About This Project
An African Funder for African Women
AWDF is one of Africa's most respected women's funds. It supports organisations working at the frontline of gender justice across the continent. For WAG, securing an AWDF grant was a mark of recognition — confirming the organisation's credibility as a serious women's rights actor in the African context.
Strengthening Advocacy Capacity
The grant supported WAG to build the skills and confidence of women and girls with disabilities to advocate for their own rights. This included training, peer learning, and equipping women with the knowledge needed to engage duty bearers, claim services, and participate in community decision-making.
Economic Empowerment
A key focus of this project was economic self-reliance. WAG worked with women and girls with disabilities to improve their access to economic opportunities and financial skills. This included support for income-generating activities and links to savings and loans programmes in the community.
How WAG Connected with AWDF
WAG first connected with AWDF through the Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) global forum in Brazil, where WAG hosted a disability hub and presented its work to an international audience. That exposure led directly to a funding relationship — demonstrating the value of international networking for a small Malawian NGO.
Part of a Growing Funding Portfolio
The AWDF grant ran alongside other projects during 2021 to 2023, including support from the Disability Rights Fund and SDDirect. Together, these grants marked a period of significant growth for WAG — moving from a small, largely volunteer-led organisation to a fully staffed and multi-funded NGO.
What This Project Achieved
Stronger advocacy skills among women and girls with disabilities
Participants gained greater confidence and practical skills to speak up for their rights — in their communities, with service providers, and in wider advocacy spaces.
Improved access to economic opportunities
Women and girls with disabilities supported through the project gained greater access to income-generating activities and financial tools, reducing economic barriers to their participation in community life.
Increased visibility for WAG at continental level
The AWDF relationship helped raise WAG's profile beyond Malawi, positioning the organisation as part of a wider African women's rights movement and opening doors to further continental networks and partnerships.
A platform for the next phase of growth
The period 2021 to 2023 was one of WAG's most formative. AWDF funding, alongside support from other donors during this time, helped the organisation develop the systems, staff, and track record needed to compete for the large-scale grants it holds today.