philanthropists, faith leaders and development practitioners convening in July by The African Philanthropy Forum (APF), in partnership with the Imago Dei Fund (IDF)./PHOTO;APF
Faith has often been viewed as part of the challenge in advancing gender equality, but a Nairobi dialogue challenged philanthropists to see it as part of the solution.
The African Philanthropy Forum (APF), in partnership with the Imago Dei Fund (IDF), brought together philanthropists, faith leaders and development practitioners on July 20 to explore how faith-aligned philanthropy can help transform the social norms that continue to shape the lives of women and girls across Africa.
Held on the 20th of July the convening formed part of a series of conversations across East Africa aimed at strengthening homegrown philanthropy and encouraging greater collaboration between funders, faith communities and locally led organisations.
“We believe that with stronger coordination, visibility and intentional engagement of key actors, these two forces can reinforce each other and have positive consequences on gender justice in Africa,” the organisers stated.
The meeting drew heavily on the Imago Dei Fund’s Good Faith Approaches to Gender report, which challenges the long-held assumption that religion is primarily a barrier to gender equality.
Instead, it argues that faith institutions can become powerful agents of change when religious leaders engage with their sacred texts to promote dignity, equality and justice.
Drawing on case studies from organisations working in Africa and other regions, the report found that faith centred approaches have contributed to reductions in intimate partner violence, more equitable attitudes towards women, greater shared decision making within households and increased participation of women in community life.
It also concludes that investments in education, healthcare and economic empowerment are unlikely to achieve lasting results if the harmful social norms driving inequality remain unchanged.
That evidence formed the basis of discussions on how philanthropy can better support faith-led and community-based initiatives that are already working to shift attitudes and behaviours at the grassroots level.
The dialogue also highlighted the changing landscape of development financing.
With aid and philanthropic support from the global North declining, participants explored how African philanthropy can play a bigger role in financing locally driven solutions to the continent’s challenges.
The conversation comes as the World Giving Report shows Africa remains the world’s most generous region, with people giving a larger share of their incomes to good causes than anywhere else.
The report also found that religious giving is more common in Africa than in any other region, reflecting the central role faith plays in charitable giving across the continent.
Despite that generosity, much of the giving remains informal and community-based.
Participants noted that while these contributions continue to support families and local communities, they have yet to be fully harnessed to tackle systemic issues such as gender-based violence, child marriage and the economic exclusion of women through coordinated, long-term investments.
The convening also showcased locally led approaches that are using faith as a catalyst for social change while creating space for philanthropists to learn from initiatives already demonstrating impact.
“The convening seeks to introduce philanthropists and ecosystem leaders to the landscape of faith-aligned, gender-transformative philanthropy in Africa, showcase promising initiatives and locally led models driving impact across the region, and foster stronger collaboration among key actors,” the concept note states.
APF is a network of philanthropists, social investors and partners working to promote strategic giving across Africa.
The organisation has established a presence in 14 African countries and reaches more than 3,500 philanthropists and development stakeholders through its programmes and convenings.
APF said the Nairobi convening forms part of a wider series of regional engagements designed to connect philanthropists, faith leaders and ecosystem partners around locally driven solutions.
The initiative seeks to increase awareness of faith-aligned, gender-transformative philanthropy, showcase successful African models and encourage greater collaboration among funders committed to advancing gender justice.
