Empowering women and girls in Mexican communities

Mexico continues to face increasing challenges regarding gender-based violence, and grassroots organizations remain the backbone of resistance, advocating for structural changes to address these issues. As part of our commitment, Fondo Semillas is currently financing 36 grassroots groups that, in different ways, work to build a world free of violence for women* and children. These organizations focus on preventing and addressing gender-based violence through a combination of legal advocacy, psychosocial support, economic empowerment, and policy influence.

 During this funding period (2024-2026), these organizations aim to reach over 24,463 women and girls, providing them with access to essential services, including legal assistance, psychological care, and health support. Many of these women are survivors of severe violence, including femicide attempts, human trafficking, and forced disappearances.

 These groups work across 24 states and are composed of over 1,000 activists. Their efforts reach diverse populations, including trans and cisgender women, girls, young women, elderly women, Indigenous and Afro-Mexican women, migrants, women with disabilities, rural women, incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women, bisexual women, lesbians, and sex workers.

In this sense, Fundación Carmen Sánchez has played a crucial role in advocating for victims of acid attacks, securing public funds to finance reconstructive surgeries and legal support for survivors. They had also led advocacy efforts resulting in legislative reforms in 12 states to recognize acid attacks as a distinct form of gender-based violence. This milestone marks a significant step toward ensuring comprehensive protection and justice for survivors.

 In Oaxaca, Veredas Psicosociales has created safe spaces for women human rights defenders and their families, ensuring that care services extend beyond urban centers to rural and indigenous communities; meanwhile, organizations such as Desaparecid@s de la Costa y Feminicidios de Michoacán have contributed to the location of 32 missing persons, highlighting the systemic failures in the search and investigation processes. Their work underscores the urgent need for institutional reform and greater transparency in handling disappearance cases.

"I am deeply moved and grateful to share the same struggle, to know that there are many women in the Isthmus who are transforming things. At times, I have felt alone, and meeting them makes me feel accompanied and eager to reach out, now that I know where they are."

-       Participant in a Veredas Psicosociales space

Organizations employ various strategies, including accompaniment, awareness-raising, legal advocacy, and psychosocial support. They also work to ensure that authorities fulfill their responsibilities in preventing and addressing gender-based violence. Promoting women's leadership and economic autonomy as strategies for violence prevention is a key component of their work.

Media and public speeches play a crucial role in shifting cultural perceptions of violence. Over the past year, organizations funded by Fondo Semillas have successfully positioned 159 media messages on gender-based violence, leveraging partnerships with journalists, influencers, and community radio programs like Las Moradas to amplify their impact.

Two organizations train women in feminist self-defense, empowering them to respond to aggression in public spaces. Voces de Mujeres en Acción provides legal assistance to survivors of sexual and digital violence, while Formación y Capacitación (FOCA) supports migrant women who have experienced violence during their journeys. Organizations like Sorece train psychologists in gender-sensitive therapy to prevent re-victimization in mental health services.

 Meanwhile, groups like Anagúpi Nikûroka and Manos Unidas provide psychological first aid and indigenous language interpretation in gender violence cases to facilitate women's access to justice.

 Despite persistent challenges, these organizations' work demonstrates that collective action can drive meaningful change. Their advocacy, direct support services, and policy influence continue to pave the way toward a more just and equitable society.

 Fondo Semillas remains committed to strengthening grassroots efforts to combat gender-based violence, ensuring that more women and girls across Mexico have access to justice, security, and autonomy. None of these actions would be possible without your contribution. Thanks to you we can continue to fund grassroots organizations across the country.