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The Foundation for Women’s Health Research and Development (FORWARD), an African women led organization advancing the rights, safety, and dignity of African women and girls, has been named an awardee of Action for Women’s Health — a landmark global women’s health initiative launched by Pivotal, a group of organizations founded by philanthropist Melinda French Gates.

In 2024, Pivotal, in partnership with Lever for Change, launched Action for Women’s Health: a $250 million global open call to support organizations working to improve women’s mental and physical health around the world. The call drew applications from thousands of organizations across more than 100 countries. In November 2025, FORWARD was one of just over 80 organizations selected worldwide to receive this recognition.

The recognition comes as Melinda French Gates announced an additional $215 million in global funding for women’s health in June 2026, bringing her total commitment to women’s health to more than $600 million in just the last two years. FORWARD’s selection as an Action for Women’s Health awardee places it among a distinguished global cohort of organizations advancing women’s health.

For French Gates, supporting organizations like FORWARD reflects a deliberate commitment to African-led innovation in women’s health. “To protect the health of women and girls, we don’t just need to improve care—we also need to build safe environments free from the violence that puts them at risk in the first place,” she said. “That’s why the work of organizations like FORWARD is so important. They understand what’s threatening the health and well-being of women and girls in their own communities—and have the deep knowledge, trust, and relationships to take on those threats and drive real change.”

For more than four decades, FORWARD has been at the forefront of the global fight to end female genital mutilation, child marriage, and other forms of violence against women and girls. Under the leadership of Executive Director Naana Otoo-Oyortey MBE, FORWARD has helped place once-silenced issues onto the international human rights agenda — building on the legacy of FORWARD’s founder Efua Dorkenoo OBE, and former Director Adwoa Kwateng Kluvitse, two formidable Ghanaian women who shaped the organization’s global impact.

For Naana Otoo-Oyortey MBE, Executive Director of FORWARD, this recognition marks a significant milestone — arriving as the organization celebrates its 40th anniversary. She says, “FORWARD’s recognition as an awardee of Melinda French Gates’ Action for Women’s Health initiative affirms what we have long believed — that health and human rights are not separate agendas, but interdependent rights. This recognition gives us a broader stage to expand our leadership training and partnerships for the next generation of African women and girls, and to ensure their rights, safety, and dignity are never treated as an afterthought.”

FORWARD’s recognition through the Action for Women’s Health initiative is a testament to the power of African-led innovation in women’s health — and to the growing global conversation about the solutions being built on the continent.

For more information about FORWARD, visit www.forwarduk.org.uk

For more information about Action for Women’s Health, visit Pivotal and Lever for Change Announce the 80+ Awardees of the $250 Million Action for Women’s Health Global Open Call

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