In the journey towards a more equitable society, there exists a pivotal sector that demands our attention and investment: the women’s sector.
Despite significant strides in recent decades, gender inequality persists in various forms, from unequal access to education and healthcare to discriminatory laws and cultural norms. Investing in the women’s sector is a crucial step towards achieving gender equality and dismantling systemic barriers that hold women back. It’s about ensuring that every individual, regardless of gender, has equal opportunities to thrive and fulfil their potential.
Poverty is gendered because women often face intersecting forms of discrimination and marginalisation based on factors such as race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, and disability. Investing in the women’s sector means addressing these intersecting challenges in a holistic manner, ensuring that no woman is left behind. It requires recognizing and addressing the unique barriers that different groups of women face and tailoring interventions accordingly.
When women see other women succeeding and breaking barriers, it inspires them to dream bigger and strive for greatness. Providing mentorship, leadership training, and opportunities for women to excel not only benefits individuals but also creates a ripple effect of empowerment throughout society.
In conclusion, funding the women’s sector isn’t just a moral imperative; it’s a strategic investment with profound implications for societal advancement. By unlocking the full potential of women and girls, we create a more just, prosperous, and equitable world for everyone.
Smallwood Trust is committed to funding the women’s sector in line with our mission to help women be more financially resilient. This is reflected through one of our Community Grant Partner Programme. This award-winning programme is a strategic initiative that helps us to shift power for grant decision-making to local community organisations, the majority of which are led by and for women. Smallwood provides the funds, support and an operational toolkit to help local community-led groups to provide immediate financial support through individual grants. Local partners have autonomy on how they can spend the funds to benefit women.
Beyond this, we work collaboratively with other funders to fund the women’s sector. Smallwood
and Rosa, both specialist funders of the women’s sector worked together on the Women’s Thrive Fund.
The fund was a £1.9m fund delivered as a partnership between Rosa and Smallwood Trust, with funding from the Government’s Tampon Tax Fund. The fund was set up to respond to reports from women’s and girls’ organisations that declining mental health, increased risk of emotional trauma and increased poverty levels are their biggest concerns for women and girls across the UK.
The fund was launched in February 2021 and awarded grants to 70 women and girls’ organisations in August 2021.
You can learn more about the impact of the Women’s Thrive Fund here: https://rosauk.org/publications/women-thrive-fund-impact-report/