Womankind Worldwide

Charity Number: 328206

Annual Expenditure: £5.1M
Geographic Focus: Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nepal, Uganda, Zimbabwe

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Income: £5.1 million (2024)
  • Success Rate: ~8% (Her Voice Fund: 32 grants from 400+ applications)
  • Decision Time: 4 weeks (Movement Strengthening Fund); variable for Her Voice Fund
  • Grant Range: £20,000 - £40,000 (Her Voice Fund); £5,000 - £20,000 (Movement Strengthening Fund)
  • Geographic Focus: Africa and Asia (Ethiopia, Kenya, Nepal, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan)

Contact Details

Website: www.womankind.org.uk

General Email: info@womankind.org.uk

Finance Email: finance@womankind.org.uk

Phone: +44 (0) 2037 355558

Address: Wenlock Studios, 50-52 Wharf Road, London N1 7EU

Her Voice Fund Enquiries: hervoicefund@womankind.org.uk (copy: mercyo@womankind.org.uk)

Overview

Founded in 1989, Womankind Worldwide (Charity Number 328206) is a UK-based international development and women's rights organisation with an annual income of £5.1 million (2024). The charity works in partnership with women's rights organisations in six focus countries across Africa and Asia: Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Nepal, and Afghanistan. Womankind's distinctive approach centres on providing flexible, unrestricted funding that enables partners to work strategically according to local context without restrictive project-based requirements. Their 2030 strategy, “Our Feminist Future,” aims to create a world where women, girls and people of all genders enjoy equal rights and freedoms. The organisation is recognised for its feminist grantmaking approach, having operated flexible funding streams for over six years, with 62.5p of every £1 spent going directly to programmes, policy, and advocacy work.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

Her Voice Fund (HVF) - Annual application cycle

  • Partners: Up to £40,000 for 24 months
  • Informal Groups: Up to £20,000 for 24 months
  • Provides flexible funding for advocacy work at local, national, regional and international levels
  • Open to Womankind partners and informal groups previously funded through HVF
  • Available in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nepal, Uganda, and Zimbabwe
  • Recent cycle awarded 32 grants (16 partners, 16 informal groups) from 400+ applications
  • Applications typically reviewed within weeks to one month after deadline

Movement Strengthening Fund (MSF) - Operates in cycles

  • Grant range: £5,000 - £20,000
  • Provides flexible funds for strengthening intersectional feminist movements
  • Applications reviewed within 4 weeks of receipt when open
  • Cannot support informal groups directly
  • Available to existing Womankind partners in focus countries
  • Has completed five cycles supporting movement strengthening activities

Strategic Partner Support Grants - Pilot programme

  • Two-year £1 million pilot launched April 2024
  • Core funding to 24 existing partners
  • Focus on historically excluded and marginalised feminist organisations
  • Only available to existing Womankind partners
  • Not accepting applications from additional partners during pilot phase

Priority Areas

  • Women's rights and feminist organisations advancing progressive agendas
  • Organisations working with women facing discrimination based on marginalised identities:
  • Women with disabilities
  • LBTQI+ women
  • Young women
  • Incarcerated women
  • Dalit women
  • Indigenous women
  • Advocacy to challenge discriminatory laws and policies
  • Intersectional feminist movement building and collective action
  • Organisations demonstrating collaboration and feminist principles
  • Work addressing systemic barriers perpetuating gender inequality

What They Don't Fund

  • Organisations outside their six focus countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Nepal, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan)
  • Unsolicited partnership requests due to financial constraints
  • General funding requests from organisations not already in partnership
  • Donations to individuals
  • Organisations that do not identify as women's rights or feminist organisations
  • Project-based work requiring restrictive reporting (they explicitly avoid this model)
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Governance and Leadership

Co-CEOs

  • Disha Sughand (UK-based) - Appointed June 2024, 13 years with Womankind
  • Diana Njuguna (Kenya-based) - Appointed June 2024, focuses on amplifying voices of marginalised communities

Senior Management Team

  • Deirdre McCann - Leadership Support Manager

Board of Trustees

  • Lusungu Kalanga - Co-Chair (appointed April 2024)
  • Katie Ghose - Co-Chair (appointed July 2025)
  • Vanessa Rice - Honorary Treasurer
  • Rebecca Olschner-Wood - Trustee

How to Apply to Womankind Worldwide

How to Apply

Her Voice Fund:

Application Method: Annual fixed deadline cycle

Decision Timeline

Movement Strengthening Fund: Applications reviewed with commitment to respond within 4 weeks of receipt

Her Voice Fund: Shortlisting typically occurs within weeks to one month after application deadline

Success Rates

Her Voice Fund (recent cycle):

  • 400+ applications received
  • 32 grants awarded (16 partners, 16 informal groups)
  • Success rate: approximately 8%

Reapplication Policy

Unsuccessful applications to the Her Voice Fund are deleted after the review process. Specific reapplication policies and waiting periods are detailed in the FAQ documents accompanying each funding cycle. Applicants are encouraged to contact hervoicefund@womankind.org.uk for guidance on reapplication.

Application Success Factors

What Womankind Values

From Feminist Grantmaking Experience:

  1. Intersectional Approach: Demonstrate clear understanding and commitment to intersectional feminism
  2. Local Context: Show ability to work strategically according to local context and community needs
  3. Flexibility: Articulate how flexible funding will enable strategic work without restrictive requirements
  4. Collaboration: Evidence of working collaboratively with feminist movements
  5. Adaptability: Capacity to adapt to changing needs and circumstances

Recent Funded Project Examples

  • Women and Land Zimbabwe (WLZ): 'Land for Her' Campaigns in 10 districts, sharing information with rural women about their land rights
  • WCoZ (Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe): National membership-based network of women rights activists
  • Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association: Legal services for domestic violence, divorce, land and property disputes
  • Pakasipiti (Zimbabwe): Advocacy for LBTQI+ women, challenging patriarchy and embracing diversity
  • Ethiopian Women with Disabilities National Association (EWDNA)
  • Voices of Women in Media (Nepal)
  • Women's Regional Network (WRN): Network of women civil society leaders advancing women's rights and regional peace in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India
  • HAWCA (Afghanistan): Humanitarian Assistance for the Women and Children of Afghanistan

Key Language and Terminology

  • “Feminist organisations” and "women's rights organisations"
  • “Intersectional approach”
  • “Marginalised identities”
  • “Progressive feminist agendas”
  • “Movement building”
  • “Flexible funding”
  • “Advocacy spaces”
  • “Systemic barriers”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Geographic Restriction is Absolute: Only organisations in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nepal, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Afghanistan are eligible. Note that Her Voice Fund operates only in five of these countries (not Afghanistan). Do not apply if based elsewhere.
  1. Prior Relationship Usually Required: Most funds require existing partnership with Womankind or previous funding through their programmes. New partnerships are not currently being accepted due to financial constraints.
  1. Intersectionality is Central: Applications must demonstrate work with women facing multiple forms of discrimination (disability, LGBTQI+ identity, youth, caste, indigenous status, etc.)
  1. Flexibility is Philosophy: Womankind explicitly rejects restrictive project-based funding models. Your application should emphasise strategic flexibility and adaptation to local context.
  1. Competitive Process: With approximately 8% success rate for Her Voice Fund, applications must be exceptionally strong. Focus on clear articulation of feminist principles, intersectional approach, and movement building.
  1. Movement Building Matters: Evidence of collaboration with broader feminist movements and collective action strengthens applications significantly.
  1. Contact Before Applying: With such competitive rates and specific criteria, reach out to hervoicefund@womankind.org.uk if you have questions not covered in application materials to avoid wasting effort on ineligible applications.

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