews, and critiques from different women and about them.
You can pick up a free copy of the newspaper from our office by contacting us through our social media pages in advance.
In this article, we present how even the smallest donations to foundations can lead to greater results and impact. “In philanthropy or philanthropic relationships, everyone can be involved at least once in their lifetime — from many different perspectives.” The right moment is now.
Read the article and, if you feel inspired to contribute, you will easily find the donation section on our website to support our work.
Now let’s move on to one of the core areas of our work — grantmaking.
This year, we have already announced 3 calls for applications, the details of which are presented below:
Open Call for Funding Feminist Initiatives
The announcements for grants in three directions for this year’s feminist events are already available on our website:
- “Women’s Rights Day: Every Day — March 8 Events”,
- “Feminist Events Dedicated to the National Day Against Domestic Violence (October 1)”,
- “Feminist Events Dedicated to the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (November 25 – December 10)”.
You can find more details about each through the attached link and start thinking about applying for the currently open grants.
In this article, we present the diverse projects selected through the “Women’s Rights Day: Every Day — March 8 Events” grant — from a bread exhibition to organizing football matches, a drag show, a music festival, and more!
By the way, the geography of the events was just as diverse, covering both the capital Yerevan and the regions.
At the end of March, we announced another new grant direction, which not only includes financial support but also something even more significant — capacity building aimed at strengthening climate and gender justice movements in Armenia.
The thematic capacity-building training will start in May, followed by the announcement of the grant opportunity.
We will present the results in our next issue.
Recently, we had a warm meeting with the new partners of our teenage girls’ group. During the meeting, the participants got to know each other, presented their initiatives, and shared their experiences, as well as the knowledge and new skills they gained during the implementation of their projects. They also exchanged thoughts and suggestions on feminist philanthropy. As part of the project presentations, discussions unfolded around the challenges teenage girls face in Armenia — from bullying to eating disorders, gender discrimination, and much more.
This month, the co-founders of the WFA went on a study visit to Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. There, they were hosted by KVINFO, a center working for gender equality. During the visit, they became acquainted with Scandinavian experiences in gender equality and feminist activism.
Meanwhile, WFA co-founder Gohar Shahnazaryan is currently in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, participating in the EDGE Conference.
This year’s conference focuses on funders’ accountability to movements fighting for justice and on donors’ true commitment to systemic change.
And finally — the big news of the year. 🎉
We are excited to announce the launch of a new initiative: the Feminist Academy.
The Feminist Academy will offer thematic courses for students, researchers, scholars, civil society leaders, representatives of international organizations, and policymakers interested in gender and women’s studies.
Learn more on our website through this link.
