From Malaysia: Fund to end Violence Against Women and South-south organizing

Hi -
Here is an email received by Mahnaz Afkhami from the All Women's Action Society (AWAM) in Malaysia

For us, it’s becoming more and more difficult to source funders interested in funding work for violence against women, especially in countries such as Malaysia. Locally, the issue has become ‘mainstream’ i.e. no longer as taboo as it was in 80s when the organisation first started, and therefore, deprioritised. We hv become a ‘victim’ of our own success, you could say. Also, not only do we have to compete with more ‘sexy’ causes such as climate change, governance & democracy etc, but Malaysia at the global level is considered a developed country and thus, we get bypassed in favour of less developed countries. It’s as if only women in conflict areas get raped, and Malaysia with it’s gleaming skyscrapers and shopping malls, women are doing just fine.

I also think that more movement-building activities/exchanges and collaborations that link the South are needed, which again, isn’t high on donor agendas who don’t want to fund “just another meeting”.

All Women's Action Society (AWAM)