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Feminism, an ethic of freedom

Dear Friends,

I am writing to you today with a heavy but resolute heart.

In recent weeks, I have found myself deeply affected—personally and profoundly—by the surge of immigration raids and unlawful detention happening across the United States. These are not headlines. These are painful memories. My colleagues. My friends. My family. Within each of my cherished circles is the reverberating ache of knowing systemic violence and displacement first-hand.

And as if this were not enough, I am watching—helpless, sometimes—from afar as war and conflict escalate in too many corners of the globe. Syria. Sudan. Ukraine. Haiti. Myanmar. Iran. The scale and scope of violence is unmatched in the 21st century. The pain is global. The grief is universal.

Yet in the midst of this, I return often to the words of the brilliant Mexican feminist, Marcela Lagarde, who once said:

“El feminismo es una ética de la libertad.”

(“Feminism is an ethic of freedom.”)

These words resonate deeply right now. They remind me that though we are surrounded by uncertainty, and though we cannot yet see how or when we will emerge from this moment, we are bound to each other by a collective ethic—of freedom, of care, and of unwavering commitment.

And I see this ethic alive in so many of you.

In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, FRIDA, The Young Feminist Fund, rapidly mobilized flexible, unrestricted grants to young activists across the Global South. They didn’t wait for perfect conditions—they trusted the leadership of those most affected and acted.

In Afghanistan, following the fall of Kabul in 2021, MADRE, the Global Fund for Women, Prospera International Network of Women’s Funds, Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Rights, Asia and Pacific, among others, quietly and courageously supported women leaders in getting to safety while preserving the infrastructure of civil society under immense threat.

In the wake of devastating natural disasters, from the Philippines to Puerto Rico, feminist funds like FIMI (International Indigenous Women’s Forum) and Fondo Semillas in Mexico have gone beyond traditional philanthropy—resourcing not only recovery but resistance, led by Indigenous and grassroots women with clarity and purpose.

And in the U.S., during relentless waves of anti-immigrant legislation, funds like the Women’s Foundation California and Justice for Migrant Women have continued to advocate fiercely for dignity, protection, and rights for immigrant women and families.

Their courage reminds me: we carry ancestral knowledge, movement wisdom, and radical love. These are the roots we draw from when the ground feels unsteady.

As part of the Women’s Funding Network community, I am not alone. You are not alone. Together, we hold a vision that transcends borders. We invest not only in women’s leadership—but in the survival, flourishing, and liberation of us all.

Let us continue to stand together—with compassion, with courage, and with conviction.

In movement,

Elizabeth Barajas-Román
Women’s Funding Network
President & CEO

P.S. Feminist Funded ‘25 will be a space to celebrate our collective strength, galvanize new commitments, and build toward a more just future. Register at www.feministfunded.org. Seats are limited. Registration will close when sold out.

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Letters from Elizabeth