With and For Girls Fund and Collective is a Freetown, Sierra Leone-based feminist funding group. The group is housed and run by fellow Sierra Leone-based feminist group Purposeful. The group focuses on funding feminist groups run by girls and has a database where girls can submit funding proposals. ¹ Western-based groups such as the Ford Foundation, Comic Relief, and the Wellspring Philanthropic Fund support the group. ²

In December 2023, the group came out in support of an immediate end to Israel’s military campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas and for the end to all military aid to Israel by the U.S. and European governments. ³

Background

The Stars Foundation founded With and For Girls Fund and Collective in 2014 with the goal of supporting girl-led feminist groups. In 2018, the Stars Foundation shifted its focus from helping children and pursuing advocacy on young people’s issues to supporting the With and For Girls Fund. In 2019, the Stars Foundation transferred control and housing of the With and For Girls Fund to Purposeful and closed. ⁴

Structure

The With and For Girls Fund and Collective consists of the With and For Girls Fund and the With and For Girls Collective. ⁵

The With and For Girls Fund serves as the funding mechanism for groups. The group maintains an open database where girls can submit requests for funding. The fund awards money during six open periods and connects the girls to advisors and feminist training. ⁶

The With and For Girls Collective are the groups who provide the actual funding for the girl-led groups. The groups providing the funding are Comic Relief, Empower, FRIDA: The Young Feminist Fund, Foundation For A Just Society, Ford Foundation, Girls First Fund, Global Fund for Children, Global Fund For Women, Plan International, MADRE, Mama Cash, and Wellspring Philanthropic Fund. ⁷

Advocacy Stances

The With and For Girls Fund and Collective supports issues such as expanding access to education, advocating for sexual and reproductive rights including legal abortion, ending child marriage, and ending violence against women. The group connects its work to Africa’s anti-colonial movements, to the Arab Spring and its struggle for democracy against authoritarian regimes, and to those who are calling for more government action to combat climate change. ⁸

In February 2023, the With and For Girls Fund and Collective’s official Twitter account reposted a tweet from its parent group, Purposeful, linking to a publication it created to promote feminists in Ukraine who opposing Russia’s invasion of the country, which it called an imperialist war. ⁹

In December 2023, the group’s parent group, Purposeful, supported the Funders for Ceasefire campaign against Israel’s military campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, and the With and For Girls Fund and Collective reposted Purposeful’s original Twitter post in support. ¹⁰ The campaign called for an end to all American and European military aid to Israel, the entry of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, an immediate cessation of hostilities, and the release of all Israeli hostages held by Hamas and the release of all Palestinians it accuses Israel of unlawfully detaining. The campaign accused of Israel of committing war crimes and engaging in collective punishment of Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip. ¹¹

Leadership

The With and For Girls Fund and Collective’s director is Purity Kagwiria, who is a Kenyan feminist activist. ¹²

1. “With and for Girls Fund.” We Are Purposeful. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://wearepurposeful.org/projects/with-and-for-girls-fund/.
2. “With and for Girls Collective.” We Are Purposeful. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://wearepurposeful.org/projects/with-and-for-girls-collective/.
3. “With And For Girls.” Twitter. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://twitter.com/withandforgirls.
4. Deepak, Swatee. “From Working with and for Girls to Being More Intentional and Purposeful:” Medium, December 19, 2018. https://we-are-purposeful.medium.com/from-working-with-and-for-girls-to-being-more-intentional-and-purposeful-445b276672e7.
5. Myrum, Jody, and Purity Kagwiria. “The Power of Donor Organising.” Medium, October 10, 2022. https://we-are-purposeful.medium.com/girls-and-young-feminists-bring-incredible-organising-power-creativity-and-courage-to-their-621153dd952e.
6. “With and for Girls Fund.” We Are Purposeful. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://wearepurposeful.org/projects/with-and-for-girls-fund/.
7. “With and for Girls Collective.” We Are Purposeful. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://wearepurposeful.org/projects/with-and-for-girls-collective/.
8. “With and for Girls Collective.” We Are Purposeful. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://wearepurposeful.org/projects/with-and-for-girls-collective/.
9. “With And For Girls.” Twitter. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://twitter.com/withandforgirls.
10. With And For Girls.” Twitter. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://twitter.com/withandforgirls.
11. “Philanthropy Open Letter for Humanity and Justice.” Funders for a Ceasefire Now. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://funders4ceasefire.org/.
12. Myrum, Jody, and Purity Kagwiria. “The Power of Donor Organising.” Medium, October 10, 2022. https://we-are-purposeful.medium.com/girls-and-young-feminists-bring-incredible-organising-power-creativity-and-courage-to-their-621153dd952e.