About RFLD
1,143 women’s organisations across Africa, working as one network
RFLD connects grassroots women-led organisations in more than 35 African countries to the funding and evidence they need, and to the continental institutions where African law is made.
Founded in 2013 and led by African women, RFLD has supported 9.78 million women and girls.
Our mission
Rights written on paper should change daily life
RFLD resources the women-led organisations that defend African women’s rights, and carries their evidence to the institutions where laws and budgets are decided.
An Africa where women and young people hold the economic and political power to shape their societies, and where civic space stays open for everyone who defends it.
Our vision
Focus areas
Where we serve
RFLD at a glance
The core facts, in one place
For funders, researchers and journalists who need them quickly.
Réseau des Femmes Leaders pour le Développement (RFLD), in English the Network of Women Leaders for Development
2013
A pan-African network of 1,143 member organisations in more than 35 African countries, led by African women
International Organisation in Senegal. Non-governmental organisation in Benin, Ghana, Nigeria and The Gambia. Headquarters at the Africa Office in Accra.
Accra (Africa Office, headquarters), Porto-Novo (Francophone Hub), Dakar (Francophone Hub, International Organisation status), Banjul (ACHPR Liaison), Lagos (Nigeria Office), Igolo (Member and Local Platforms)
About US$3 to 4 million in 2026
Dossi Sêkonnou Gloria AGUEH, Africa Director and Founder
Advocacy across all 55 African Union member states, direct programmes in 15 or more countries, deepest presence in francophone West Africa and the Sahel
9.78 million women and girls between 2013 and 2026, and a network of 575,823 women leaders
Open data, rights-based advocacy, grassroots re-granting, direct service delivery and programme implementation
The Afrofeminist Initiative for Human Rights Development in Francophone West Africa (AIHRDFWA), funded by BMZ with GIZ in eight countries; the BRAVE programme; the NAFASI digital rights consortium funded by Sida; the CHARM Africa consortium
One of 12 organisations in the GIZ / BMZ SEA-T Flagship Cohort under the 2026 G20 Presidency, and Co-Chair of its Advisory Council. Selected for long-term strategic core funding by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
ACHPR Observer Status N°553, NGOsource 501(c)(3) equivalency, annual independent audits under ISA with unqualified opinions, every grant published to the IATI standard, Candid Seal of Transparency 2025
What RFLD already does well
What a partner gains on the first day
We reach organisations most funders cannot
Our members include rural collectives and youth-led groups, some working on issues others avoid. Through the Africa Grant Portfolio and the West African Feminist Fund, money reaches them while RFLD carries due diligence and reporting.
We turn treaties into change people can feel
As an observer to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and a member of the Working Group of its Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, we bring member evidence into continental decisions. Our Maputo Protocol Hub follows how each AU state applies the Protocol.
We produce our own evidence
The DƆNÙESÈ Data Center is a set of twelve open, bilingual policy tools with gender-disaggregated data on health, budgets, legislation and rights violations. We also publish the State of African Francophone Feminist Movements report.
We protect the people doing the work
Women human rights defenders face threats online and offline. We train them in digital resilience and publish the African Digital Safety Compendium, so the knowledge stays with them after the training ends.
How change happens
A cycle that starts and ends with our members
Members document
Member organisations record what women face, from violence to gaps in care. The DƆNÙESÈ Data Center turns it into usable evidence.
RFLD advocates
We take that evidence to parliaments, ministries, ECOWAS and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Laws and budgets move
Governments domesticate the Maputo Protocol, protect defenders and fund the services women need.
Members deliver and monitor
RFLD re-grants to members so they deliver locally and check that commitments are kept. What they learn feeds the next cycle.
Where support goes furthest
Francophone West Africa and the Sahel
This is the corridor we know best. Few large funders have a direct partner here, so new investment reaches movements that are ready to act.
- A trusted local partner. Five legal registrations, International Organisation status in Senegal and six offices make RFLD a safe route for international funding into the region.
- The languages people speak. We work in French and English and publish the Maputo Protocol in Goun, Yoruba, Hausa and Zarma.
- Speed when it matters. Our rapid protection work has cut intervention time for defenders at risk from 72 hours to 18.
- Each grant multiplies. Money that reaches RFLD flows on to member organisations through re-granting and capacity support.
Our experience in gender justice and human rights in Francophone Africa
What your investment makes possible
Programmes running today
| Programme | Where it stands today | What your support unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Flexible, multi-year support Ways to give | Unrestricted grants from the Packard Foundation keep our offices and data centre running. | Core funding over several years lets us plan ahead and say yes when members bring urgent opportunities. |
| AIHRDFWA: human rights in francophone West Africa | Our flagship project, funded by BMZ with GIZ, works with national authorities in eight countries on civic space, protection of women defenders and inclusive policy. | More countries and more defenders reached, with time to turn national commitments into lasting protection systems. |
| West African Feminist Fund About the fund | Grants to women-led organisations in 15 West African countries, including unregistered movements through fiscal sponsorship. | More grassroots groups funded directly, with RFLD as the compliance layer between them and international donors. |
| Maputo Protocol Hub Explore the hub | Tracking how the 55 AU member states apply the Maputo Protocol, with resources in local languages. | Country-level evidence for members to take to parliaments, and wider coverage of the countries still lagging. |
| Organisational Resilience Program See the cohort | Member organisations receive the RFLD Management Suite free of charge, with training in financial management and compliance. | More members able to pass donor audits and manage grants of their own. |
| Defender protection and digital safety View the compendium | Training and practical guidance for women human rights defenders, in French and English. | Training in more countries and faster support for defenders under threat. |
| Health and SRHR See the health hub | Grassroots SRHR advocacy, francophone resource hubs and last-mile malaria prevention. | More communities reached, and stronger maternal and newborn health outcomes. |
We are glad to shape a programme around your priorities. Write to programs@rflgd.org for current budgets and results frameworks.
Ways to invest in RFLD
From a catalyst grant to a five-year partnership
Each level is costed from our real programme figures. Our governance, audits and re-granting systems are built to receive large, flexible gifts and put them to work quickly.
Unrestricted over five years, about a quarter of our annual budget each year. Grows WAFF into a permanent pool, extends the Resilience Program across the continent and opens new country presence.
Discuss a giftOver three years. Funds one flagship programme end to end, with its fair share of core costs.
Plan a partnershipOne six-month WAFF round: about ten women-led organisations at €20,000 to €25,000 each, with strengthening and monitoring. Between June and September 2026, RFLD awarded 16 grants, including €160,000 to nine organisations.
Fund a roundSix months. Funds grants to two grassroots women-led organisations, with organisational strengthening.
Make a grantAmounts in US dollars. Giving as an individual? Donate online or give through your DAF.
Results
Key figures from our monitoring and audited accounts
women leaders in our network
less likely to drop out of school, for the girls and young women we support*
of women and girls we support say they can better shape their life goals*
intervention time for defenders at risk, down from 72
*RFLD participant survey, July 2026. We share the data and methods behind every figure with partners on request.
How we measure
Our Head of Impact and Learning leads one monitoring, evaluation and learning framework across every programme, combining gender analysis, outcome tracking and regular learning cycles. We report to each partner on the schedule in its grant agreement, publish every grant to IATI and have our accounts audited every year.
- Women and girls reached, by age and location
- School retention and learning outcomes
- Self-reported agency over life goals
- Member organisations strengthened and grants re-granted to them
- Policy and legal changes we contributed to
- Response time and outcomes for defenders at risk
Benin’s Law No. 2021-12
RFLD was part of the civil society advocacy behind Benin’s Law No. 2021-12, adopted in October 2021. It amended the 2003 law on sexual and reproductive health and widened legal access to safe abortion, a change that protects women’s lives and health.
Read about the law RFLD on Al Jazeera
16 June 2026 · DakarThe ACHPR, Sweden and Germany convene at RFLD
For the concertation “Solidarity, Protection and Lineage of Engagement”, RFLD hosted the ACHPR Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, H.E. Catharina Cappelin, Ambassador of Sweden to Senegal, and Germany, represented by Ms Henriette Wolf of the German Embassy and Ms Katja Roeckel, Country Director of GIZ Senegal, with around thirty institutional actors, defenders and journalists.
Verified and accountable
Every credential can be checked
Observer Status with the ACHPR, N°553, and membership of the Working Group of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders
NGOsource 501(c)(3) equivalency: US foundations and donor-advised funds can grant to RFLD as to a US public charity
Independent annual audits under ISA, with consecutive unqualified opinions
Every grant published to IATI. Candid Seal of Transparency 2025
Safeguarding and risk
- Safeguarding and PSEA. Our Code of Conduct, Child Safeguarding Policy and Anti-Harassment and Safeguarding Policy prohibit sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. Every sub-grantee commits in writing.
- Whistleblowing. A confidential channel at integrity@rflgd.org, with protection for whistleblowers and an independent Ethics Committee.
- Anti-fraud. Zero tolerance, risk assessments, dual signatures on high-value transfers, competitive procurement and annual external audits.
- Security for defenders. Risk assessment, digital security support and rapid response, guided by the African Digital Safety Compendium.
Funders and partners who have backed our work
Strategic Plan 2023–2028
Four strategic objectives
Rights and Representation
Domesticating the Maputo Protocol and bringing women into governance through PAWELE. Example: our call to Liberia to ban FGM.
Civil Liberties, Democracy and Health Rights
Protecting civic space and defenders, and expanding SRHR through BRAVE. Read the role of defenders in the plan.
Economic and Climate Justice
Women’s economic rights, gender-responsive budgets, land rights and climate justice. See our handbook on women’s economic justice.
Governance and Civic Participation
Women in governance, peace and security, through the ACDEG Hub and ECOWAS work.
Where to find us
Six offices along the West African coast
Our advocacy covers all 55 African Union member states. These offices anchor it.
Nmai Dzorn, Adjiringano Rd, Eden Court, Accra
+233 53 496 88665ème et 6ème étage, Immeuble Cité Keur Gorgui, Résidence « AW 06 », Dakar
+221 77 541 84 37Hounsa, Rue de l’Université Agricole, Porto-Novo
+229 01 50 02 46 19Our direct link to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
Programmes and partnerships across Nigeria
Home of our member platform and community-level work
Leadership
Led by African women
Accountable to the organisations we serve. A Board of Directors oversees governance and compliance in every country where we are registered.
Dossi Sêkonnou Gloria AGUEH
Gloria founded RFLD in 2013 and leads its continental strategy, institutional partnerships and engagement across the African Union system. She was named an African Union AGA Youth Ambassador and sits on the CHARM Africa Consortium steering committee. She holds a Master’s in Communications and Project Management and is a PhD candidate.
John GBENAGNON
Major Gogo Ashifie, Regional Finance Lead
Dr Pascal DOHOU, Director of Programmes
Dr Sandrine CHIKOU, Senior Grants Officer
Florence ENIAYEHOU, Head of Impact and Learning
Heuleche TOGNONMEGNI (Ghana), Bathor SECK (Senegal), Simbiat BAKARE (Nigeria), Yankuba KEITA (The Gambia)
Organisational profile 2026
Our profile, in English and French
Share the version that fits your board, your due diligence or your newsroom.
Start a conversation
Our strongest partnerships began with a short call
Book an introductory call
Discuss your priorities and the programmes that match them.
Email partnershipsRequest the due diligence pack
Registration certificates, statutes, audited accounts and policies.
Request the packGive from the United States
Grant through a donor-advised fund or as a US foundation, using our NGOsource equivalency.
Give through your DAFPartner on a programme
Co-design a project with RFLD and our members, from research to re-granting.
Explore partnershipsFollow the work: Annual report · Financials · Governance and policies · Press kit · Our impact · Candid profile
Questions funders ask
Short answers
Is RFLD a legally registered organisation?
Yes. RFLD is registered as an International Organisation in Senegal and as a non-governmental organisation in Benin, Ghana, Nigeria and The Gambia. Its headquarters is the Africa Office in Accra.
Can US foundations and donor-advised funds give to RFLD?
Yes. RFLD holds an NGOsource 501(c)(3) equivalency determination, so US foundations and DAFs can grant to it as they would to a US public charity. See Give through your DAF.
How much of RFLD’s spending reaches programmes?
In 2025, 79.8% of our spending reached field programmes. Our accounts are audited every year under the International Standards on Auditing, with unqualified opinions.
Where does RFLD work?
Our advocacy covers all 55 African Union member states, with direct programmes in 15 or more countries and our deepest presence in francophone West Africa and the Sahel. We have six offices: Accra, Porto-Novo, Dakar, Banjul, Lagos and Igolo.
Does RFLD re-grant to other organisations?
Yes. Through the West African Feminist Fund and the Africa Grant Portfolio, RFLD re-grants to women-led organisations, including unregistered movements through fiscal sponsorship. RFLD handles due diligence and reporting.
In which languages does RFLD work?
French and English across our offices, with key resources such as the Maputo Protocol published in Goun, Yoruba, Hausa and Zarma.
How can a funder start working with RFLD?
Write to gbenagnon.john@rflgd.org to book an introductory call, or to finance@rflgd.org for the due diligence pack.
Partner with RFLD
Tell us what you fund. We will show you where RFLD fits.
For funders and partnersPour les bailleurs et les partenaires
Fund the women who defend rights in Africa, nowFinancez maintenant les femmes qui défendent les droits en Afrique
Aid to women’s organisations is falling. RFLD moves funding fast to women-led organisations and defenders, in French and English, through a network of 1,143 member organisations in more than 35 African countries.L’aide aux organisations de femmes recule. Le RFLD achemine vite les financements vers les organisations de femmes et les défenseures, en français et en anglais, grâce à un réseau de 1 143 organisations membres dans plus de 35 pays africains.
RFLD currently serves as Co-Chair of the SEA-T Programme Advisory Council, mandated to ensure the programme’s direction, priorities, and resources are meaningfully aligned with the visions of African women-led civil society. The SEA-T Programme is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.Le RFLD assure actuellement la coprésidence du Conseil consultatif du programme SEA-T, chargé de veiller à ce que l’orientation, les priorités et les ressources du programme soient réellement alignées sur les visions de la société civile africaine portée par les femmes. Le programme SEA-T est financé par le ministère fédéral allemand de la Coopération économique et du Développement (BMZ) et mis en œuvre par la Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. See the partnershipVoir le partenariat
- 1,143member organisationsorganisations membres
- 35+African countriespays africains
- N°553ACHPR observer statusstatut d’observateur CADHP
- CandidSeal of Transparency 2025Sceau de transparence 2025
DonateFaire un don Partner with RFLDDevenir partenaire See our financialsVoir nos états financiers