Funding for Gender Equality in Brazil Three Approaches

Brazil is among the 100 most unequal countries in the world. The main reasons for this ranking comprise, among others, race-related issues and gender inequalities. Gender-related issues are far-reaching, affecting everything from wages to issues related to citizens’ rights and duties. To build fairer societies, we must consider these issues, bearing in mind what each group needs, and recognize circumstances in which those groups should be supported.

Despite the interest in investing in gender-oriented programs, foundations and institutes face difficulties to follow this path, as it is a complex theme that misses content to promote the strategic baselines. In order to foster grantmakers to work on the topic and to guide their strategies, GIFE and the Walmart Institute have translated and adapted the GrantCraft guide Funding for Inclusion.

The inclusion of three cases of Brazilian organizations that work to promote gender equality is intended to promote the exchange of experience and inspire other grantmakers to use the strategies presented, adjusted to their realities. 

The three Brazilian cases discuss gender inequality in different but efficient ways, promoting the social transformation of stakeholders. The first work presented is the Elas Fund – an institution that raises resources with grantmakers and then funds civil society organizations that work with women, focused on strengthening rural areas. This experience allows knowing how the gender funding chain works.

Then, we present the work of the Avon Institute, which built its social investment focused on gender, in line with Avon’s business. The experience provides deeper understanding about the challenges of working with women’s issues as the main mission of the organization.

Finally we show how the Tide Setubal Foundation handled the issue, using it as a cross-cutting lens for projects aimed at other purposes, and thus improved the performance of projects.

GIFE and the Walmart Institute believe the focus on gender can optimize the impact of social actions performed by foundations and institutes. The exchange of experiences makes room to think of the issue, discuss good practices, and get inspired. Sharing these experiences is the best way to mobilize the organizations’ potential, thus facilitating knowledge generation and dissemination.

Takeaways are critical, bite-sized resources either excerpted from our guides or written by Candid Learning for Funders using the guide's research data or themes post-publication. Attribution is given if the takeaway is a quotation.

This takeaway was derived from Investimento a Favor da Inclusão.