WHERE IS THE MONEY FOR FEMINIST FUNDING?
With so much talk about equality, it's time to ask: why aren't feminist movements getting the support they deserve? Where's the cash for feminist funding?
I’ll never forget the evening I was sat, watching the extraordinary panel of women in the tech space that we had curated, and listening to Hertility Health’s Co-Founder Deidre O’Neill discussing an investment meeting she and her sister Helen (Hertility’s CEO) had experienced. After pitching their incredible brand, Hertility - a service used for everything from egg-freezing, to diagnosing endometriosis and at home hormone testing kits, only for the male investor in the room to reply, “If only I knew some women to invest in this”. As if fertility was solely a woman’s issue, and never experienced by men or - more shockingly - dually by couples. He had also said, “If the CEO of insert name here was a dude, we'd say, 'Get your boys in on this because this is a big deal' but she's a woman now so...we can't really do that.’” It always stuck with me, this story, and the manner in which ‘female-owned’ businesses are received differently to ‘male-owned’ businesses. In a word that is progressing so much, how is the boy’s-club mentality still holding us back?
Here’s a shocking fact: the anti-gender movement—a coalition aimed at undermining women’s rights and autonomy—receives far more funding globally than organisations dedicated to women’s rights. According to the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, spending on anti-gender movements has skyrocketed by 400% in the past decade! Meanwhile, women’s rights organisations have struggled to secure more than 2% of global charitable funding, as highlighted by the Women and Girls Index. Considering that women make up half the world’s population, this funding gap is not just surprising—it’s outrageous.
Female Founders 2024
Ms. Magazine highlights how real change starts from the ground up. They stress the importance of backing locally-based, intersectional organisations rather than throwing funds at larger NGOs that aren’t solely focused on gender equality. A standout example? Mama Cash, the world’s oldest international women’s fund, which champions women, girls, transgender, and intersectional folks. The key message is clear: change is driven by autonomous feminist movements, not the mainstream. These grassroots organizations have paved the way for landmark wins, from land ownership rights to sexual violence legislation.
Meanwhile, The Guardian revealed that in 2016-2017, a measly 1% of the UK government’s gender-focused aid went to actual women’s organisations. As public institutions continue to fall short, feminist groups are relying on private donations. But even within the tiny 2% slice of funding, big NGOs still take the spotlight, leaving local feminist movements fighting for the support they deserve.
If you or a female friend is a Founder and would like more advice, we recommend Female Founders - a platform dedicated to an equal future through equal opportunities in tech and innovation. And, before we wrap this little rant up, can we get a little commotion for Hertility Health? I bet that investor feels pretty small now that they’re worth millions. We, however, are not surprised one bit.