FROM LESSONS TO LEGACY: FEMINIST GRASSROOT ORGANISATIONS REFLECT ON FOUR YEARS OF DRIVING CHANGE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
By Jeff Kizzilah Digital Editor
The four-year Feminist Opportunities Now (FON) project has officially come to a close, leaving behind a powerful legacy in the fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
Implemented from May 2022 to September 2026, FON is a €14 million initiative funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) under the Support Fund for Feminist Organisations (FSOF). The project was implemented by a consortium led by IPPF Africa Region, in collaboration with CREA, EmpowHer, FIDH and Médecins du Monde (MdM) France.
Globally, the project supported *210 feminist civil society organisations (CSOs) working in the prevention and response to GBV across 10 countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia, combining financial support with capacity-building, strategic support and networking. 188 of them received FON flexible grants amounting to over 7 million Euros.
KENYA IMPACT:
In Kenya, a total of 65 feminist CSOs and networks were supported. 16 of them received flexible grants amounting to €833,357. These organisations are based in Nairobi, Kiambu, Kakamega, Kisumu, Migori, Meru, Embu, Isiolo and Narok counties.
A Regional and International Knowledge-Sharing Process
In 2025, a capitalization process was carried out in four regions — West Africa, East Africa, Asia and Latin America — to document innovative practices, lessons learnt and challenges faced by FON’s CSO partners. CSOs focused on five key themes: the digital space, community-based strategies, advocacy, case management and access to justice, or intersectionality.
This work resulted in four regional knowledge-sharing reports highlighting contextual knowledge and practices developed by partner CSOs.
The international capitalization, carried out in 2026, brought together lessons from the four regions. The highlight was the international seminar held in Nairobi in February 2026, which brought together representatives of partner CSOs and the five consortium members.
The process culminated in the production of an *international toolkit of feminist practices, a report on the FON support model and a policy brief.
The project now moves to feedback workshops focused on sharing best practice and ensuring the legacy continues.
