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Bending the Bow: Targeting Women's Human Rights and Opportunities Director's Message Without Women, Democracy Fails This publication reflects on the first four years of the Network Women's Program (NWP) of the Open Society Institute. We hope that it explains not only what has become possible because of funding, but also offers insight into the way a unique network operates. This publication is by no means comprehensive. However, it does provide in-depth coverage of areas where our network had the most success as well as country essays, based on consultants' reports and Women's Program strategies, that give a brief, general overview of work on the ground. Over four years, the Soros foundations network has become one of the most consistent, flexible, and responsive funders of women's movements in Central and Eastern Europe, the countries of the former Soviet Union, and Mongolia. NWP is proud to have helped put the perspectives of the region's women on the map of the inter-national women's movement and to foster their participation in arenas in which global agendas are formulated. Looking back to when NWP began, it is difficult to imagine that only two foundations had explicit programs to support women's issues: Poland's Stefan Batory Foundation and the Open Society Foundation for Albania. In addition, the Fund for an Open Society–Yugoslavia supported women's issues in all its programs. Yet, the Soros foundations network overall was not an ally of emerging postsocialist women's movements. Clearly, there was a missing component in its open society mission. The Network Women's Program's beginning was a journey into unknown territory. In September 1997, NWP convened its First Forum to create a common vision. Over 140 participants—representatives of 28 Soros foundations, women's studies scholars, regional and international leaders of women's NGOs, international donors, and United Nations representatives—helped define the Program's priorities. There was no recipe for creating a successful program or network, or fulfilling our mission within an institutional framework based on the autonomy of the Soros foundations. The independent status of the foundations was both a challenge and a potential asset. We realized that the Soros foundations could become a unique resource for the development of women's movements in the region. In order to succeed, we had to avoid "top-down" solutions—to negotiate within a structure and mandate that encouraged change, but did not impose it. Initially, NWP had only a narrow consultative status with no financial incentives to offer. With the December 1997 decision of the OSI leadership to expand the Program's mandate, NWP acquired funds for "matching" the Soros foundations' commitments to women's programs. By 2000, all Soros foundations (with the exception of Hungary) had strategies for women's empowerment in place and had worked with NWP. Though the number of grants made in each of the 26 countries was relatively small, the Soros network as a whole became the biggest funder for women's movements in the region. Between 1997 and 2000, NWP and the women's programs of the Soros foundations infused over $9 million into the region for women's issues. Several factors have supported the rapid and successful development of NWP. These include the commitment of OSI leadership, intensive work with Soros foundations and regional directors, strong collaborations with other network programs, and the personal commitment of an extraordinary team of foundation Women's Program coordinators who serve as NWP liaisons. Over time, the network of Women's Program coordinators (WPCs) began to act as a major program design, implementation, and evaluation body. The WPC community represents an essential element in the methodology of NWP operations. This network of committed women and men redefined the traditional role of the foundations' program coordinators, becoming proactive advocates for women's agendas. Their commitment and vision enable NWP to fulfill its mission. Appreciating four years of work, we must be realistic about the sustainability of women's movements. Overall, these movements and institutions still need ongoing commitment from donors. At the same time, many major donors are pulling back, due to "fatigue" and changing global priorities. OSI itself is going global, which means there are new challenges. Yet change also creates new opportunities. Contributing to global agendas, the networks in OSI's traditional region will link to global women's networks. For the global women's community, ongoing network-building and international linkage have been especially underfunded. NWP's experience suggests that supporting women's networks pays off, and we will work on bringing this message to the international arena. The mission of building gender-inclusive democracies is far from being fulfilled. We are still at the beginning of the road to creating truly inclusive open societies. As part of the funding community, we must continue to advocate for increasing resources for women's empowerment. As a part of the global women's movement, we must ensure that women's voices are a vital part of global politics. Simply put, if women are excluded from democracy, democracy fails.
— Anastasia Posadskaya-Vanderbeck |