Mozambique is facing a severe political and social crisis following the October 2024 elections, marked by violence, repression, and a heavy police and military presence, especially in Maputo. This has created a climate of fear, disrupting commerce and public transport and worsening economic hardships for citizens. Businesses are struggling, and unemployment has risen, disproportionately affecting […]
At the end of November 2024, young entrepreneurs showcased ground breaking agricultural innovations at the Urban Futures Spark My Urban City Green youth climate conference. Held over two days in Harare, the event brought together agro-entrepreneurs from Chongwe, Kitwe (Zambia), Bulawayo, and Harare (Zimbabwe). The conference emphasized youth leadership and collaboration, with a focus on […]
Gender-Based Violence (GBV) remains one of the most widespread human rights abuses globally. Shockingly, it is estimated that 1 in 3 women worldwide will endure physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives. The safety of women, especially young girls, is threatened across the globe. To support the global call to end violence […]
In this podcast, we focus on wellness and share insights we’ve gained through our efforts to make wellbeing and collective care central to our work.
Thanks to the support of donors, Hivos has been fighting alongside Indigenous communities for years to protect the Amazon and their rights.
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is a global movement dedicated to raising awareness and fostering action to end gender-based violence (GBV). Held annually from November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, to December 10, Human Rights Day, the campaign highlights the systemic nature of GBV and calls […]
This week, we join the global community in celebrating Women Entrepreneurship Day, a day dedicated to recognizing and empowering women who are turning their dreams into successful businesses. In our ongoing commitment to support women entrepreneurs through the S(HE) Matters project, this year we highlight the journeys of two remarkable women whose lives were transformed […]
To observe this year’s International Day of Rural Women, our S(HE) Matters project hosted a sanitary pad-making workshop for 40 farm workers in Mazowe District, Zimbabwe, in partnership with the General Agriculture and Plantation Workers’ Union of Zimbabwe (GAPWUZ) facilitated by Pad Up Zimbabwe. Besides helping reduce period poverty, the workshop aimed at improving menstrual […]
Free to Be Me’s Economic Empowerment Pathway demonstrates a more targeted approach to tackling the economic marginalization of LGBTIQ+ communities, especially in the Global South, amidst post-COVID economic challenges and the intensification of anti-rights movements. It aligns the advocacy efforts toward policy change, skills development, and job creation with both global and national actors, specifically […]
Last August, the Philippine Free to be Me (F2BM) Communities of Action (CoA) convened at Manila for pivotal Training on Lobbying and Campaigns. The training centered on the World Bank Group’s 2024-2030 Gender Strategy, with gender advocacy organizations identifying crucial opportunities for alignment and potential funding. The F2BM Philippine CoA is a coalition of LGBTIQ+ […]
Recently, the Free to Be Me team was invited to the inauguration of Nadharia Vocational Center in Nairobi. An organization that falls under the Wellspring Philanthropic Fund and focuses on LGBTIQ+ economic empowerment, Nadharia CBO opened its Vocational Center with a number of inspiring speeches, captivating storytelling and also just plain fun! During the evening […]
If you have not heard it on the news, you would have read about it on social media. Lebanon is at war. As some of you may already know, October 7, 2023, marked a new chapter in the Middle East with the Israel-Hamas conflict, ultimately spilling into Lebanon and upscaling regional and international tensions. Ever […]