Region Overview
Over the past 40 years, Mama Cash has provided €24 million to feminist movements across 56 countries in Africa and West Asia. With this support our grantee partners have driven social change on multiple fronts, from expanding legal abortion rights in Africa to advancing disability justice and securing better protections for women against Gender-Based Violence. These achievements demonstrate the transformative power of feminist movements when given the resources and support they need.
€24
Million
56
Countries
«У феминистских активисток есть видение и сила, чтобы изменить наш мир»
«На пути к сильным, автономным, плюралистическим, инклюзивным и жизнестойким феминистским движениям».
The right of women to control their own bodies and sexuality has always been central to Mama Cash’s mission. Despite facing significant threats and challenges, feminist activists around the world have achieved remarkable progress in advancing reproductive justice. In Africa, the Maputo Protocol has become a crucial tool in the fight for legal abortion rights. Since its enactment in 2003, 21 countries have expanded the legal grounds for abortion, 11 have overturned absolute bans, and four now permit elective abortion, joining four other countries that already recognised this right. These victories highlight the power of sustained advocacy in the quest for reproductive freedom.
Impact Story
Moving mountains for abortion reform in Africa
The Maputo Protocol, which requires African Union member states to lift restrictions on abortion, has been a powerful tool for advancing abortion rights and care across Africa, leading to more progressive laws in 36 countries. In Mauritius, Mama Cash grantee partner Muvman Liberasyon Fam (MLF) played a crucial role in the movement that secured the decriminalisation of abortion in 2012.
MLF first sought support from Mama Cash in 1998 to create its Abortion Arguments Kit, a resource advocating for the decriminalisation of abortion based on an individual’s right to sexual and bodily autonomy. Then, in 2009, MLF joined forces with a new coalition of trade unions, family planning associations, and women’s groups to advocate for abortion law reform. Two tragic incidents soon highlighted the urgent need for change: one woman died after obtaining an illegal abortion, and another faced legal charges from the Attorney General. Together, they provided an important catalyst for change. In response, MLF organised remembrance ceremonies with the families of women who had died from unsafe abortions, harnessing collective grief to shift public opinion. Their efforts led to the charges being dropped by the Attorney General.
In 2012, their persistence paid off when abortion was decriminalised under four specific circumstances—a significant victory that shifted the balance of power. This achievement underscores the impact of sustained activism and the dedication of activists like Rajni, demonstrating how committed efforts can lead to meaningful social progress.
«It was a real boost as it prepared us for the actions
that led to the law being changed. The whole concept of challenging the 1838
Napoleonic law [a total ban] grew out of this abortion kit.”
Rajni Lallah, MLF General Secretary
Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is one of the most prevalent human rights violations in the world. Communities and individuals who are marginalised, criminalised, stigmatised, or face discrimination are at even greater risk. Shockingly, 1 in 3 women — 736 million — experience intimate partner violence or sexual violence in their lifetimes. The numbers are even higher for trans and intersex people, and LBQ women.
Impact Story
Reform for Protections from Gender-Based Violence
In Turkey, Mor Çati (Purple Roof) has been at the forefront of the fight against Gender-Based Violence for over three decades. Founded in 1990 and supported by Mama Cash almost from the start, Mor Çati runs the only independent shelter and helpline in Turkey. Every year, they provide shelter for more than 1,000 people fleeing GBV, and provide tens of thousands of women with vital information about their rights, legal protections, custody arrangements, alimony, visas, and day care.
Since the 2000s, Mor Çati has allied with other feminist organisations to successfully push for the legal reforms to improve protections for survivors of GBV. One of Mor Çati’s most significant victories came in 2009 as part of a landmark case before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The court ruled that Turkey had failed in its obligation to protect women from domestic violence and recognised gender-based violence as a form of discrimination. This ruling embarrassed Turkey on the global stage, prompting the then-pro-European government to take action.
Turkey hosted the meeting that led to the 2011 Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention, focused on preventing and combating GBV. After Turkey became the first country to sign and ratify the Convention, the government collaborated with feminist, LBQ, and trans organisations, including Mama Cash grantee partners Mor Çati and Pembe Hayat, to update national domestic violence laws.
«Thanks to the dedication and courage of activists like Mor Çati, survivors of GBV now have stronger protections.«
Despite this remarkable progress, our grantee partners — especially those involved in Palestinian liberation — are increasingly under threat due to geopolitical tensions and a decline in funding. Ongoing conflicts in countries like DRC, Somalia, Burkina Faso, and Palestine severely disrupt their efforts, causing resources to be redirected toward immediate humanitarian needs. Meanwhile, the rise in political conservatism has led to heightened state scrutiny and the enactment of restrictive laws across the region.
In Turkey, the hard won successes described above are already at risk. Under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the country has seen waves of political backlash and regression, reflecting troubling global trends. In 2021, Turkey made the alarming decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention. While the outcry over this decision has sparked widespread awareness, the fight to end gender-based violence and protect survivors is more urgent than ever.
Your support is essential in providing our grantee partners with the resources and solidarity needed to confront these challenges and continue their vital work. Together, we can defend and advance the rights and freedoms we hold dear, ensuring a brighter, safer future for generations to come.