Resources from Funders and Allied Organisations Supporting Sex Workers’ RightsWe have organised the growing community of organisations supporting sex worker rights and provided brief introductions to strengthen the support available to the sex worker rights movement.
We have categorised them (funders, sex worker-led networks, and allied organisation) as well as created tags for key topics that intersect with our work.
Access Now defends and extends the digital rights of users at risk around the world. Also provides digital security trainning/support through a 24/7 Digital Security Helpline, policy analysis, advocacy, and grants to granssroots organisations and activists groups.
“American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is the leading Jewish organisation working to fight poverty and pursue justice in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Through philanthropy and advocacy, American Jewish World Service responds to the most pressing issues of our time—from disasters, genocide and hunger, to the persecution of women and minorities worldwide.
AJWS is one of the founding members of Red Umbrella Fund’s International Steering Committee. AJWS has reported extensively on the importance of protecting the human rights of sex workers and is an active member of the Sex Worker Donor Collaborative. “To effectively stop abuse against sex workers, experts suggest that many changes must take place—from supporting sex workers to educate each other about their rights to reforming laws that have limited sex workers’ access to safe workplaces, economic opportunities and critical services such as health care.”
“Amnesty International has grown from seeking the release of political prisoners to upholding the whole spectrum of human rights. Our work protects and empowers people – from abolishing the death penalty to protecting sexual and reproductive rights, and from combatting discrimination to defending refugees and migrants’ rights. We speak out for anyone and everyone whose freedom and dignity are under threat.”
“The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) is a network of 85 member organisations across 23 countries, mainly in Asia. Founded in 1991, FORUM-ASIA works to strengthen movements for human rights and sustainable development through research, advocacy, capacity development and solidarity actions in Asia and beyond. It has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and consultative relationship with the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights. The FORUM-ASIA Secretariat is based in Bangkok, with offices in Jakarta, Geneva and Kathmandu.
FORUM-Asia provides urgent funding for human rights defenders through their Protection Plan for Human Rights Defenders at Risk.”
“CIVICUS is a global alliance of civil society organisations and activists dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society throughout the world. “We were established in 1993 and since 2002 have been proudly headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with additional hubs across the globe.
We are a membership alliance with more than 9,000 members in more than 175 countries. Our definition of civil society is broad and covers non-governmental organisations, activists, civil society coalitions and networks, protest and social movements, voluntary bodies, campaigning organisations, charities, faith-based groups, trade unions and philanthropic foundations. Our membership is diverse, spanning a wide range of issues, sizes and organisation types.””
CIVICUS Crisis Response Fund provides funding for short term projects (3-6 months) to CSOs (Civil Society Organisations) working with human rights – projects that address a threat related to freedom of peaceful assembly and association by doing advocacy activities, or resilience ones. Must be “primarily registered in the United States”.
The craigslist Charitable Fund (CCF) “provides millions of dollars each year in one-time and recurring grants to hundreds of partner organizations addressing four broad areas of interest.” The organization is known for donating heavily to nonprofit journalism outlets, gun control groups, and environmentalist groups.
“FIDA-Kenya is a premier women’s rights organization in Kenya that has offered free legal aid to over 3,000,000 women over the course of 35 years.
We are committed to creating a society that respects and upholds women’s rights with a mission to promote women’s individual and collective power to claim their rights in all spheres of life. FIDA-Kenya is a membership organization with over 1,400 women advocates and lawyers in Kenya.
We are an accredited institution and has observer status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR). The submission of periodic shadow reports to the international and human rights agencies continues to provide space for advocacy at a higher level. The adoption of the Resolution on Women’s Rights to Land and Productive Resources by the ACHPR, Litigation of Women Land Rights before the ACHPR are critical achievements made by regional advocacy efforts.”
Human Rights Funders Network (HRFN) is a network of funders in the Global South, East, and North dedicated to resourcing human rights action around the world. In 2021 the published key findings based on their analysis of 2018 funding data: Advancing Human Rights: 2018 Key Findings. Formerly known as the Internaional Human Rights Funder Group (IHRFG) – its 2016 conference was featured in Deciding For All or All Deciding
“Human Rights Watch (HRW) investigates and reports on abuses happening in all corners of the world. We are roughly 450 people of 70-plus nationalities who are country experts, lawyers, journalists, and others who work to protect the most at risk, from vulnerable minorities and civilians in wartime, to refugees and children in need. We direct our advocacy towards governments, armed groups and businesses, pushing them to change or enforce their laws, policies and practices. To ensure our independence, we refuse government funding and carefully review all donations to ensure that they are consistent with our policies, mission, and values. We partner with organizations large and small across the globe to protect embattled activists and to help hold abusers to account and bring justice to victims.”
Humanity United is “a philanthropic organization dedicated to cultivating the conditions for enduring peace and freedom. We recognize that we live in a deeply interconnected world, where we are all united by the challenges and opportunities we face.”
Namati and their partners train and deploy community paralegals, they are the largest community of grassroots justice defenders in the world. “Our network brings together 3138 organizations and 12022 individuals from over 170 countries, all working to advance justice for all. Together with the communities we serve, we strive to translate the lessons from our grassroots experience into positive, large-scale changes to laws and systems. Namati is a learning organization. With our partners and our network members, we are continually working to understand how best to advance justice through legal empowerment. To date, we have authored or co-authored over 200 publications, including books, policy briefs, essays, peer-reviewed articles, and guides for practitioners.”
“The Lancet began as an independent, international weekly general medical journal founded in 1823 by Thomas Wakley. Since its first issue (Oct 5, 1823), the journal has strived to make science widely available so that medicine can serve and transform society, and positively impact the lives of people. Over the past two centuries, The Lancet has sought to address urgent topics in our society, initiate debate, put science into context, and influence decision makers around the world. The Lancet has evolved as a family of journals but retains at its core the belief that medicine must serve society, that knowledge must transform society, that the best science must lead to better lives.”
The Other Foundation is an African trust dedicated to advancing human rights in Southern Africa, with a particular focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people. Their primary purpose is to expand resources available to defend and advance the rights and well-being of LGBTI people in the Southern African region. They do this by working both as a grant-maker and a fundraiser.
The Women’s Refugee Commission’s (WRC) mission is “to improve the lives and protect the rights of women, children, and youth displaced by conflict and crisis. We research their needs, identify solutions, and advocate for programs and policies to strengthen their resilience and drive change in humanitarian practice.” They have an extensive Resource Library available on their website.
