What is Women for Influence (WFI)?

Support, Sharing, Solidarity and Sisterhood - the theme for WFI's visit to Zimbabwe in May 2009

What is Women for Influence?

Women for Influence (WFI) is a group of influential women in Denmark in leadership positions in a range of different spheres such as the arts, the business community, and the media. Among others WFI features a film maker, TV personalities, CEO’s as well as successful businesswomen in general.

The Danish group of women have liaised with influential Zimbabwean women in exchanging knowledge and experiences and generally speaking WFI therefore comprises the Danish women and the Zimbabwean women.  

Fundraising
The Danish women of WFI are raising money for three Zimbabwean organisations – Women in Politics Support Unit (WiPSU), Musasa Project and Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP).

WFI was formed in 2008 and comprised some 15 influential Danish women. The women initially committed to each collecting 50.000 Danish kroners (app. USD 9.000) in their individual capacity as influential women.

During the first months of the group’s existence the Danish women decided to up the ante and increase the total amount they were aiming to raise from 750.000 Danish kroners (app. USD 135.000) to 1 million Danish kroners (USD 180.000). That goal was reached at the end of April 2009 at a major fund raising event in Copenhagen.

Women in Mahubaba village in GuruGuru ward where Musasa Project works.

What is the money for?

The money is to be equally divided between WiPSU, Musasa Project and ZPP in support of their ongoing projects that mainly seek to empower women in decision making processes on different levels.

The organisations will then use that money to train 500 women in political leadership and skills, 1.000 women in rights, advocacy and communication and 210 female human rights defenders.