Announced at the International Generation Equality Forum, WFN One of the Largest Commitments from US-based Alliance
July 1, 2021 – The Women’s Funding Network (WFN) today is announcing a commitment to mobilize $300 million in investments and resources over the next five years to drive progress on economic justice and rights for women and girls. This Generation Equality Forum action commitment coincides with the global gathering for gender equity convened by UN women, which is launching a series of concrete, ambitious and transformative actions to achieve immediate and irreversible progress towards gender equality.
WFN is also announcing at the Generation Equality Forum a formal commitment to diversify the leadership in its network, by increasing the percentage of women executive leaders of color in to 50 percent, up from 30 percent. Women of color executive leaders are the fastest growing segment in the network and with 30 percent being leaders of color, they represent the largest group of non-white executive leadership in the philanthropy sector. Together, women of color leaders in WFN’s network manage over $140 million in grants per year.
“WFN is on the front lines pushing for gender equality and we are committed to being a catalyst for lasting change for women and their girls,” said WFN President and CEO Elizabeth Barajas-Román “To work toward our commitment goal, our network and their local and global partners will collectively move strategic investments that reform policy, build lasting livelihoods for women, and advance their economic opportunities.”
As the largest network of women’s funds and gender justice funders in the world, WFN’s members will leverage their unique geographic and demographic landscape to magnify existing cross-sector partnerships and provide crucial resources to communities most impacted.
Convened by UN Women and co-hosted by the governments of Mexico and France, the Generation Equality Forum is a global movement to accelerate gender equality. Governments, international organizations, civil society, youth, the private sector and activists from the entire world will join together in person and virtually June 30-July 2 to make ambitious and sustainable commitments towards achieving gender equality.
Learn more about the Women’s Funding Network and the Generation Equality Forum.