Private investment to combat racism is still small

In the set of actions for the month of Black Consciousness, ELAS+ Giving for change holds an event to encourage anti-racist stance among social investors

Black Awareness Day, celebrated in November, throws light on numerous reflections on the racial issue in Brazil. A PoderData survey, released this month, reveals that 81% of respondents recognize that there is prejudice against blacks in the country. The survey also points out that three out of every 10 people interviewed admit to being prejudiced against black people.

The figures show that racism is a reality in Brazil and that it needs to be treated as a social problem that is everyone's responsibility. This was also the conclusion that emerged from the debates that took place during the "Black Women Alliance: Anti-racist Social Investment in Practice", an event held by the FORD Foundation in partnership with the European Commission. ELAS+ Giving for change in partnership with the FORD Foundation.

The initiative is part of the program "Black Women Alliance - All Against Violence" program, which supports organizations and networks led by black women and transgender people with experience working on projects against the genocide of the black population and combating gender-based violence with a racial focus. The program also includes anti-racial violence communication initiatives.

The meeting brought together leaders of the black women movement, experts and social investors to discuss the possibilities of private initiative in the fight against racism. For the director general of ELAS+, Amalia Fischer, this needs to be a commitment not only in the philanthropy ecosystem, but in all other sectors of society: "We have to be co-responsible in anti-racism. We all have to be anti-racist", she emphasized.

The idea is to strengthen private social investment as a tool in the anti-racist struggle, through support for initiatives led by black women that have a historical trajectory of resistance. The general coordinator of the NGO Criola, Lúcia Xavier, highlighted the importance of this role. "I understand black women as a political subject since before the diaspora. They are women who anywhere in the world promote change, take care of their communities, are fundamental. This brand is ancestral, but it is also innovative. It is women who create different mechanisms, legislation and innovative strategies to confront racism", she emphasized.

Practical actions

Despite the understanding of the importance of the theme, data from the GIFE 2020 Census show that private social investment in equity and diversity is still small: 65% of the initiatives have no relation to these themes. Also according to the GIFE (Group of Institutes, Foundations and Companies) survey, only 9% invest directly in women's projects that have equity and diversity as a specific objective.

Political scientist Hakima Abbas of the Black Feminist Fund reminds us that there is still plenty of room for private social investors to participate in the anti-racist cause. "The cost of not looking at black feminist movements is going to be dramatic for all of us. We need to be together, many institutions together, in many sectors, to actually invest in racial equity", she concluded.

The Program Analyst of ELAS+ Giving for change , Iracema Souza, points out that encouraging this type of investment is one of the objectives of Black Women Alliance. "We are creating a space to strengthen fundamental values for an anti-racist stance and for the promotion of racial equity. This is a collective struggle, which involves different actors, and must be guided by the reflections of social movements", she said. The executive director of ELAS+, K.K. Verdade, also draws attention to the opportunity. "It is the chance for social investors, who often do not know how to reverse the support in practical measures to combat racism, to commit to the cause", she concluded.

To find out more about the organizations and networks that are part of the programme, simply visit the website: https://aliancanegra.org/