• The Safe Abortion Action Fund was initiated by the UK Government in February 2006 to “enable the implementation of programmes and initiatives to increase access to comprehensive safe abortion services, within a comprehensive package of reproductive health services, with particular regard for the needs of marginalized and vulnerable women”. Administered by the International Planned Parenthood Federation on behalf of civil society groups and NGOs around the world, the first call for proposals elicited hundreds of proposals totalling a request of USD 41million. The original USD 5.6 million that the UK government pledged to the Safe Abortion Action Fund has been enlarged by other governments, namely Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, bringing the Fund’s total resources to USD 14.87 million over two years.56 • In addition, Britain gave almost USD 13.7 billion to fight poverty in developing countries in 2006 and according to the government, is on course to achieve the United Nations target of donating 0.7% of national income to aid by the year 2013.57 In 2007 DFID intends to launch and announce a big initiative on gender and governance that is likely to make funds available for more women’s rights organizations. Finally, the trends described below should be viewed with more caution, but still offer the possibility of shifting resources and policies in support of women worldwide: • New players – not known yet for their gender equality work – such as Korea, Turkey, and Slovak Republic are also increasing their aid programmes to support countries in the region, and additionally, in the case of the Slovak Republic, giving to sub-Saharan Africa. China is also making a huge impact with its aid to Africa and has pledged to double its aid to USD 5 billion in loans and credits to the continent over the next three years. Some observers, however, are nervous that China’s trade and investment agenda in the resource-rich continent will come at a price, with human rights taking a back seat.58 Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Development Bank are also new players to monitor in terms of their funds for development and poverty eradication. • Similarly, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, set up by the US Government to reduce “global poverty through the promotion of sustainable economic growth,” has just passed a gender policy. This new directive influences USD 2.3 billion worth of current projects in several developing countries, so that gender-responsive approaches will be mandatory for any new countries that work with the MCC in the future.59 Indeed, this could seriously influence significant aid flows. However, the MCC is not built upon a rights-based approach. Countries will be required 56 http://www.ippf.org/en/What-we-do/Safe+Abortion+Action+Fund.htm 57 Guardian Unlimited, Monday April 2, 2007, “Some countries are cutting back but UK giving more” by Larry Elliott 58 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6115870.stm 59 http://www.womensedge.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id= 325&Itemid=46
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Financial sustainability for women’s movements worldwide
In 2007 DFID intends to launch and announce a big initiative on gender and governance