footnotes.¹

Launching Footage France: A Compassionate Home in Europe 💙 Dearest Family, Friends, and Supporters, For over 16 years, Footage has operated with agility, adaptability, and grit—always fueled by compassion.  Last week, a  UN Women report revealed that 90% of surveyed women's organizations face financial strain , with  nearly half at risk of closure within six months . This crisis makes our mission more urgent than ever.  We refuse to be closed down. We stand strong, we adapt, we push forward. These last months have been hard to capture in words. Those most empathetic among us feel the world’s pain, confusion, and helplessness. But as deeply as we feel, we know this is our call to act.  This is not the time to numb or step away. And we are indebted to those of you who have never stepped away from us—who have instead leaned in, listened, shared our anger and heartbreak, and continued to offer your compassion, your courage, your heart. We are working day and n...

What began as five trauma-informed, compassionate messages—on trafficking, gender-based violence, mental and physical health—launched during the first days of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, has grown into a lifeline with thousands of compassionate messages sent to hundreds of subscribers. The messages sent via Footage’s FemSMS service provide hope, solidarity, support, and build community in war, exile, and uncertainty. Built with Ukrainian women and gender-diverse folks, FemSMS has become a platform, a voice, and a circle of care. From those initial five messages the service has grown to meet an essential need.  15,000+ messages sent 12,000+ reached 70+ women and gender-diverse participants took part in our design research.  13+ events and conferences held, creating community and healing spaces. Featured in BBC and Libération, FemSMS has created a resilient, loving network—holding space for all, including elderly women, women in care homes, LGBTQIA+ and gender-diverse c...

At a time when the humanitarian sector is being stretched to its limits, Footage was grateful to participate and share with a global community of advocates, activists and academics at the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69). This year, 2025, commemorating 30 years since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, saw the Footage team taking part in multiple transformative events and connecting with those who share our vision for social justice, human rights, and equity.  In an increasingly fractured world, we remain anchored in the belief that compassion is not a luxury — but a necessity. For more than 15 years, compassion, including self-compassion has been central to Footage’s theory of change—rooted in how we listen, connect, and respond to the lived realities of women and gender-diverse people. That commitment feels more essential now than ever. In the spirit of compassionate advocacy, our main event, “Compassion in Action: Feminist and Narrat...

From Mexico City in 1975 to Beijing in 1995 to the celebration of Beijing +30 at the United Nations Commission of the Status of Women (CSW69) this March, an evolution of ideas and strategies leading to the formulation of Feminist Foreign Policies (FFPs) have emerged as transformative approach rooted in principles of gender equality, human rights, and social justice. In a world where these principles face increasing erosion and threat feminist activists can harness FFPs as a tool to support fragmented gender equality efforts on a global scale, ensuring that they serve the interests of marginalized communities whose voices are often ignored and silenced. by Dr. Kristen Ali Eglinton Feminist Foreign Policy did not emerge in a vacuum. It stands on the foundation of decades of feminist activism—on the voices, struggles, and strategies of those who came before us. In this brief article, I focus on a particular kind of Feminist Foreign Policy—one that is deeply rooted in praxis; that is, on ...

Footage's FemSMS is an informational project, specifically for Ukrainian women, launched shortly after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022. It focuses on those living in conflict zones, survivors of gender-based violence, or those forced to relocate because of war. FemSMS aims to provide emotional and psychological support, help women overcome trauma, and inform them about ways to maintain their mental and physical health and safety through compassionate SMS messages.  "The feeling that I am not alone, that someone cares about me," says one of the Ukrainian women who, like many others, faces the challenges of living in a war zone. Thanks to the FemSMS initiative, she feels supported in navigating this difficult experience. The initiative was implemented by Footage in partnership with non-profit organizations, Project Kesher and Project Kesher Ukraine . Since the project's launch, Ukrainian women who subscribe to the FemSMS service have recei...