The ‘Architecture of Change: Feminist Pathways to Financing Gender Equality Compendium’ brings together 13 research papers answering critical questions about the future of financing feminist futures globally. It highlights why feminist movements must be funded, how current financing systems can be reimagined to benefit everyone, and what feminist-led solutions already exist. At a time when global development frameworks are being reassessed, these insights offer concrete, inclusive alternatives that address systemic inequalities head-on.
Critical questions
The first question– Why is funding feminist movements essential? – makes a powerful case for sustained, meaningful investment in feminist actors, especially youth-led and grassroots groups, by highlighting the risks of defunding and the critical role these movements play in advancing gender equality. The second – How can we reimagine alternative funding models for feminist organizing? – explores innovative, locally grounded approaches to resourcing feminist work, including climate-aligned financing, family philanthropy, caste-conscious funding, and municipal budget reform. The final question – How can we rebuild fairer financial systems? – offers a systemic critique of global financial structures and calls for feminist, justice-driven alternatives such as gender-responsive debt relief, equitable trade agreements, and progressive tax reforms.
Roadmap
Together, these research papers provide a roadmap for transforming how feminist movements are resourced. These are not distant, detached academic reflections. They are rooted in movement, memory, and resistance. 39 authors write from the ground, focusing on more than 30 countries: from Dalit feminist collectives reclaiming health rights, to African coalitions challenging debt colonialism, to queer organizers demanding bodily autonomy in hostile political climates. Their knowledge is forged in struggle, sharpened by urgency, and infused with a fierce determination to reimagine a more just world. At a time when inclusive policies are being defunded and the political landscape is growing increasingly exclusionary and violent, these contributions represent a collective act of defiance and a roadmap for building a just and sustainable future together. This collection serves as a potent reminder that transformation is not an abstract concept – it is already in motion.
You can find the 13 separate research reports here.
