Opportunity Grants

On Sunday, May 24 2015, thirty women leaders from around the world made a rare and risky crossing of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea to call for peace on the 70th anniversary of the division of the Korean Peninsula. While a temporary ceasefire agreement has been in place for more than 60 years following the ended the Korean War, which claimed an estimated four million

Maria Mendoza (name changed to protect her identity) is a former physics teacher, a women’s rights activist, and a new mother. On June 7, 2014, she was arrested by 20 paramilitary officers while on her way to buy milk for her 6-month old son. Her crime? Speaking up for the human rights of teachers in the Philippines – 80% of who are women.  According to The Alliance of Concerned Teachers

Amidst national protests against police brutality and violence against Black communities in the United States, young Black women and LGBTQI youth are taking a leadership role in organizing demonstrations and mobilizing their communities to stand up for justice. Two organizations, Streetwise and Safe (SAS) and BreakOut! have been building networks of young Black women and LGBTQI youth leaders who are at the forefront of the movement. SAS provides mentorship opportunities

As part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign, Urgent Action Fund has launched a new video — Funding Courage: Securing Justice for a Women in Nepal. This short film tells the story of activists, like Dr. Renu Adhikari in Nepal, who work daily to end sexual violence in their communities and to create swift and accessible paths to justice for survivors. In support of these

August 5, 2014                                                                                                                                                                           By Danny Kaufman, Development & Communications Officer Yesterday, we received this note from our Advisor and Member of Parliament-elect in Cambodia, Ms. Mu Sochua, upon her release from prison: “The power of women’s networks cannot be undermined. These networks inside and outside Cambodia got rolling the minutes my colleagues and I were surrounded and finally arrested by police. The women, mainly grassroots worked tirelessly, standing and

August 1, 2014                                                                                                                                                                           By Danny Kaufman, Development & Communications Officer On 30 July 2014, human rights defender Ms. Leyla Yunus and her husband, Arif Yunus, were detained in front of their home in Baku, Azerbaijan.  Ms. Yunus is being held in pre-trial detention despite having a serious health condition. According to the U.S. Department of State, Ms. Yunus and her husband were detained for their efforts to ease tensions and

In response to the indiscriminate killing of more than 1,000 civilians during the Israel-Gaza conflict during July – August 2014, several women’s rights organizations in Israel and Palestine demanded an end to the violence. Urgent Action Fund provided urgent funding to several women’s groups working to unite Palestinian and Jewish Israelis in calling on their government for an immediate ceasefire and for a cessation of violence on all sides. Two

February 5, 2014                                                                                                                                                                                                         By Danny Kaufman, Development & Communications Officer In Afghanistan, a vocal public campaign is calling on President Hamid Karzai to block a bill that weakens domestic violence laws in a country where 4 out of 5 women experience violence. The new law, passed by both houses of the Afghan parliament and waiting for President Karzai’s ratification, would prohibit the questioning of relatives of an accused perpetrator

In Cambodia, garment workers – 90% of who are young women from rural poor families – are striking to demand higher wages and humane work conditions. The garment industry is Cambodia’s biggest export industry, generating over $5 billion in international sales for the country and employing approximately 500,000 people. Many workers were paid just $80 a month until this February when minimum wages were raised to $100. Over the

Quetzalli Enrique is still a high school student, but she is already a leader. During her freshman year, she delivered a statement for the Global Indigenous Women’s Caucus to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. As a young Indigenous woman living in Arizona, Quetzalli says she is driven by a desire “to preserve her culture for the generations to follow… When I look at my younger nieces and