About Us
Inspiring Girls and Grassroots Networks for Inclusive and Transformative Education (IGNITE) is a 36-month project that aims to amplify the voices and agency of feminist-led CSOs and adolescent girls to subvert gender-related social norms that hinder girls’ participation in education and promote girls’ social inclusion and empowerment.
IGNITE is a consortium funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) though the Support Fund for Feminist Organizations (SFFO) comprising the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR), Rene Moawad Foundation and Urgent Action Fund-Africa (UAF-Africa).
Women’s rights organizations and feminist CSOs are at the forefront of the fight for justice and equality for all girls, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and organizations. These vibrant and active groups are often under- resourced and side-lined by various forces and ideologies.
They deal with enormous social and political backlash in their countries often at the risk of their own safety and security. Through this project, IGNITE Consortium supports a range of feminist CSOs and WROs working in our 7 target countries and/or at a regional level.
IGNITE aims to partner with local feminist and women-led organizations to channel funds in a more client-centered and needs-responsive way.
This approach requires flexibility in funding streams to adapt to new circumstances as they arise, and correct course when necessary. It also aims to empower local organizations so they themselves can access funding directly.
The IGNITE consortium frames our approach around “capacity sharing,” which goes beyond traditional capacity building. We understand capacity sharing as a collaborative and reciprocal process that emphasizes mutual, horizontal learning and co-creation, acknowledging and holding space for CSOs’ expertise.
Instead of a one-way transfer of knowledge and skills, we aim to work together to identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities for growth, and developing solutions that are contextually appropriate and sustainable, while placing adolescent girls' specific needs, perspectives and experience at the forefront of programming.
IGNITE recognizes that funding and capacity strengthening alone will not ensure that feminist CSOs and WROs are able to subvert gender-related norms that hinder girls’ access to education and their empowerment. This is why we also work to influence global and regional discourse and, through grant-making, research, and advocacy efforts to ensure research uptake, create policy change at the local, national, and regional levels.
These efforts support the creation of enabling policy environments in which feminist CSOs and WROs can operate and girls themselves can access quality education.
IGNITE is a consortium, funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) through the Support Fund for Feminist Organizations (SFOF) comprising the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR), Rene Moawad Foundation and Urgent Action Fund-Africa (UAF-Africa).
Inspiring Girls and Grassroots Networks for Inclusive and Transformative Education (IGNITE) is a 36-month project that aims to amplify the voices and agency of feminist-led CSOs and adolescent girls to subvert gender-related social norms that hinder girls’ participation in education and promote girls’ social inclusion and empowerment.
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