Financing Feminist Futures: An Ecosystem Symposium on Innovation and Transformation in Gender Equality Financing

As the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) examined the priority theme “Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective,” the UN Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Permanent Mission of Mexico, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Colombia, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Rwanda, and the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Spain convened a half-day ecosystem symposium for critical conversation and connection on financing for gender equality.

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This symposium took a multidimensional, multisectoral view of public, private, and philanthropic financing for gender equality and funding for feminist futures to highlight a diversity of perspectives and stakeholders, including governments, international organizations and finance institutions, civil society, academia, private sector, and women’s and feminist funds.

Government representatives include:

• H.E. Dr. Valentine Uwamariya, Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Republic of Rwanda
• Aina Calvo, Vice-Minister of Equality and Eradication of Violence against Women, Kingdom of Spain
• Dr. Nadine Gasman, President, National Women’s Institute of Mexico

Other speakers (listed alphabetically):

• Hakima Abbas, Co-Founder, The Black Feminist Fund
• Monica Aleman, International Program Director, Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Justice, Ford Foundation
• Dr. Ramatu Bangura, Co-CEO, Purposeful
• Hana Brixi, Global Director for Gender, World Bank
• Cynthia Eyakuze, Co-Vice President, Global Programs, Equality Fund
• Alexandra Garita, Executive Director, Prospera International Network of Women’s Funds
• Caren Grown, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution
• Seema Jalan, Deputy Director, Gender Equality Policy, Advocacy and Communications, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
• Memory Kachambwa, Executive Director, FEMNET
• Henriette Kolb, Global Manager Sustainable Infrastructure Advisory, International Finance Corporation
• Adele Langton, Vice President, Goldman Sachs Corporate Philanthropy
• Faye Macheke, Co-Executive Director, AWID
• Makadidia, Global Girl Leaders Advisory Group, UNICEF
• Uma Mishra, Interim Executive Director, FRIDA
• Michelle Milford Morse, Vice President for Girls and Women Strategy, UN Foundation
• Cynthia Muffuh, Head of Human Rights and Gender, UN Global Compact
• Naomi Nyamweya, Research and Policy Manager, Malala Fund
• Otibho Obianwu, Director of Programs, Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism
• Ozlem Onaran, Professor of Economics, University of Greenwich
• Lauren Rumble, Associate Director, Gender Equality, UNICEF
• Elizabeth Vazquez, President, CEO, and Co-Founder, WEConnect International
• Lisa Williams, Team Lead & Senior Policy Analyst, Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)