A new $15 million Her Horizon Fund, seeded by Wallace Global Fund and an anonymous donor, has been launched at the Justice for Girls convening to support frontline efforts to end female genital mutilation/cutting worldwide.
Aiming to pool $100 million, the fund responds to collapsing donor support and will channel resources directly to survivor-led, community-based organisations.
A new fund aimed at supporting the frontline movement to end female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) was launched recently at the landmark Justice for Girls convening, a gathering of 150 movement leaders from 36 countries, according to a statement.
Seeded with $14 million from Wallace Global Fund, Her Horizon Fund is the largest known philanthropic commitment backing the frontline organisations working to end FGM/C.
Wallace Global Fund, a US-based philanthropy that has prioritised FGM/C since its inception, announced an additional contribution of $1.5 million from an anonymous donor. Her Horizon Fund’s ultimate goal is to pool $100 million from bilateral, philanthropic, and corporate donors to reach a “tipping point” toward ending FGM/C in a generation, noted the statement.
It added that the launch of Her Horizon Fund comes at a time when donor funding is in freefall. Bilateral aid budgets are being slashed, and humanitarian and development assistance is in steep decline, particularly for survivor-led work in local communities. “Her Horizon Fund is an urgent intervention in response to this funding shortfall and will provide a direct pipeline of support to frontline organizations.”
The statement quoted Scott Fitzmorris, Wallace Global Fund co-chair, inviting other donors to join so that the momentum building toward ending FGM/C becomes inevitable and unstoppable.
In designing the new fund, Wallace Global Fund carried out a comprehensive multi-year field assessment and extensive consultations with survivors, donors, and movement actors. Survivors and activists will continue to shape the Fund’s strategic direction and grant making decisions.
The new fund will be global in scope unlike other FGM/C funding vehicles.
FGM/C—the partial or total removal of female genitalia for nonmedical reasons—has been endured by over 230 million women and girls, including over 144 million in Africa, 80 million in Asia, and 6 million in the Middle East. FGM/C can cause immediate health complications such as severe pain, excessive bleeding, and infection, as well as long-term consequences, including complications during childbirth, chronic pain, and lasting psychological trauma. It is a leading cause of death in the countries in which it is practiced.
Although ending FGM/C is enshrined in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, donor funding is still profoundly misaligned with the scale and urgency of the challenge. This is particularly true for the resources available to support work led by frontline activists and survivors. Without sustained, large-scale investment in the women and girls who are leading change in their own communities, millions more will continue to be harmed.
“The Justice for Girls convening is the ideal launch for Her Horizon Fund,” said Mariya Taher, cofounder of Sahiyo. “We have gathered in Kenya from around the world to strengthen alignment, share bold strategies, and accelerate collective progress, and Her Horizon Fund will sustain this momentum long after the convening ends.”
Her Horizon Fund will be housed at Women Win, a women’s fund based in the Netherlands. Grantmaking operations will begin in 2027. For more information visit www.herhorizonfund.org.