filia.die frauenstiftung

Grants in Central-Eastern-Europe

Strategic grants

Central and Eastern Europe has developed to become a regional priority area of filia. With 50% of her funding resources, filia strengthens women’s organisations working to create structures for an equal stakeholding in society and for a life without violence for women and girls.

Change takes time. And women’s organisations need reliable support in order to be able to bring influence to bear sustainably. That is why filia works with selected partners over longer periods: filia promotes women’s NGOs with strategic grants running over several years. (from filia’s grant making strategy)

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Georgia
Association Merkuri / Gender Network of Samegrelo www.merkuri.ucoz.org
Project:„Prevention Campaign of violence in Samegrelo Region“
„ We will reach more, if we stick together“, writes Nana Todua of the Gender Network. In the mountainous conflict region at the border to Abkhasia, were still many IDP live very provisionally, women’s NGO “Merkuri” has managed during the last two years with filia’s support to build up a network of 14 Women’s groups. The groups empower each other to struggle for a life free from violence and with full respect of the women’s human rights.Violence against women and girls is a huge problem – was the result of a research by the network in that region.The broad campaign is important to influence public awareness and oblige political decision makers to improve the situation of women who are concerned.
Amount: 20.000 € (first year of strategic grant)
Issue: Free from violence

Serbia
Reconstruction Women‘s Fund www.rwfund.org
Grant making program “Women‘s Initiatives“
The Serbian women’s fund (RWF) understands itself as “backup for feminist activits”. To keep the autonomy of the women’s organisations in Serbia and to enable their work is the objective of the grant making program. filia is supporting the program “Women’s Initiatives“, that is reacting flexibly on the need of women’s groups and especially facing marginalized women and girls (Roma, lesbian and others). The RWF is as an agent passing on filia’s grant and is adding her own expertise, her good contacts and her emphasize for women led change to it.In their opinion, feminism also has to turn against militarism, nationalism and racism.
Amount: 20.000 € (first year of strategic grant)
Issue: Participation and free from violence

Chechenya
Zhivaja Ni’t (Lebensfaden)
Project: „Girls without fetters“
No website available. Three times a week Inna together with her colleagues Taita Junusova and Renata Masaeva from the organisation Zhivaja Nit (Thread of Life) drive by car to remote schools in the mountain regions. After classes they work there together with groups of girls between the ages of 10 and 16. In role games, the girls try out their scope for action in order to get to know, protect and claim their rights. filia has been supporting the project “Girls without fetters” since 2010 with a three-year strategic grant. The girls love these lessons, even though they have to give up their own free time for them and although many of them still have to perform housework for their family after the lessons: At the end of a project lesson there is a knock on the door. We call “come in”. To our amazement two seven-year old girls appear. Good little girls wearing the mandatory headscarf, they stand at the door. When we ask them what they want, they say courageously and with a good measure of self-confidence, “we too would like to learn what rights we have. When will you be coming to us?”  
Amount: 8.000 € (Third year of strategic grant).
Issue: Free from violence

Bosnia-Hercegovina
Women’s network „Veliko Srce“
The strategic grant for the Women’s network “Veliko Srce” (Big heart) was in its third year. In the network are 28 women’s groups with more than 4.000 members from Serbia and the confederative Bosnian part united. The women mobilise and activate women especially in the rural area. filia is for one more year supporting the infrastructure of the network  with a focus on a fundraising setting.
Amount: 10.000 €
Additionally 1.800 € from the foundation Natur Mensch Kultur. www.natur-mensch-kultur.de
Issue: Participation