What does government partnership look like with the Equality Fund?
Our latest government partner is Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). They join the Governments of Canada and the United Kingdom in a strategic, multilateral donor partnership with the Equality Fund.
By contributing €18 million in a two-year commitment, Germany joins G7 allies in a shared commitment to advance gender equality through the Equality Fund’s innovative development finance mechanism. We are proud to stand with Germany, a country with strong human rights and democratic values. Gender equality and strengthening civil society are core tenets of Germany’s constitutional values.
How does the Equality Fund work?
It is simple. Launched in 2019, the Equality Fund invests contributions into a gender-aligned portfolio, growing the fund to make disbursements in the form of grants to human rights defenders and women’s rights organizations around the world. Today, our innovative finance mechanism is worth more than its original investments while we have disbursed over $125 million CAD. The grants provide financial runway to trusted partners with local solutions to global crises.
This isn’t charity – it’s strategy
When Germany pools resources in a strategic, multilateral partnership, alongside some of their closest G7 allies, Germany is able to maximize the impact and efficiency of its development funding. It is far more cost-effective than Germany setting up and administering hundreds of tiny, individual projects on its own.
Did you know?
All German federal funds committed to the Equality Fund are subject to the rigorous audit provisions of the German Federal Budget Code (Bundeshaushaltsordnung). Under this legal framework:
- There are rigorous audit provisions. The Federal Court of Auditors (Bundesrechnungshof) has full access to audit the use of these federal funds. This is carefully laid out in the funding agreement.
- There is a robust reclaim mechanism. If funds are ever used for purposes other than those contractually agreed upon, the grants may be reclaimed by the federal government in full or in part.
- Strict overhead caps are legally mandated. Program support costs (management and overhead) may not exceed 12 per cent of the overall cost.
- Sanctions compliance is absolute. All funding is strictly barred from reaching any individual or organization subject to UN Security Council or EU sanctions.
Together, we protect the safety of human rights defenders in repressive environments
In many parts of the world, human rights defenders, women, girls, and marginalized communities operate under severe threat from authoritarian regimes and hostile actor groups. In these contexts, public exposure can lead to physical violence, arbitrary arrest, or legal persecution. Protecting these lives is a fundamental "duty of care" under international human rights standards. The BMZ is fully aware of, and supports, the Equality Fund’s policy of withholding public access, when necessary, to the names of specific local partners in highly sensitive regions. Internal full disclosure ensures accountability to democratic donor governments, while public anonymity remains a necessary security protocol to ensure that we do no harm. In every context, all funding is strictly barred from reaching any individual or organization subject to UN Security Council or EU sanctions.
Stability through shared values and fiscal responsibility
Peace and prosperity, at home and abroad, requires stability. Our partners – governments, institutions, philanthropists, grassroots donors and more – expect better results than yesterday’s outdated systems of development funding. This is what we are achieving. Together, our partners pool capital and efforts to maximize efficiency and results, creating innovative finance to power increased safety, security and stability.
Image credit: (Left to right): Secretary of State (International Development) Randeep Sarai (Canada), Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Susanne Baumann (Germany), Jess Tomlin, CEO of the Equality Fund, Minister of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Stephen Doughty (United Kingdom). Photo by Bronac McNeill.
