working to confront gender inequalities in the world and influence the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria towards gender-transformative health responses. We envision living in a world where all women have equal access to HIV, TB, and malaria services and the treatment they need, and where all women enjoy their human rights.
Showing the multiple layers of gender inequalities and their harmful impact on accessing HIV, TB, and malaria services for women and girls.
Diversity is our strength
We welcome all women living with HIV or affected by TB and malaria, including heterosexual, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and non-binary women; women who use drugs; sex workers; adolescents and young women; Indigenous women; displaced, migrant, and refugee women; women in secluded settings and incarcerated women; and women with disabilities.
Our Mission
To catalyse the power of women in all their diversity to advance gender equality through the Global Fund, W4GF is designed to empower women to participate in decision-making at global and national levels, to ensure diverse voices influence how funds are invested to achieve the greatest impact in communities, and to hold the Global Fund accountable for the impact of spending that will advance gender equality.
Our Journey
W4GF was established in 2013 during a pioneering workshop aimed at amplifying the voices of women and girls in all their diversity in the Global Fund’s Country Coordinating Mechanisms after the launch of the Global Fund’s funding model. Initially bringing together 35 dedicated women, W4GF has grown into a dynamic network of over 327 advocates spanning 75 countries. Our movement is guided by the Steering Group and structured with a global core team, our National Focal Points in 10 countries, our key collaborators, and advocates around four regional learning hubs: Francophone Africa, Anglophone Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East and North Africa. These hubs serve as vital support and collaboration centres, driving our mission forward.
KEY MILESTONES
- In 2023, we held a multicountry mentorship programme around gender-transformative advocacy in GC7 in Tanzania, Cameroon, Ghana, India, and Morocco.
- We supported community-led monitoring initiatives on Global Fund programmes in Tanzania, Cameroon, and India, implementing our Accountability Toolkit.
- We advocated for gender equality in Global Fund processes and in key global health decision-making spaces, being present at the Women Deliver Conference 2023, the United Nations High-Level Meeting on TB, the World Health Assembly, and other relevant conferences like ICASA and the World Health Summit.
- We launched our #FUNDHERHEALTH advocacy campaign to highlight the need for sustained investment to achieve gender equality and eliminate all forms of gender-based violence
- We created and sustained digital knowledge-sharing spaces, connecting advocates through four regional hubs.
- We have developed tools for gender-transformative engagement, including the Digital Dossier, CLM scorecards, Gender-Transformation in GC7 Guide, and the GC7 Pathfinder “Empowering Women’s Knowledge of GC7 Allocation Cycle 2023-2025”
How we work
- Mentorship Programmes and Technical Assistance: Offered by our core team for advocates, National Focal Points, and Flourishers Groups related to gender equality and gender-transformative programming in HIV, TB, and malaria processes within the Global Fund and the global health space.
- Educational Tools: We develop practical guides for women and girls to strengthen their understanding and navigation of Global Fund processes.
- Advocating to Influence: We produce reports, key technical documents, position notes, policy briefs, and statements to support and advocate for gender equality in all Global Fund processes and the international health governance environment.
- Movement Building: We connect women and girls worldwide to create a change-driven community of feminist advocates, sharing knowledge, best practices, and lessons learned. We conduct learning and advocacy webinars, events, and meetings.
- Communications that Mobilise Change: We shape and implement communications campaigns for key stakeholders and women and girls, advocating for their meaningful participation and visualising their expertise, challenges, and health priorities.
- Programme implementation: We design and implement projects aligned with our mission. Learn more about our Accountability Toolkit, Gender Assessments, and Community-Led Monitoring Academy.
Women4GlobalFund (W4GF) is a global movement to make the Global Fund responsive and accountable to the needs of women living with (& affected by) HIV, TB and malaria. This infographic explains W4GF at a glance.
W4GF’s strength is rooted in principles and values that build and sustain connections among women in all of their diversity, who are part of this global movement to deliver the mission and objectives.
The W4GF Core Team support this virtual network of diverse advocates in over 62 countries. The direction of the movement is overseen by a Steering Group, and informed by W4GF Key Collaborators, who play key roles at national levels, alongside other advocates and a broad range of Key partners and stakeholders.
W4GF started with a global workshop for over 35 women from all over the world, focused on explaining the changes at the Global Fund and how advocates could have an impact on gender equality through these new processes. Following that successful gathering, several workshops were held in different regions, for groups of key affected women, and for women focused on the different diseases.
To read more about W4GF’s history, success and impact click here.
And to sign onto our Manifesto click here