Illustrations and design reflecting on empowering Women Human Rights Defenders Through Rapid Response and Collaboration

The Urgent Action Funds (the Sister Funds) comprise a global sisterhood of four independent funds (Urgent Action Fund – Africa; Urgent Action Fund – Asia and Pacific; Urgent Action Fund – Latin America and the Caribbean; Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights) each dedicated to strengthening the resilience and security of women human rights defenders and their organisations and movements.

Though each sister Urgent Action Fund is an independent organisation, they are built on shared history—a common rapid response model and the value of working collaboratively as a sisterhood to advocate for women’s human rights.

Many funds around the world require several months to process a grant request as opposed to a small window of opportunity that exists to intervene and respond to critical human rights situations, especially in areas of armed conflict or escalating violence

Started in 1997, the Urgent Action Funds, as the name suggests, is a feminist fund that protects, strengthens and sustains women and transgender human rights at critical moments by responding to requests from women’s human rights defenders within 72 hours and having funds on the ground within 1-7 days.

To support activists seeking systemic change the Urgent Action Fund led by activists came up with the Theory of Change which adopts a flexible, participatory, grantmaking approach that supports the creativity and vision of grassroots leaders and a diversity of tactics. This is crucial because grassroots activists are constantly devising new methods for creating change. Flexible grantmaking allows activists to innovate and respond to unanticipated situations as they arise.

As with anything that requires a new lens to see the world—we, as visual communicators, were involved in creating creative infographics to demonstrate the Theory of Change in association with the pathways of change, sisterhood values, strategic pillars and sisterhood feminist principles of philanthropy.

• One, the rapid response grants that focus on meeting the specific needs of diverse women and LBTQI+ defenders.
• Two, strengthening diverse coalitions of women and LBTQI+ defenders, both regionally and globally.
• Three, strengthening the collective philanthropic model.
• Four, feminist advocacy to promote feminist philanthropy and act in solidarity with women and LBTQI+ defenders.

In addition to that, there are the five crucial ingredients that we focused on for a systemic change. First, to believe and support the vision, creativity and agency of grassroots leadership and community. Second, to support women as agents of change in their communities. Third, to provide Protection & Security grants to women’s human rights activists. Fourth, to leverage the power as a funder to advocate on behalf of the grantees with larger foundations and in political and policy circles. And finally, to listen, communicate, and adapt to the needs of activists.

Our visuals reflected this deep, sisterly relationships that Urgent Action Fund practices visualising sharing power, challenging hegemony, and collaborations in its truest of sense, and being flexible and adaptable to the unique circumstances in different regions of the world.