Série Mulheres Fortalecendo a Lei Maria da Penha (Women Strengthening the Maria da Penha Law Series) records the projects carried out by groups of women leaders from Rio de Janeiro communities supported by the ELAS Fund's XVI Project Competition.

The ELAS Fund team wishes 2016 to be a year of peace and prosperity for everyone. We will be on recess between December 21 and January 8. As of January 11, we will resume our activities with renewed energy to continue working for women's rights.

Check out some of the calls for proposals and awards that are open for registration, as well as the XXI ELAS Fund Project Competition, which is receiving proposals until January 20, 2016.

The ELAS Fund has many reasons to celebrate this year. ELAS celebrated its 15th anniversary, reinforcing its mission to promote and strengthen Leadership women by mobilizing and investing resources in women's initiatives, with innovation, new partnerships and intense exchanges in Brazil and around the world.

The Avon Institute has launched the Violence against women in the university environment survey, which shows the importance of actions that transform the current discriminatory scenario and promote gender equality among young people.

The new competition, which is the 21st of the ELAS Fund, will support 30 projects aimed at combating domestic violence and will receive applications until January 20, 2016. More than 3 million reais will be invested.

Ten projects were selected which will be carried out with high school students from public schools and will be aimed at encouraging girls to get involved in the exact sciences and technologies, raising awareness among school management.

Rede de Mulheres Brasileiras Líderes pela Sustentabilidade, que atrai e mobiliza lideranças femininas que atuam em instituições públicas, empresas privadas, multilaterais, organizações governamentais e não governamentais, marca presença na COP 21.

Há muito a aprender com a produção familiar, as estratégias de economia solidária, as novas formas de organização produtiva, a pesca, a extração vegetal sustentável, os modos de vida em quilombos, aldeias indígenas ou assentamentos. Para isso, as brasileiras têm muito a falar e ensinar, diz Nadine Gasman.

FBDH vai doar mais de R$ 1 milhão a projetos de direitos humanos. Propostas serão recebidas até fevereiro e vão passar por um amplo processo de seleção.

Launched in 1991 by the Women's Global Leadership Center, the campaign aims to promote debate and reflection on the various forms of oppression, discrimination and violation of women's rights.

Relatório lançado pelo McKinsey Global Institute mostra quanto custa excluir as mulheres do mercado de trabalho. Só a América Latina contribuiria com quase 3 trilhões de dólares para o PIB mundial até 2025.