Persisting for Feminist Funding Models: I#GivetoGain

I belong to a movement of Pacific Island Feminists and accomplices who work together for demilitarized, decolonized financing for Peacebuilding, Climate and Ecological Justice and strong, vibrant cross-movements.

The Pacific Islands Feminist Alliance for Climate Justice (PIFA4CJ) and the GPPAC Pacific programme Pacific Women Mediators Network are deliberately and purposefully working, reflecting the maturity of our region's movement for gender equality and human rights.

We are purposefully building on the approach catalysed by feminist funds that said "let's put the money into the hands of diverse women-led movements, to determine how resources are allocated, the accompaniment and leadership nurtured" (thank you Global Fund for Women for catalysing PIFA4CJ).

It's not easy.

It requires us to confront the power of money. Who holds it. Who manages it. Who says how much reaches women leaders.

It requires us, as feminists in global south, small island states to allow ourselves to respectfully not be treated as those who need to be helped but claim and build on the power and knowledge of the foremothers of our movement to drive our feminist climate justice and peacebuilding agenda forward.

Because we are not just local actors, nor do we need to learn about peacebuilding. Instead we need to (re)claim our power, our local and Indigenous practice to address the drivers of insecurities, inequalities and discrimination.

It requires us to question and quantify how the exorbitant and growing military spending can be transformed to peacebuilding and inclusive human security:

The UN Secretary-General’s report (2025) highlighted a record $2.7 trillion in global military expenditure in 2024, a trend that undermines sustainable development and peace. Excessive military spending diverts resources from essential sectors such as poverty reduction, healthcare, and education, exacerbating global inequalities and fueling conflict. In contrast, only a minimal portion of international aid reaches women’s organizations in conflict zones, revealing a stark imbalance between military and peacebuilding funding.

I've done the maths and all we need for our cross movement feminist collaboration is 0.00037% of 2.7 trillion dollars (Yes, only 10 million dollars per annum).I belong to a movement of Pacific Island Feminists and accomplices who work together for demilitarized, decolonized financing for Peacebuilding, Climate and Ecological Justice and strong, vibrant cross-movements.

Despite sporadic funding, sustained investment in Pacific peacebuilding remains limited. The Pacific Women Mediators Network (PWMN), coordinated by GPPAC Pacific's Regional Secretariat- the Pacific Conference of Churches- is one of the few civil society-led initiatives with multi-year support (AUD 1,771,750 for 2023–2027). This funding, averaging AUD 440,000 per year, enables PWMN to engage across the region, fostering inclusive peacebuilding with diverse stakeholders, including faith leaders.

Since 2023 PWMN has reached over 2,000 policymakers through international and regional forums, collaborated with governments, and organized six regional convenings to promote cross-movement learning. Its advocacy has influenced key political documents and reaffirmed commitments to indigenous women’s participation in peace processes. There is a dedciated focus on affirming our expertise and inter-generational learning to support younger women’s political leadership.

Our focus on political engagement is seeing a growing interest from Pacific Island women leaders from local peacebuilding networks working for self determination and decolonisation, climate and ecological to connect and collaborate for transformative action through clear civil-society collaboration and well-financed implementation strategies.

When we weave our movements together — through dialogue, an integrated approach to peacebuilding, and shared resources — we can protect our ocean, our lands, and our homes.

That is just what we are doing - learning and collaboration for prevention, inclusive communication, dialogue, and multi-generational peace education. We aim to continue to demonstrate cross-movement solidarity, co-designing processes within local island and faith communities, and reclaiming herstory, customs, and traditions.

Genuine inclusion, is not just adding women, but addressing structural barriers to gender equality and human rights in national, regional, and multilateral processes.

This includes equitable political collaboration, including recognition of Pacific Island-led civil society expertise and dedicated peacebuilding financing, especially for women-led networks, and advancing feminist solutions for impactful funding.

So I#GivetoGain. To be a voice for Feminist Funding Models and Cross Movement Learning Practice that amplifies how the work of Pacific Island Feminists and Accomplices can be scaled up and sustained.