The Women in Dev Tapestry Series
Over the course of six months, Women in Dev’s “Tapestry Series” brought together networks, movements, and coalitions working in the fields of Health, Climate, Racial Equality and Feminist Organising to create a visual map of the intersections between the work happening in these spaces and the advancement of gender equality. The goal of this webinar series was to share and deepen knowledge of the issues, organisations and initiatives that are operating in various focus areas within the social justice and International Development sector. As a means of amplifying and expanding the reach of the message, an illustrator is present during each session, forming a digital “tapestry” that highlights the work being done in each sector, but also the intersections between the sectors.
In the first session, hosted by Women in Dev and Comotion Founder, Rachel Firth, participants Kristy Kade (White Ribbon Alliance), Tikhala Itaye (Women in Global Heath), Neha Mankani (PUSH campaign), and Juna Turalde (SheDecides), discuss the biggest projects and issues they are focused on, who they are working with, the joint initiatives they are involved in, and the current challenges and funding gaps in the sphere of Global Health.
In the second session, speakers Aqlila Alwy (Rise Up Movement), Ursula Miniszewski (Global Greengrants Fund), Pascaline Umulisa (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) and Guido Corno (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) shared the same information about the work they are doing in the climate space.
In the third session of the series, speakers Lena Bheeroo (Bond), Uma Mishra-Newbery (Racial Equity Index and The Better Org) and Angela Raeburn (DiverseDEV) dove into the work they are doing in the racial justice space.
In the fourth session, speakers Dr. Leanne Levers (Dope Black Women – who is also a Director at Comotion) Latanya Mapp Frett (then Global Fund for Women, but now President at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors) and Nino Ugrekhelidze (Feminist Consultant) discussed their insights from the feminist organising and network building space.
The fifth and final session of the series, speakers discussed the work they are doing in the feminist funding space. Panellists Jabilsile Tugwana (Black Feminist Fund), Jess Tomlin (Equality Fund), Alfonsina Peñaloza (Co-Impact) and Joy Chia (Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice / Prospera International Network of Women’s Funds) explored the biggest projects or issues they are focused on in the realm of feminist funding: who they are working with, the joint initiatives they are involved in, and the current funding gaps.
Overall, this was an interactive and dynamic series of panel discussions, bringing in various perspectives and experiences of participants and the organisations they represent to cover each theme, contributing to the overarching goal of ensuring more equity, collaboration, and connections within the broader social justice and International Development space.
