The funds support initiatives to empower communities regarding their reproductive and sexual rights, promote the sustainability of organizations and feminist collectives, and help them deal with emergencies

San Juan, Puerto Rico, April 13, 2023 – With the objective to amplify the knowledge of different populations on their reproductive and sexual rights, and to foster the strengthening of feminist organizations and collectives, Puerto Rico Women’s Foundation(PRWF) announced this Tuesday the distribution of their funds for Reproductive Justice, Mitigation and Economic Justice.

Under the Fund for Reproductive Justice, the PRWF will grant $60,000 for the development of six community projects meant to empower the youth and pregnant people regarding their rights and in this way make informed decisions about their bodies. Included are topics on abortion rights and access to contraceptives; the availability of doulas and midwives, and consent.

The organizations that will receive the fund are Alianza Mujeres Viequenses, Caderamen, Campaña Aborto Libre PR, Mujeres de Islas, Nuestra Escuela Libre PR and WetJustice.

Some of the projects they are looking to gestate are the development of training manuals and peer education training in Vieques and Culebra; experiential workshops for youth 12 to 17 and their caretakers to be able to recognize, exercise and defend their reproductive rights, the realization of a video on abortion rights to promote community conversations on the topic.

“In this critical moment, when our rights are under an extremist fundamental attack, we have so many more reasons to support the movement of Reproductive Justice. We decide to not stay on the sidelines of the situation.”, established Verónica Colón Rosario, executive director of Puerto Rico Women’s Foundation.

Colón Rosario pointed out that reproductive justice is about so much more than just our bodies. It’s an intersection of race, economic justice, LGBTQIAP+ justice and all the problems that affect our capacity to live free of oppression, she sustained.

Moreover, 17 organizations were the beneficiary of the funds of Economic Justice and Mitigation, which, in this case, sums up to $560,000. The organizations are A Flor de Piel, Casa

Juana Colón, Casa Protegida Julia de Burgos, Equilátera -Todas, Proyecto Matria, SIEMPREVIVAS RUM, SIEMPREVIVAS METRO, Caderamen, Capromuni I y II, Centro de la Mujer Dominicana, Colectivo Ilé, Coordinadora Paz para las Mujeres (Centro Paz para Ti), Hogar La Bondad, Hogar La Piedad, Hogar Nueva Mujer Santa María de la Merced, Hogar Ruth para Mujeres Maltratadas and La Casa de Todos.

As part of the feminist philanthropic practice, PRWF delivers flexible subventions to attend to the operational side of the feminist entities and collectives, which tend to be left unattended by federal and state proposals.

The Economic Justice Fund aims to fortify the administrative structure of the organizations to promote their long-term sustainability. It aims to pay salaries and professional services, specialists, and the creation of strategic alliances.

While the Mitigation Fund is destined for the preparation and response to climatic emergency situations, health and uninterrupted electric energy.

The Mitigation Fund came to be upon the lessons learned from hurricanes Maria and Fiona, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The PRWF identified the need for a support strategy that permits organizations to plan and act with urgency when unexpected situations like these occur.

The 15 beneficiary organizations that the Mitigation Fund supports include emergency shelters for domestic abuse survivors and organizations with psychosocial services and housing for survivors of gender violence.

“All of the funds are thought out from a feminist philanthropic mindset, that, above all, respects the autonomy and the knowing of all parts involved, it’s a way of fortifying the organizations, which are the ones doing the work. Also, this model represents a trusting relationship between the Foundation and its partners. We are facilitators and companions in this process”, established Sara Benítez, co-president of the Board of Directors of the PWFR.

In its three years in existence, the Puerto Rico Women’s Foundation has distributed close to one million dollars to support collectives and organizations that work day in and day out in defense of women’s rights in all its diversity and gender-fluid people with the objective to promote gender equity and social justice.