The Caribbean Feminist Climate Justice Movement (CFCJM), in partnership with the Global Fund for Women, has awarded grants, totalling fifty thousand dollars (USD 50,000) in funding to locally based grassroots organisations: Girls of a Feather and Helen’s Daughter. These historic grants will finance grassroots initiatives in Saint Lucia that address the critical intersection of climate action and gender justice.
The selected grantee partners are among twenty-two grassroots organisations from ten countries across the Caribbean, working at the intersection of feminist organizing and climate justice. The women-led groups work on tackling the pressing challenges posed by climate change to marginalised groups, including women and gender diverse people, Indigenous and rural communities and people of African and Indian descent. Twenty-two organisations from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, The Bahamas, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago were successful in accessing grants based on for their innovative approaches to advancing climate resilience, gender equality, and social justice.
The Global Fund for Women is a key champion for the movement in the Caribbean, providing generous financial support while also building capacity and fostering connections to ensure the continued growth and success of the CFCJM.
Ayesha Constable, Technical Director for Climate Justice at the Global Fund for Women (GFW) said: “The activists that are part of the movement, most of whom are women and girls, live in the communities besieged by climate change and best understand the needs of those most at risk. As women, historical and current drivers of gender inequality perpetuate the injustices they are subjected to -which are exacerbated by the climate crisis. This underscores the importance of their (women’s) leadership in responses which are rooted in justice, equity, and access for all; that challenges the systems that drive the climate crisis; and that engenders innovative approaches to knowledge building, adaptation, mitigation, and collective action.”
A Collective Investment in Climate Resilience
Each organisation received USD $25,000 to support projects championing climate justice at the intersection of food security, economic justice and gender justice. This funding is part of CFCJM’s broader goal to facilitate accessible, sustainable and flexible funding for Caribbean feminist organisations which traditionally experience financing challenges and promote feminist climate justice, ensuring that vulnerable communities across the Caribbean are equipped to combat the impacts of climate change.
Dr. Joyelle Clarke, Technical Advisor of the CFCJM, stated: “It is our intention to support the growth of a feminist climate justice movement in the region. One based on access to flexible financing. One premised on trust-based philanthropy and one which supports the efforts of grassroots organizations.”
Ms. Constable further elaborated on the Global Fund for Women’s rationale for supporting the Caribbean Feminist Climate Justice Movement through the provision of grant funding: “While GFW contributes to the financial resources needed to build more resilient communities, it is grassroots organizations’ labour, knowledge and; social and political capital that enables the transformation. This approach is at the core of our efforts towards intersectionality, trust-based partnerships, and power-sharing for more just climate action. We are privileged to work with and learn from these actors.”
Champions of Climate Action in St. Lucia
The funded projects spearheaded by Girls of a Feather and Helen’s Daughter underscore the critical work being undertaken by women-led organizations in St. Lucia. Speaking on the impact of this funding:
Chelsea Foster, Executive Director of Girls of a Feather said: “The funding will support training and community action projects for the Y4GE programme, an annual training for youth leaders through the Youth for Gender Equality Ambassadorship Programme, where regional activists support their understanding of gender issues and guide them in designing community action projects. One of our newest initiatives, the Ruffling Feathers web series, which previously focused on comprehensive sexuality education, will this year highlight climate action and gender in St. Lucia through youth-friendly content.”
Keithlin Caroo-Afrifa, Executive Director, Helen’s Daughters Inc also shared: “At Helen’s Daughters, we believe that women in agriculture are the essential glue uniting farming communities, transcending gender, class, age, and social status. With this funding, we will lead an inclusive Unconference on Agriculture, driven by women but designed for the entire Caribbean farming community. Through workshops, peer-to-peer learning, and cross-generational mentorship, participants will gain practical tools for climate resilience, sustainable agriculture, and community building.”
The Caribbean Feminist Climate Justice Movement continues its mission to reimagine philanthropy, center community voices, and mobilize feminist climate solutions that are inclusive, equitable, and sustainable.