Top 20 Donors: 2005 - Middle East and North Africa -
Total Donations to All Participant Organizations
Sample = 31 respondents
Main challenges - mobilizing resources for women’s rights in the MENA region: • Women’s organizations operate under difficult limitations (restrictive government regulations, conflict, rising fundamentalisms). • There is a dominance of a culture of “charity to the poor” ( zakat) but not for social transformation. • Many organizations face the risk of being politically aligned with controversial interests by accepting money from certain sources. • US foreign policies (especially the Patriot Act) have made giving to this region appear much riskier. • There are very few progressive donors working in this region. • Women’s organizations have insufficient resources and capacities to mobilize additional resources. • Women’s rights are not a priority for donors. Donors want to set the agenda, and often set priorities such as peace building, without gender perspectives or women’s leadership. • It is difficult to get core funding for administrative and human resources. • Due to language barriers, it is often very difficult for women’s organizations in the region to access information. Main opportunities - mobilizing resources for women’s rights in the MENA region: • There are emerging possibilities for exchanges and networking with other organizations. • There is a growing donor interest in funding in the MENA region, with new progressive donors entering or advancing their work in the region. • There are new funding sources, such as the Arab Women’s Fund, the Arab Human Rights Fund, and the Mediterranean Women’s Fund. • High income Arab countries present a potential for resource mobilization. • Women’s groups are starting to be more visible and are getting stronger. 14