Organizational Resilience: What it Means and its Importance to Civil Society Organizations working to End Violence against Women and Girls

This comprehensive study is the first part of a broader external study to understand and enhance the resilience of civil society organizations (CSOs) and women’s rights organizations (WROs), especially those dedicated to ending violence against women and girls (EVAW/G). It engaged with 37 individuals from 34 organizations, including 24 that were receiving UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund) grants at the time of the writing. The participants that co-created this practice-based knowledge represented diverse settings across 25 countries, primarily WROs in Africa. 

The author found that organizational resilience is crucial for CSOs and WROs as it allows them to withstand and adapt to crises while remaining focused on their mission. This concept has gained prominence, especially in the wake of global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The study emphasizes the importance of a feminist approach to resilience, advocating for collective care and mental health support as integral components. 

Main findings: 

The report identifies five core themes that define organizational resilience: 

• People and communities 
• Mission and values 
• Networks and partnerships 
• Strategies and systems 
• Finances and resources 

These elements collectively contribute to the overall definition shared by organizations. As the study states:  

“The ability to anticipate, prepare for, respond, adapt to and learn from crises, challenges and changing circumstances (both internal, external and within the context of systemic discrimination against women and girls and marginalized groups) while remaining dedicated to organizational mission and vision and the long-term goal of ending violence against women and girls and sustaining feminist and women’s movements.” 

The study highlights that without resilience, organizations may struggle to sustain their efforts, undermining the broader goals of the feminist and women’s movements.