As part of Prospera – International Network of Women’s Funds, the Bulgarian Fund for Women joins a collective call to spotlight a growing yet underreported crisis facing feminist and social justice movements worldwide.
A recent network-wide survey and analysis by Prospera has revealed the severe impact of funding cuts across member funds – an estimated $676 million in lost resources over just two years. These cuts are not only financial setbacks but systemic threats to the very foundation of feminist and grassroots work globally.
According to the survey, 78% of member funds have already been directly affected. The consequences are far-reaching: LGBTQI+ rights, sexual and reproductive health, grassroots organizing, and frontline activism are all under strain. Feminist activists—especially those from the most marginalized communities—face rising legal, digital, and physical security risks.
This crisis is more than a matter of sustainability; it is a challenge to the resilience and continuity of feminist-led, anti-colonial, and community-driven change.
Despite these hardships, Prospera members—including BFW—are rising to the occasion with creativity, courage, and commitment. We are developing innovative funding strategies and supporting initiatives that must not be lost. As a network rooted in the Global South and East, we are determined to meet this moment with care, flexibility, and long-term vision.
We believe the movement will endure—and not by yielding to pressure, but by dismantling the systems that created this crisis. In doing so, we rely on the transformative and collective power of feminist resistance.
As part of its efforts toward long-term sustainability, earlier this year the Bulgarian Fund for Women published the second edition of a needs assessment of organizations and activist groups in Bulgaria. The report, authored by sociologist Dr. Lea Vaysova, outlines the main challenges facing the sector and offers guidance for the Fund’s future work.
