Global Fund for Children leads the sector in supporting community-based organizations designing and implementing healthy masculinities programming across the globe. From Mexico to India, the reach and approach is one of the most expansive and innovative investments in the wellbeing of boys and young men in the world.
At Global Fund for Children (GFC), we believe advancing gender equity means working with all young people—including boys and young men. Through partnerships with grassroots organizations around the world, we support life-changing programs that promote healthy masculinities, youth leadership, the reduction of violence and exploitation, wellness and mental health support, and gender justice. By providing flexible funding, technical assistance, and spaces for collaboration, we help community leaders create lasting change for children and youth.
Over the past eight years, GFC has supported grassroots organizations across Central America, India, West Africa, the UK, and the US in engaging boys and young men around healthy masculinities. Our initiatives have helped young people explore gender, mentor peers, and collaborate with feminist movements, creating new paths toward gender justice. By amplifying their voices and supporting gender-inclusive activism, we aim to build a global movement that strengthens boys and young men while advancing equality for all.
United Kingdom
GFC’s Healthy Masculinities UK program supports community organizations to promote positive, trauma-informed masculinities, amplify youth voices, and reach underserved boys and young men. Partners like Breaking the Silence provide tailored support to marginalized youth, helping them heal, grow, and become agents of change in their communities.
Mexico and Central America
Youth-led groups and community organizations in Mexico and Central America promote healthy masculinities, advance gender justice, and challenge harmful norms. Through funding, learning, and storytelling, partners engage boys and young men as leaders, creating safe spaces and driving positive social change.
India
In the Sundarbans and North Bengal, boys and young men often face risks while migrating for work. Through grassroots partners, GFC develops participatory programs to prevent harm, combat exploitation, and empower youth, ensuring their voices guide interventions tailored to their unique experiences and needs.
West Africa
In the Mano River region, community groups create safe spaces for adolescent girls to build leadership, knowledge, and advocate for their rights. Boys and young men are engaged as allies to challenge gender norms, explore healthy masculinities, and support gender equity.
United States
The Imperative Spark Fund supports youth-led initiatives in Atlanta, promoting the mental health and wellbeing of Black boys and young men. By creating safe spaces, fostering research, and building partnerships, the fund empowers youth to reflect, lead, and advocate for systemic change locally and globally.
The #BoysBeyondBias campaign – co-created with boys themselves – is part of Global Fund for Children’s work in youth social action and healthy masculinities and is partly funded by The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) through the #iwill fund and People’s Postcode Lottery. The campaign aims to shift traditional narratives surrounding young men and boys and champion healthy masculinities by fostering genuine community bonds and positive role models for boys.
Your donation helps to empower boys and young men globally to explore positive, trauma-informed masculinities, amplify their voices, and build safer, more equitable communities. By supporting grassroots organizations, you help young people grow as allies to feminist movements, fostering gender justice while mentoring peers and challenging harmful norms.
Gender justice
Gender justice
Gender justice
