Breaking Down the Barriers to Women-Led Responses Amidst the Humanitarian Reset: Stepping Up, Stepping Back, Making Space (2025)

There is a growing consensus that increasing support for women-led organisations (WLOs) will lead to more efficient and effective responses to crises. As anti-gender politics and sweeping cuts threaten many WLOs’ very existence, this research reveals a sector preoccupied by wavering commitment to both gender and international assistance. What is needed are straightforward ways to get resources into the hands of actors already delivering effective solutions to problems, and our evidence suggests that WLOs are doing just that. Streamlined funding to WLOs therefore offers a solution for humanitarians facing shrinking budgets and increasing pressure. This paper draws on emerging better practices and proposals for transformative change to spark discussion among funders on the potential for a more accessible funding ecosystem. Funding WLOs is both the right and the smart thing to do for those committed to more efficient, effective and inclusive humanitarian responses.