Programmes &
partnerships.
The complete RFLD portfolio, six fields of intervention, five flagship programmes, three pieces of operational infrastructure, and seven institutional funders. Anchored in continental law, delivered through 1,143 member organisations across 15+ African countries.
Six fields of intervention.
RFLD's work is organised around six fields of intervention, each anchored in continental legal frameworks (the Maputo Protocol, the African Charter, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance) and translated into operational work through the flagship programmes that follow.
SRHR · DSSR
Sexual and reproductive health and rights, bodily autonomy, GBV response, family planning, safe abortion, and adolescent SRHR. Operationalised through the the Health and Bodily Rights programme flagship.
Read field page →Civic Space
Defence of the political and legal space in which civil society operates, assembly, expression, association, and the freedom to organise. Continental advocacy through ACHPR mechanisms.
Read field page →Protection of HRDs · Peace & Security
Protection of human rights defenders, particularly women human rights defenders, and continental engagement on peace and security. RFLD holds Observer Status with the ACHPR.
Read field page →Economic Justice & Climate
Economic and social rights, climate justice, and women's role in sustainable development. Operationalised through the Climate Justice flagship, including 48 community-managed solar boreholes.
Read field page →Participatory Governance
Women's full and active participation in political and decision-making processes. Operationalised through the the Women’s Political Leadership programme flagship, equipping women leaders, transforming norms, training institutions.
Read field page →Ending FGM & Harmful Practices
Ending the practices that perpetuate harm to women and girls, FGM, child marriage, widowhood rites, breast ironing, ritual servitude, son preference. Anchored in the Maputo Protocol.
Read field page →Five flagship programmes.
Flagship programmes are the operational vehicles through which RFLD translates the six fields of intervention into action. Each flagship has its own architecture, its own continental legal anchor, and its own theory of change. Each is described in detail on its own page.
The Health and Bodily Rights programme
Bodily Rights And Violence Eradication. RFLD's flagship on bodily autonomy and the eradication of violence against women, the operational engine of the SRHR field of intervention.
Read programme page →The Women’s Political Leadership programme
Programme for African Women's Empowerment, Leadership, and Equality. RFLD's flagship on women's political participation, leadership development, community engagement, institutional advocacy, evidence and research.
Read programme page →Climate Justice
RFLD's flagship on women, climate, and the environment, including 48 community-managed solar-powered boreholes funded directly by RFLD across francophone West Africa, plus cookstove and biogas programmes.
Read programme page →Ending FGM Campaign
RFLD's continental campaign hub for the abandonment of female genital mutilation, the 2022 Recueil de Témoignages manual, the 16-episode podcast, field updates, and the Adama Barrow open letter.
Read campaign page →Maputo Protocol Hub
The continental reference: AU ratification tracker, the Protocol translated and audio-recorded in four indigenous African languages (Haoussa, Zarma, Yoruba, Goun), and three published guides, Barometer, Practical Guide, Illustrated Booklet.
Read hub page →Operational infrastructure.
Three pieces of cross-cutting infrastructure support every flagship and every field of intervention: the WAFF Fund regranting mechanism, the DƆNÙESÈ Data Center open-data platform, and RFLD's role in the multi-partner CHARM consortium.
WAFF Fund
RFLD's feminist-fund regranting mechanism. In 2025, the WAFF Fund regranted €250,000 to 10 organisations across francophone West Africa, direct funding to grassroots women’s organisations.
Read fund page →DƆNÙESÈ Data Center
RFLD's open-data platform, the West Africa Legislative Platform, the ACDEG Hub, the AU Mechanisms reference, and continental data on civic space, harmful practices, and SRHR.
Read data center page →RFLD's role in CHARM
RFLD is one of seven partners in the Sida-funded CHARM consortium (Consortium for Human Rights and Media in Africa), Phase III 2026-2027, led by DefendDefenders. RFLD brings francophone Africa expertise.
Read CHARM page →Seven institutional funders.
RFLD's programmes are supported by seven institutional funders spanning bilateral development cooperation, private philanthropy, and pooled regranting funds. Each relationship is listed below, without preferential elevation, in alphabetical order.
AmplifyChange
Pooled fund supporting SRHR advocacy across the Global South, including RFLD's safe-abortion and bodily-autonomy work.
Expertise France
The French government's international technical cooperation agency, supporting institutional and governance work.
GIZ / BMZ
The German government's development cooperation, including selection of RFLD into the SEA-T Flagship Cohort (1 of 12 organisations, 2026 G20 Presidency).
Read announcement →Hivos
Pooled fund supporting human rights, civic space, and women's rights advocacy, including RFLD's work in francophone West Africa.
David & Lucile Packard Foundation
Supporting RFLD's reproductive health, family planning, and population work across francophone Africa.
Sida
The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, currently funding RFLD through two programmes: the NAFASI sub-grant (Magamba-led) and Phase III of the CHARM consortium (DefendDefenders-led, 2026-2027).
WAFF Fund partners
RFLD's WAFF Fund is itself a regranting mechanism, channelling resources from larger funders to grassroots women-led organisations across francophone West Africa.
Get in touch.
For partnership opportunities, programme enquiries, member organisation collaboration, donor due diligence, or media enquiries, please reach the appropriate channel below.
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