Feminist Organisational Capacity Strengthening Toolkit

The world needs strong women’s rights organisations now more than ever. 

 Strong women’s rights organisations are better able to establish, participate in and strengthen resilient and vibrant feminist movements. They are crucial in maintaining and widening the space for voice, visibility, advocacy and evidence about violations of women’s rights, and for putting pressure on power holders and institutions for greater accountability. 

 In the face of countless challenges, strengthening women’s rights organisations requires focus.  

IWDA’s Feminist Organisational Capacity Strengthening (FOCS) Toolkit is designed to support women’s rights organisations to further align their operations with feminist principles.  

 FOCS builds on IWDA’s work in strengthening capacities of women’s organisations, with a feminist lens, over the past 35 years. It also draws from and builds on the work of other feminist organisations and thinkers, aiming to create a systematic framework with a holistic and feminist approach to organisational capacity strengthening.

The toolkit includes

• Backgrounder detailing the concepts and principles underpinning Feminist Organisational Capacity Strengthening 
• Facilitation Guide outlining facilitation principles and practical tips consistent with feminist values and practice 
• Organisation Self-Assessment Module guiding reflection on the capacities you want to develop  
• Leading, Governing and Being Accountable Module focusing on feminist leadership, governance and accountability – with an emphasis on power, intergenerational issues, and succession planning 
• Resources for Women’s Rights Module on claiming the resources we need (and deserve) for women’s rights through feminist resource mobilisation strategies
• Creating Cultures of Care and Resilience Module offering ideas for practicing care individually, collectively and in your organisation as a whole  

You can explore a sample of the resources in this PDF: Feminist Organisational Capacity Strengthening Toolkit Sample. 

Download your copy of the Feminist Organisational Capacity Strengthening Toolkit

IWDA has a sliding cost scale to make sure these resources are accessible for grassroots organisations. We ask organisations with some resources to contribute, to support access for all. Thank you!

Take a look at our sliding cost scale:

A small not for profit community organisation – Free
A small business or independent consultant – AUD 120
Any other organisation or business: not for profit, government or private sector – AUD 300

We have a limited number of printed module sets – six full colour booklets, printed on high-quality eco stock.
These are $250 Australian dollars, plus postage. If you are interested please email resources@iwda.org.au.