November 4th, 2024
From Genocide to Liberation: Supporting Feminist Activists in Palestine and Lebanon
This past year, the Israeli government’s genocide in Gaza has killed more than 186,000 people and displaced millions in disproportionate retaliation and collective punishment after Hamas killed more than 1,200 people and abducted 253 Israeli soldiers and civilians. Devastatingly, the violence has escalated, impacting millions of people across the region and threatening security and stability in Lebanon—where Israeli strikes have killed and injured thousands and displaced over a million people—as well as in Syria, Iran, and Yemen.
Feminist activists in Palestine, Lebanon, and the region have been at the forefront of advocacy for ceasefire, providing humanitarian aid in the absence of systemic support, and cultivating collective and community care. Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism is committed to supporting their work on the ground. Since October 2023, we’ve made 55 grants, providing over $330,000 to feminist activists in and outside Palestine, as well as 39 grants, totaling nearly $250,000, to activists in Lebanon, as they respond to the ongoing crisis. We are supporting our partners on the ground as they provide urgent lifesaving assistance and mutual aid to their communities, report on the ongoing situation and document violations, and advocate for peace, justice, and liberation. Across the diaspora, our partners are mobilizing resources and support, raising awareness about the genocide and engaging in political education, and building a powerful global solidarity movement.
Through our rapid response grants, we have supported rural women, Indigenous communities, LGBTQIA+ youth, lawyers, journalists, environmental and disability justice activists, artists, students, academics, refugees, and other feminist activists stay safe when they face reprisals for their work, organize to defend rights and justice, and provide digital security, and psychosocial, mental health, and collective care support to those most affected by the violence.
Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism is committed to long-term investment in grassroots activism in Palestine, Lebanon, and the region. We call on political leaders to listen to activists and communities around the world who demand de-escalation, diplomacy, and the protection of civilian lives. We stand in solidarity with and are led by activists in the region in their demands for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and arms embargo as well as an end to occupation, apartheid, and injustice.
Photo Credit: Tristan Sosteric
NEWSLETTER
Our work happens in real time. Sign up to receive our emails and stay up to date.
Building A World Without Fear
In a world where the rights of women and LGBTQ+ people are under constant threat, the leadership and courage of feminist activists are more vital than ever. From online harassment to physical violence, movements and individuals face immense risks and reprisals in our collective pursuit of justice.
Understanding the backlash activists face is the first step toward shifting power, protection, and resources to feminist movements building a more just and equitable world. Feminist Activism Without Fear: Facing Risks with Collective Power and Care, a campaign by Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism, elevates the voices of activists who are targeted and attacked because of their work.
Illustration credit: Nafisa Ferdous
Freedom to Exist: The LGBTQ+ Movement’s Quest for Justice and Equality
Across the globe, patriarchal norms and systems and heteronormative structures continue to marginalize and oppress LGBTQ+ people, depriving them of basic human rights. Despite progress in recent years, shifting political landscapes are steadily rolling back hard-won legal protections, gender-based violence, and discrimination threaten the lives and well-being of LGBTQ+ individuals, and LGBTQ+ communities in crises are often denied resources and aid due to discriminatory practices and policies. These are just a few of the obstacles the LGBTQ+ community faces worldwide. Despite these obstacles, LGBTQ+ communities and activists are at the forefront of change, democratization, and progress around the world. Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism is proud to support activists and their efforts as they fight for equity.
