“Strengthening Feminist Movements for Reproductive Autonomy” launches at Latin American Feminist Conference

The MAREAS consortium brings together four organizations with decades of experience in reproductive health and rights. The members include Reprod'Action Santé, the Consorcio Latinoamericano contra el Aborto Seguro (CLACAI) and Médecins du Monde-France. Ipas, an international reproductive justice organization with a strong presence in all target countries, will assume the role of consortium leader.

“This multi-country initiative will not only amplify the power of feminist and women-led civil society organizations, it is also an example of how feminist sub-granting is emerging in Francophone Africa. There is no doubt we need to continue to defend gender equality and democracy. Sexual and reproductive health and rights stand as a central, non-negotiable pillar of democracy, making the MAREAS project more vital than ever. The project will help address deep structural inequalities such as gender based violence. We are thrilled to bring Latin American and East African expertise to the region and are thankful for France longstanding relationship with feminist organizations,” said Fabiola Mizero, Regional Director Ipas Francophone.

This innovative project has been funded by Agence française de développement (AFD) through its Support Fund for Feminist Organizations (FSOF) to strengthen organizations in all their diversity across Africa and Latin America. This €6 million funding will be complemented by capacity building rooted in feminist methodology and guided by regional feminist grantmaking committees. The project will be implemented through three different channels : (i) subgranting as the consortium will provide funding to grassroots feminist organizations supporting women’s rights and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) ; (ii) capacity building through peer-to-peer technical and financial capacity building, delivered by the consortium to local recipient CSOs,and (iii) through advocacy as the project will support the networking of CSOs and their joint advocacy initiatives.

This is the 9th call for proposals  AFD has launched in the past 7 years to identify a consortium of CSOs implementing an intermediary fund, the others ranging on a diverse set of priorities including gender based violence, climate justice and women’s economic empowerment. Co-piloted by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the AFD, the FSOF has supported over 1,400 organizations in 75 countries across Latin America, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, with a total financial commitment of EUR 254 million, between 2020 and 2024. The project will capitalize on the knowledge and best practices of other sub-granting projects of the Support Fund for Feminist Organizations and the CSOs supported through the project will become part of the broader FSOF community.

The launch of MAREAS follows the conclusion of the French government’s 4th Ministerial Conference on Feminist Foreign Policies (FFP), on October 28, in Paris. Feminist foreign policies not only strengthen the protection of sexual and reproductive health and rights, it centers gender equality at the core of its response to barriers faced by women and girls needing reproductive health care.

"Since 2020, AFD has been channeling resources through the FSOF to feminist movements addressing the most pressing gender equality challenges—from GBV to climate justice and now bodily autonomy through MAREAS. This approach reflects our belief that sustainable progress on women's rights requires strong, well-resourced feminist organizations leading the way in their own communities and contexts." says Julie GONNET, Deputy Director of the Social Development Division

“We are incredibly honoured to partner with our allies in Africa to share lessons from the Green Wave and mvement-building in Latin America, drawing on both experiences to advance bodily autoonomy and reproductive justice”, said Susana Chávez, Secretariat for Strategic Development for CLACAI.

MAREAS aims to advance bodily autonomy as a fundamental right, with a strong focus on access to SRHR services. By energizing local, national, and regional ecosystems, MAREAS will position feminist CSOs as leading actors in transforming gender norms and expanding reproductive rights.

"We are honoured to be part of the MAREAS consortium. This is an opportunity to work towards strengthening and implementing  strategic actions for the empowerment, emancipation and protection of the rights of girls, women and reproductive justice,” said Amour Aguiar, executive director of  RAS.

The organizations have historical and experiential knowledge of the environment, an understanding the dynamics of feminist movements and the importance of supporting them in the face of growing anti-rights movements. Together they will actively work to build bridges of solidarity and innovation between CSOs.

“Every day, women and girls die from unsafe abortions because they are made illegal. Healthcare should never be criminalised. These deaths are preventable: it is urgent that we guarantee safe and legal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare for all,” said Marie Luissier, SHSR Advocacy Advisor at MDM France.

MAREAS’s scope will extend to eight partner countries in Africa and Latin America combining a diversity of contexts, social and feminist dynamics.

The project will focus on strengthening grassroots organizations committed to influencing discourses and attitudes around sexual and reproductive health rights and the promotion of bodily autonomy; and expanding and diversifying access to information, services, and health products.

MAREAS will identify CSOs that represent the voices of marginalized communities, those far from services and information, including survivors of violence, women with disabilities, LGBTQ+ people, and youth.

This innovative project will not only strengthen feminist led movements, it will help CSOs defend and promote women's rights and gender equality in the face of a growing anti-rights movement.  

Ipas is a global network, working with partners across five continents –  Africa, Asia, and the Americas – to expand access to abortion and contraception because we believe everyone has the right to control their own body, health, and future. ipas.org

The Latin American Coalition Against Unsafe Abortion – CLACAI is a regional interdisciplinary coalition , founded in 2005, that brings together researchers, health professionals, lawyers, communicators, journalists, policymakers and activists to reduce unsafe abortions in Latin America and the Caribbean. It works to develop and sustain legal frameworks and public policies that guarantee the right to reproductive self-determination , while promoting access to reliable information and safe technologies. CLACAI leads a unique regional dynamic, supporting more than 40 local initiatives through funding, training and technical support.

Médecins du Monde (MdM) is an international solidarity medical association that tirelessly fights for a fair and universal healthcare system. 
Médecins du Monde operates in France and internationally, in more than 30 countries, on development and humanitarian projects. Its approach is based on close partnerships with civil society actors and the communities concerned. Since 2010, as a feminist organization, Médecins du Monde has placed sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) at the heart of its action priorities

Reprod'Action Santé (RAS) is a Beninese non-governmental organization founded in 2005 as the Association for Human Development (ADH). In 2022, the organization evolved to become RAS, marking a strategic shift in its commitment to promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights.*

Press contact: 

Noreen Fagan, fagann@ipas.org

Chloé Odstrcil, odstrcilc.ext@afd.fr 

George Hale, george@promdsr.org