The Avon Institute and the ELAS Fund would like to thank the groups and organizations that submitted proposals to the new call for proposals from the Speak Without Fear Fund and joined us in this partnership to end domestic violence in Brazil.
We received 658 projects from all regions of the country. Creative and innovative proposals that represent endless opportunities for social transformation by multiplying information and actions to combat domestic violence.
With the new call for proposals, the Fale Sem Medo Fund is expanding its reach and capillarity, also reaching new audiences. 33 project proposals were selected from 17 states in the five regions of the country. Women and men, young people, students, women with disabilities, black women, lesbians, indigenous women, prostitutes, fisherwomen, domestic workers and trans women are some of the beneficiaries of these projects.
The projects will receive a total of R$2 million in donations. In addition, resources are being invested in the selection, training and monitoring of the initiatives, totaling an investment of R$3.1 million by the Avon Institute in the fight against violence against women.
For the Avon Institute, female empowerment is one of the main ways of combating the various types of violence against women. Through social and economic inclusion, emancipation and awareness of their rights, women find the possibility of breaking cycles of violence and getting out of situations of oppression and aggression.
"In order to transform the field of domestic violence, we need to join forces and broaden the dialog so that each sector of society can contribute more efficiently and effectively. Our role is to stimulate the development of the social sector and enable women and men to lead initiatives to end domestic violence," explains the Avon Institute's project coordinator, Mafoane Odara.
The success of the call for proposals shows that the women's movement is articulated across the country and full of new ideas for combating violence and building a more just and equitable society. For the ELAS Fund, this reinforces the certainty that it is necessary to promote and strengthen women's Leadership by mobilizing and investing resources in their initiatives, because despite the recent achievements of the Maria da Penha Law and other public policies, domestic violence still affects millions of Brazilian families.
On the other hand, the record number of projects submitted draws attention to the difficult context faced by the women's movement in Brazil, marked by a shortage of resources and the growth of conservative agendas that are gaining more and more ground in the National Congress.
"We need to invest in social control over these policies so that they are implemented throughout the country, and we also need to stimulate new ideas to end domestic violence where this problem persists despite laws and public policies. That's why we're investing in women's civil society organizations," explains KK Verdade, executive coordinator of the ELAS Fund.