The mission of AWDF (African Women’s Development Fund) is to support African women’s organisations with a focus on women’s rights, empowering women in various thematic areas such as health, economic security, leadership, and justice. AWDF aims to fund initiatives that promote women's well-being, economic security, participation in decision-making, and address issues of inequality and injustice, with a particular interest in projects that support young women, women facing multiple discrimination, and innovative approaches involving arts, culture, sports, and technology.
The AWDF grants program centers on enhancing African women's rights and participation across three main thematic areas: Body & Health Rights, Economic Security & Justice, and Leadership, Participation & Peace. These areas encompass a wide range of focuses, including but not limited to, ending violence against women, sexual and reproductive rights, LBT rights, land and property rights, food sovereignty, climate justice, and women's participation in governance. AWDF encourages applications for innovative projects that address the leadership, involvement, and needs of women and communities most affected by inequality. Grant requests can go up to US$50,000 for one-year projects, typically supporting a mix of project funding, core operating costs, and capacity building aimed at organisational growth. Fundable activities include campaigns for women's rights, training, action-research, alliance and movement-building, interventions to change public attitudes, support services for women’s rights, and income generation activities with a rights-based approach.