Working from within the religious community to push for change, WOSA sponsors events such as a public day of prayer for women’s ordination and presentations to Catholic Seminary and local Catholic secondary school students. WOSA also uses the media to spark public debate and to raise awareness of women’s rights by publishing newsletters, hosting public debates on women’s ordination, and participating in radio and television interviews. During a recent television interview, WOSA spoke out against the excommunication of South African women whose "crime" had been to seek ordination, while questioning why South African priests found guilty of sexual abuse had not been asked to leave the priesthood. WOSA views its newsletters and other activities as critical tools for strengthening women’s voices within the Catholic Church—voices the Church has too often chosen to ignore.

Secular funders shy away from what they perceive as internal church politics, while mainstream religious funders balk at supporting movements that criticize current Church practices. For this reason, the support of the Global Fund was especially critical. With support from the Global Fund, WOSA will gain institutional stability that will allow it to strengthen its program and cultivate other potential sources of funding. In addition, with our support WOSA will continue publishing its newsletter, launch a website for African women of faith who are questioning patriarchal traditions within their churches, and fund a continent wide convening of African Catholic women. This conference, the First African Women’s Synod, would strengthen and help define priorities and strategies for networks of women working on behalf of women’s rights within the Church.

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SPARROW produces film, audio, and print media on women, functions as a resource center, provides space for scholars, policy makers, activists, and organizations in India and abroad interested in women's history, and holds workshops for university students on uses of media that address a myriad of topics including: communalism, violence and women, and women in Indian history and culture. Writers and activists, including dalits and adivasis, from all over India have participated in SPARROW's workshops. The group's collection focuses on India, but also includes materials from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. It hopes to someday be the premier archival center for women in South Asia.

SPARROW was born from a realization that there was a dearth of resources in women's studies. It was not set up to be simply a collection center, but rather to create a vibrant center reaching out to schools, colleges, and women's groups. It is an active agent in bringing women together to share experiences and initiate dialogue and discussion from which all can learn. The group notes, "what we collect is used for educational and communication purposes, to question the hierarchy of knowledge, and legitimize women's experiences, history and work, which is all too often invalidated because they don’t fall into a sphere that is considered worthy of attention." They go on to say, "our material requires a different kind of consciousness, one that shatters defined categories and structured language and also opens a space for many alternatives that work against rigidity and stagnation in terms of choice of subject matter and the need for appropriate research." SPARROW has translated its materials and publications into 7 different Indian languages, publishes a bi-annual newsletter and maintains a website on which it regularly posts some of its collection. It also conducts media watches of women's portrayal in mainstream media. With support from the Global Fund the group will conduct a networking project that encompasses media communications, outreach to more students throughout Maharashtra and greater India, as well as to non-formal education centers and women's rights groups. It is preparing interactive awareness-raising materials for screening and discussion, as well as organizing screenings of SPARROW films in major cities throughout India. The groups writes, "an awareness of women's lives and activities will not only contribute to their self-worth but it will also help them make demands for their rights to education, decent life, and employment as an integral part of their right to existence." Future plans include building an archival history of women activists, as well as setting up a community FM radio station to access women and girls in rural areas.

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The work of Mujeres Públicas is of extreme importance in both the development of alternative forms of media for women, and the sensitization of the public on pertinent issues affecting or jeopardizing their complete access to freedom. The confrontational methods that the group uses, force issues of women's humanity, citizenship, and rights to be present in places where they may not otherwise have been consciously addressed. Mujeres Públicas forces people to recognize the pervasive, intrinsic presence of misogyny and hostility toward women in the images and ideas that confront them everyday, as well as the dire need to contemplate and combat them. With support from the Global Fund Mujeres Públicas will continue its important work.

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During a typical morning on the outskirts of Lima, Peru, when women are preparing breakfast for their families, and readying their households for the day, they can listen to Milenia Radio, the only feminist radio station in Peru. They hear stories and perspectives that are not broadcast on commercial radio, such as the account of a woman whose husband tried to attack her with an axe. Although the woman describes the fear that she felt, this is not what she emphasizes; rather she conveys her deep belief in her own dignity, which will not allow her to tolerate being beaten or insulted. Such testimonies are accompanied by the advice of lawyers, the recommendations of psychologists, and songs with lyrics that affirm women's inherent dignity and worth.

Milenia Radio's commitment to using radio to educate people in Lima and the periphery - more than 8 million people, (half of whom live on or below the poverty line) about their human rights was recognized by Amnesty International with the 2004 Vela de la Esperanza prize. The award, beautifully crafted stain glass with the image of a candle, honors the recipients' dedication to advancing human rights by figuratively shining a light on the path that leads to improved conditions.

Other programs broadcast by the group grapple with men's attitudes. For example, a daily dramatic program features a character named Richard who speaks honestly about his experiences as a man. Additionally, the radio station has taken a stand in legislative political issues, and has been effective in opening dialogue that has contributed to criminalizing sexual violence, establishing day care centers in work places, and prohibiting the firing of women simply because they are pregnant.

In recognition of the challenges facing migrant women, the Global Fund has awarded Milenia Radio $8,500 to reach the estimated 10 percent of Peruvian women who illegally migrate outside the country for work. Milenia Radio will broadcast programs that educate women on how to protect themselves, especially where few legal safeguards exist, and how to avoid situations that lead to sexual or other exploitation when they migrate from their community, and country.

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Femlink's community media initiatives are designed to raise women's awareness of their rights, provide women's groups with an effective advocacy tool, and promote communal harmony through an easily accessible exchange of stories and information. Its activities have garnered much acclaim in the past years, not least of which centers around Femlink's women's radio station—the first ever in Fiji. The group conducts extensive monitoring and critique of gender portrayals in mainstream media. With support from the Global Fund, Femlink will expand its broadcast reach and establish its community media center—a hub for research and documentation that will also serve as a studio where young women can develop and produce their own media. This will include setting up a mobile radio unit to empower women in remote communities who remain marginalized by mainstream media and silenced by traditional family structures to communicate their perspectives openly and articulate their viewpoints on local grassroots issues at the national level.

Fiji's Women Community Radio Broadcasters
Fiji Women Community Radio Initiative Takes Suitcase Radio to the Field

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Filmmor's ability to tackle sensitive issues, bring in films from other parts of the world about women's lives, enable dialogue between women, and their ability to transfer knowledge to young filmmakers are important contributions to the women's movement in Turkey and in the MENA region at large.

In 2002 the group organized the first Filmmor Kadin Filmeri Festivali, a women’s film festival in Istanbul that screened films produced and distributed by the US-based organization Women Make Movies (WMM), as well as two films made by Filmmor: "What is Clitoris?" and "When Women Meet." The festival integrated lecture panels and open discussions along with film screenings that were free of charge. The group now organizes an annual Women's Film Festival in Istanbul introducing a host of films made by women from around the world. In 2003, the group organized the Diyarbakir Women's Film Week, which was the first in Diyarbakir. Apart from the screenings, there were discussions where women talked about their experiences, and about the ways of expressing themselves. In 2004, the group organized two film festivals in Istanbul and Diyarbakir, and established its AtolyeMor Women's Cinema Workshop with 15 women applicants. The workshop was organized with other women filmmakers and academics, and its aim is to teach skills to young women filmmakers.

Filmmor’s plans for the future include organizing film festivals in Istanbul and Diyarbakir as well as taking these festivals "on the road" to several cities and towns to bring the films to the women who are not able to travel. They hope that "through the festivals, more and more women will share other women's experiences, thoughts, and dreams. Through the workshops women will gain more room to express their own experiences and thoughts in their own words." In addition, Filmmor Project will be organizing three film projects, on the history of feminism in Turkey, a gender critique of the media, and women directors of Turkey. It plans to establish a cinema house for women with a visual library/archive, where women can produce and show films as well as learn and exchange knowledge. With support from the Global Fund the group will continue its important work and cover the cost of the workshops, organizing film festivals, and taking them on the road.

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The Federation of African Media Women Zimbabwe (FAMWZ) was created in 1985 to serve the needs of women in all disciplines of the media profession, and to create partnerships between media professionals, rural women, and women’s organizations in Zimbabwe to work for women’s empowerment. FAMWZ operates on a national level, with offices in Bulawayo and Harare. FAMWZ finds that the media in Zimbabwe continues to trivialize, misrepresent, and underreport the invaluable contributions of women to community and national socio-economic development, especially their efforts in mitigating AIDS and that the mainstream media continues to serve the interests of those in the top echelons of power—men. These media biases are significant in light of the media’s ability to influence public opinion, introduce new issues into political debate and to shape the national consciousness. For almost two decades FAMZW members have been using their influence as journalists to challenge stereotypes of women and bring the concerns of women, especially rural women, to the attention of policy makers and the population as a whole.

Over the past year, FAMWZ has been training journalists in gender analysis and linking them to rural communities where they can listen to, document, and disseminate information regarding rural women’s concerns to the general public using the mainstream media. Another group of journalists have been trained in gender-sensitive reporting around women’s human rights and HIV/AIDS reporting allowing them to challenge gender insensitive media practices in their newsrooms and report effectively on these topics on a national scale. Information gathered by these journalists is also used to lobby the media and the government on issues affecting women, especially at the grassroots levels and to bring to voices of women into the decision making process.

FAMWZ publishes a quarterly newsletter reporting on topics of concern to rural women that has served as a tool for linking communities with larger women’s organizations. In addition, by holding a monthly forum for editors and media managers to meet with women’s groups "to debate on gender and the media," FAMWZ has created yet another space for challenging demeaning portrayals of women and bringing women’s voices from the private to the public sphere. With support from the Global Fund, FAMZW supported its Communities Media and Development Project which will strengthen collaborations between the media and rural women.

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Women, Creating Spaces of Their Own

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The Women’s Employment Innovative Center (WEIC) was established in 2000 to build a feminist movement for social change by empowering women to participate in the public sphere and in political decision-making at all levels. The main foci of its empowerment activities have been the women’s political resource center it is planning to open, its work with the media to increase women’s involvement in elections and its work to change media stereotypes of women. The Global Fund has supported several groups in Georgia that are addressing women’s health needs, however few of these groups address issues surrounding HIV/AIDS and STI among women. Much of the work on reproductive health focuses on pregnancy and family planning, while raising awareness about STIs must be couched in addressing sexuality—a culturally taboo subject. A recent poll found that 70% of teenagers wished they had learned about sex from their parents, but only 22% did. A 1998 study found that half of young women aged 15 to 19 did not know that a person could be infected with HIV/AIDS and still look healthy. And less than one-third of Georgian teenagers say they used a condom every time they had sex during the past year.

With support from the Global Fund, WEIC will conduct a project on HIV/AIDS awareness using a gender lens. It will focus on the multi-ethnic region of Kvemo Kartli and will involved 25 young women who will be trained in HIV awareness and prevention. The project will include a video clip that will be broadcast throughout the country. The group writes "the unequal status of women places them at a disadvantage not only in negotiating sexual encounters, but also in seeking and utilizing health and educational services. Women’s lack of equal access to health, education, training, independent income, property, and legal rights affect their access to knowledge about HIV/AIDS and, subsequently, their ability to protect themselves from infection."

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The group’s past activities have included the launching of a virtual magazine; participation in conferences on sexual diversity and gender; working to change labor laws with respect to health, sexual orientation, and gender identity; the development of a two-act theatre production called "In the Closet"; and the creation of a women’s soccer team. Currently the group’s work, in addition to its previous activities and maintaining a very impressive website (www.amazonasdevenezuela.org), includes the production of an LGBT focused radio show; advocacy for laws inclusive of the needs of the LGBT community and other minority communities; work on themes such as STI transmission in lesbian relationships, education for parents of lesbian daughters, education for lesbian mothers, health and education for lesbian couples, and dealing with violence in lesbian relationships; and, the development of a lesbian literary journal. The group’s future plans include the publication of its online magazine, and the construction of a lesbian Social and Cultural Center. With support from the Global Fund the groups will continue its important work.

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Roaaya for Training and Scenario uses radio, television, cinema and theater in its work. Roaaya's goals include spreading an awareness and a culture of human rights among gifted young scene writers; preparing scripts that deal directly with the concerns of women, organizing specialized workshops to create scripts and programs focusing on women's rights and enabling their visibility on television and cinema productions; training NGO staff and volunteers from the various civil society organizations on the art of speech and the techniques of script making to enable them to be more effective in their work in rural areas; and finally, protecting the intellectual property rights and financial rights of script writers and authors specializing in topics on women.

Even though the organization is relatively new, it has already contributed effectively to the space of organizing on women's' rights in Egypt and elsewhere in the region. The group organized several training sessions in Yemen with the Forum for Women Studies and Training to train journalists in polling strategy around women's rights in Yemen, and with the Internews Network to train journalists and writers on how to produce writings that take into account International Treaties on Human Rights. The group also worked collaboratively earlier this year with Center for Egyptian Women Legal Assistance Foundation (CEWLA), to train staff and activists on using the art of speech technique to combat female circumcision. This collaboration will continue onto other projects around women's rights.

With support from the Global Fund the group will continue its training and workshops and also to implement a more consistent plan of action for the coming year. Roaaya aims to organize five annual training workshops titled "Drama in the Service of Women and Children's rights." This project will train 50 young writers to change the stereotypical image of women in theater, cinema and television. The group also plans to create three documentaries, one on the problems of divorce in the personal Status laws of Christians in Egypt, the second on children's labor, and the third on crimes of honor. Roaaya is also in the planning stages of a movie on violence against women. The movie presents the story of four young women who have been friends since school and who have each engaged differently with the violent conditions in their lives that range from physical violence, enforced school drop out, to harassment and discrimination in the work force to forced marriage and curtailed personal freedom.

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Since its inception, the Cyber-Femin-Club has provided new media skills workshops to teach women basic computer skills, Internet skills, and design programming. Organized from the St. Petersburg feminist artist community, it participates in various art exhibits and conferences in the region and recognizes media technology as a critical vehicle for feminist social change. The organization has initiated two new programs in the last two years—one, a "Do-It-Yourself" program that teaches women how to not only use, but also repair, their computer equipment, promoting independence and developing marketable skills. The other is a "Girls Inner World" workshop for girls 15-21, exploring girls’ creativity and self-realization. In the last year, the organization also acquired a small café that promotes feminist and public policy discussion groups, artistic exhibitions and concerts. The organization is hoping to open the workshops to a greater number of people, using the café as a community-building base, and also plans to increase its visibility by promoting larger-scale feminist multi-media artistic exhibitions. With support from the Global Fund the group will expand the scope of its work supporting women through hands-on training programs and larger multi-media public education work.