(San Juan, Puerto Rico – January 15, 2025) The Fundación de Mujeres en Puerto Rico (FMnPR) announced today, Wednesday, the awarding of new grants to ten nonprofit organizations dedicated to reproductive, economic, gender, and racial justice. These grants will support organizations that provide services and assistance to women, girls, and the gender-expansive community on the island.

This year, a pioneering organization in feminist philanthropy in Puerto Rico is making an investment of $440,000. The focus is on providing economic, educational, and technical support to key entities in reproductive health, public policy, human rights, research, and comprehensive sexual education.

“The new cohort of organizations demonstrates our institutional commitment to strengthening the community and organizational foundations that address the significant challenges faced by women, girls, and the broader gender community in Puerto Rico. We are proud to support the comprehensive development of organizations that courageously challenge the stereotypes, taboos, and violence affecting our quality of life,” stated Verónica Colón Rosario, executive director of FMnPR.

The organizations involved in this initiative will be referred to as “copartes,” as they will work closely with FMnPR after receiving the grant. Their collaboration will focus on providing specialized support to advance the mission of promoting gender equity in Puerto Rico. The entities participating in this new cycle of economic and technical support include: Alianza Mujeres Viequenses (AMV), CADERAMEN, WetJustice, Aula Comunitaria PR, Colectiva Feminista en Construcción, True Self Foundation, Observatorio de Equidad de Género de Puerto Rico, Casa de la Bondad, Asociación Puertorriqueña Pro Bienestar de las Familias (Profamilias), and Colectivo Ilé.

The grants are distributed among three main funds: reproductive justice, economic justice, and gender and racial justice. These themes are central to the comprehensive vision of FMnPR, which aims to promote fair and inclusive economic relationships with women and their communities. 

The goal of the reproductive justice fund is to enhance the outreach of popular education projects that tackle important issues such as menopause, comprehensive sexual education, obstetric violence, and advocacy for the right to choose. WetJustice is focused on fostering a culture of responsibility through education that emphasizes diversity, autonomy, and healthy relationships free from violence.

“The support from the Foundation has been crucial in ensuring free and open access to comprehensive sex education, especially for adolescents, who are one of the most vulnerable groups at risk of sexual violence. The sexual and reproductive rights of this population are often compromised by the prevailing taboos and hypersexualization in our archipelago. Through our work, we provide educational opportunities for youth, facilitating access to knowledge, skills, and abilities that promote informed decision-making for their safety and well-being.” stated Karla Ferrer Arévalo, a social worker and the founder of the WetJustice initiative.

Similarly, the economic justice fund aims to enhance the institutional infrastructure of historically underfunded organizations that receive significantly less philanthropic funding than other nonprofit organizations.

“This is the first time we have received operational funding from FMnPR. We consider this grant to be a significant achievement, as it validates and supports the work we do. Our efforts directed towards stigmatized communities in Puerto Rico are not only necessary but also complex, given that philanthropy often tends to be conservative and privileged. Funding to support work with diverse communities related to sexual orientation and gender identity is generally hard to come by. Therefore, receiving this financial support is a relief,” stated Dr. Miguel Vázquez Rivera, Executive Director of the organization True Self.

The gender and racial justice fund will support the Colectivo Ilé, an organization with more than 30 years of experience in anti-racist work. This organization focuses on investigating the impacts of racism on Afro-descendant youth in Puerto Rico.

For more information on how to support the work of FMnPR, you can visit their social media or the website fundacionmujerespuertorico.org