Change doesn’t wait – it begins with those who demand it 

“Nothing about us without us.” People across the world have been chanting this for generations.* And yet, despite its powerful message, this principle is often ignored. Policies continue to be created without input of the very people they concern. 

At their core, systems of oppression push people to the margins. These systems – such as ableism, racism, sexism, and classism – take away people’s resources and dehumanise them. Their identities, labour, cultures, knowledge systems, and aspirations for the future are systematically exploited, undervalued, and erased. These oppressive systems don’t see those affected as holders of knowledge, as experts in their own lives or as contributors to the solutions to their unique problems and our shared challenges. As a result, those with lived experience of marginalisation are often excluded from conversations and decisions meant to address their needs. 

This exclusion is widespread, including in official development aid. Besides being extremely harmful for the people involved, it hurts society at large. Because people who are pushed to the margins see and know things that those who society centres, often don’t. Their lived experiences bring insight and a “critical consciousness with respect to the effects of power structures”. They see how power works and affects daily life. This kind of unique knowledge is essential for building a more just and fairer world.  

As feminist thinker bell hooks writes: “At its most visionary, [ideas and analysis that serve to unify rather than to polarize] will emerge from individuals who have knowledge of both margin and center.” 

Strengthening communities 

Because of this unique knowledge, women, girls, and trans and intersex people around the world are key drivers of impactful, long-term change. They become leaders who act with urgency and insight, because they experience these injustices every day. They know what’s at stake. Their leadership is grounded in personal experience, a deep understanding of their communities and the violence they face, and an unmatched drive for change. 

And the issues they face, such as gender injustice, don’t exist in a vacuum. They are inextricably interlocked with racism, authoritarianism, climate change, reproductive oppression, and other forms of systemic harm. Feminist movements understand how different injustices overlap, and they make change more sustainable, resilient, and equitable. That’s why they have a ripple effect. 

Our recent impact study evidences that supporting climate justice groups led by women and girls in the Global South, puts feminist priorities at the centre of climate action. Besides responding to the climate crisis, they are building a future rooted in justice, safety, and agency for everyone. Their activism challenges long-ignored harms and creates solutions that strengthen entire communities.  

Compelling examples of this work come from around the world. The Mongolian Women’s Fund supported women’s rights activists in addressing the impact of a coal mine expansion. They did this by educating women about their rights and helping them receive compensation for forced resettlement. In Malawi, the Green Girls Platform made sure more girls and young women represent Malawi globally on climate change issues. And in Indonesia, SERUNI helped heal land from environmental destruction and helped women reclaim their livelihoods.   

At Mama Cash, we support the people and movements that make change happen based on their experiences with stigma, violence, exploitation, and exclusion. We don’t tell them what to do, nor set their priorities, nor design their strategies. Instead, we offer resources, connections, and trust. We listen. We learn. And we support them as they build change from within their communities, on their own terms.  

Leadership from within 

Our grantee-partners are doing exactly that. Whether they’re protecting menstrual health rights in Nepal or providing leadership training to grassroots groups in Hong Kong, they know what needs to change and how. Below are some snapshots of the transformative work happening on the ground. 

• Based in Lebanon, Egna Legna is led by Ethiopian migrant domestic workers. A key part of their work is raising awareness about the kafala system; an exploitative system that controls the relationship between migrant workers and their employers in parts of West Asia. Because they’ve lived through it themselves, they’re now helping others across Ethiopia understand and avoid these risks. “We feel we are best equipped to assist the women whose lived experiences are the same as ours.” 

• FemLibrary challenges heteronormative, patriarchal structures in Armenia by creating spaces for women, queer, and trans people. There they can gather, share knowledge and imagine new possibilities together. By translating feminist texts into Armenian, they make these ideas more available to their community. “By fostering safe, informed, and empowering spaces, we are contributing to long-term cultural and social change in Armenia and beyond,” said Armine Karapetyan of FemLibrary. 

• In Nicaragua, Grupo Artemisa works with girls to help them become leaders in their schools and communities. At the centre of their work is the simple idea that every girl has the right to decide about her own body. The group runs a community clinic that offers free birth control and psychological support, and they’re building a network of girls across municipalities. “When one girl learns, she goes to other girls and teaches them. I always tell the girls that knowledge is power.” says Coordinator Sarahi Rodas. 

• HER Fund supports women, girls, and trans people in Hong Kong by providing small grants, leadership training, and capacity-building to grassroots groups that are led by and serving the most marginalised. The fund acts as a companion, offering financial and practical support. “We see this as a way to empower marginalised communities and their work to achieve sustainability and impactful development,” said Executive Director Judy Kan.  

• In Kolkata, India, Sappho for Equality offers care, connection, and support to the queer community. They run a helpline, provide peer support and mental health counselling, and have created a community space where queer and trans people can meet, work or just hang out. “We’re better upholders and defenders today than when we began because we have more stories. We can push for better laws and policies,” said Programme Officer Shreosi Ray.  

• Women Forum for Women in Nepal supports women working in entertainment and hospitality, who often face unsafe conditions and social stigma. They provide leadership and advocacy training so that women can advocate for their rights. This includes pushing labour laws that focus on women’s needs. Through their network across the country, sex workers, domestic workers, and construction workers, among other groups, come together to demand change. In June 2025, their advocacy led to a major win: Nepal’s Supreme Court ordered the protection of menstrual dignity and health rights for all women, following a public interest case brought by the group.  

Read all about these groups and their transformative work in our annual report. 

We can do something 

These movements show us what feminist leadership looks like: bold, rooted in real-life experience, and built on caring for each other. As poet Nikki Giovanni said: “If we don’t like the world we’re living in, change it. And if we can’t change it, we change ourselves. We can do something.” That’s exactly what these grantee-partners are doing, and with your support they can keep going. 

Donate today to support these leaders and help change the world we’re living in. 

By Annette Farshchi, writer at Mama Cash

^* With origins in Central European political traditions, this slogan was repopularised by disability rights movements in the 1990s.