"This is how we'll grow together: one holding up the other's flag"
The words of one of the guests at the 3rd Dialogue Building Movements, one of the exciting moments we experienced this year, represent well what 2019 was like for the ELAS Fund.
While the context is one of major setbacks, we have managed to outdo ourselves in supporting women's resistance. We have grown as much as our challenges, thanks to new partners and the reinforcement of our commitment to connecting and strengthening women's networks and alliances.
In 2019 we launched 5 calls for proposals, breaking a new record: the I and II ELAS in Sports, a partnership with UN Women and the NGO Empodera to empower and raise awareness of girls through sports; the ELA Decide Call for Proposals, a partnership with UNFPA to support training and information actions on sexual and reproductive health in Bahia; the ELAS in Fashion and Without Violence Call for Proposals, a partnership with the C&A Institute to accelerate the transformation of the fashion industry towards gender justice; and the Building Movements 2019 Call for Proposals. In all, we selected more than 80 projects.
We organized several meetings to strengthen and form networks that brought together our grantees and strategic partners: VI Dialogue on Safety and Care Among Activists (March), IX Dialogue on Sexual Autonomy (June), I Dialogue ELAS in Fashion and Without Violence (July), III Dialogue Building Movements (September) and II Dialogue ELAS in Fashion and Without Violence (November).
We also strengthened our networks in the field of philanthropy for social justice by attending the Meeting of the Alliance of Women's Funds of Latin America in Chile, the Global LBQ Conference in South Africa, Women Funded 2019 in the United States, meetings of the Philanthropy Network for Social Justice and GIFE in Brazil.
We also promoted, in partnership with Muxima Bio, Secret Women's Meeting and other women's organizations in Portugal, the 1st WE Colloquium on Capacity Building, Diversity and Social Inclusion, held in May in Lisbon. It was a great opportunity to connect Brazilian and Portuguese leaders of the black women movements.
All this has only been possible because we are not alone: we have the trust of the women's groups we support and of partners who, like us, know that investing in women is the fastest way to develop the country and build a fair world for all.
We will be on collective vacation from December 11. We'll be back on January 7 for a year of hard work and lots of celebrations: in 2020 the ELAS Fund celebrates 20 years of feminist philanthropy and investing in women.
We move forward, driven by passion for the cause of women and the certainty that it is necessary Giving for change.