2004
3 founding organizations: Open Society Foundation Serbia, Women in Black Belgrade, Women’s Studies and Research Novi Sad – basic information about objectives, mission…
Later, instead of founding organizations, the role of co-founders was taken over by Svenka Savić, Slavica Stojanović, Stanislava Zajović, and Mirjana Mirosavljević Bobić.
The members of the Managing Board during the first twenty years of the RWF were Svenka Savić, Jovanka Zlatković, Hedvig Morvai Horvat, Gordana Stojaković, Ana Bu, Stanislava Zajović, Snježana Milivojević, Sonja Liht, Slavica Stojanović, Jadranka Jelinčić, Dušica Parezanović, Olga Manojlović Pintar.
Initially, there was also a Supervisory Board (removed with changes to the Statute in 2015), and its members were: Aleksandra Vesić, Tanja Pavlov, and Katarina Jeremić.
After foundation, the head of the fund was Slavica Stojanović. Later on, she alternated with Mirjana Mirosavljević in that position, and after 2018, the coordination of the fund was taken over first by Milica Miražić, then Marija Jakovljević, and Đurđa Trajković, the current fund coordinator.
The working team of the fund during these first 20 years consisted of: Slavica Stojanović, Mirjana Mirosavljević Bobić, Zoe Gudović, Marija Jakovljević, Milica Miražić, Galina Maksimović, Ana Imširović Đorđević, Đurđa Trajković, Irena Jovanović, Diana Miladinović Zeba, Alma Mustajbašić, and Nataša Ivaneža.
Over the years, RWF’s finances, website, design and functioning computers were made possible by the vital support of Vajka Anđelković, Vladimir Jerić Vlidi, Katarina Popović Kata, Marija Vidić, Dejan Brankov.
All our donors, institutional and individual, as well as partners and friends, during the last two decades, can be found at rwfund.org/eng/about-us/friends-and-support
The Žarana Papić stipend program has existed ever since 2004 till this very day – providing support for activists/academics to acquire knowledge in areas related to gender/women’s and peace issues.
From 2004 to 2015, there was a support program for women’s groups called Women’s Initiatives.
From 2004 to 2012, RWF actively participated in marking and organizing the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign.
2005
Since 2005 to the present day RWF has had the program of Rapid response grants
2006
Grant making program Special Focus was established in 2006, and since 2016 it has been focused on the topics of antimilitarism, antinationalism, antiracism… Selected, interesting, and diverse examples of groups supported through this program can be seen here.
Together with the Center for Women’s Studies and Gender Research from Novi Sad, RWF published the book by Sabrina P. Ramet, Religion and Politics in Times of Change: Catholic and Orthodox Churches in Central and Southeastern Europe, translated by Jasminka Bošnjak.
2007
The book Erased from the Text: How Sexuality is Used to Attack Women’s Organizing by Cynthia Rothschild, was translated by Adriana Zaharijević and published by RWF. The book in Serbian is available at rwfund.org/2011/09/28/citajte-sintija-rotsild-izbrisano-iz-teksta
2008
RWF produced a movie Women in activism directed by Anberin Pashe and Anđela Banićević.
In partnership with Women in Black from Belgrade and the Center for Women’s Studies and Gender Research from Novi Sad, RWF published the anthology Someone Said Feminism?: How Feminism Has Influenced Women of the 21st Century, edited by Adriana Zaharijević.
2010
The book Becoming a Woman by Adriana Zaharijević was published and can be found online at rwfund.org/2013/10/31/citajte-adriana-zaharijevic-postajanje-zenom.
Since 2010 RWF has been mapping events and actions dedicated to the 8th of March in Serbia. Since 2014 the maps have also included activities from the countries of former Yugoslavia.
First edition of the festival JOYFULNESS CRAZINESS was held. It was organized in partnership with the Museum of Yugoslav History and the poets initiative Pesničenje. The joyfullness and craziness and all the exchange under the same name, filled with joyfulness and craziness, have lived on until today.
2011
From 2011 until 2014, within the program Special Focus, there has been a program named Roma Girl’s Solidarity.
During this program, in 2012, Columbian director Patricia Ariza directed a play titled Pasarela, resulting from her work with Roma girls and young women from Leskovac, Niš, Vlasotince, Pirot, Vranje, Bujanovac, and with art activists from the collective Act Women from Belgrade. Later that year, a movie about the performance was made, also named Pasarela.
Within the same program, in 2014, performance Presence in Life! was created in partnership with the Puppet Theatre Niš, SOS for Women and Children Victims of Violence Vlasotince, Ternipe and Women from the South from Pirot. The performance Presence in Life! was staged by Roma girls and young women from Niš, Vlasotince, Pirot, and art activists from the group Act Women from Belgrade, who all took part in a seven-day theatre work with Ana Woolf and Vera Ribeiro. A film about the project was made by Nada Pleskonjić.
In 2011, RWF started sharing its online publications with its readers (part of it published only online and part also printed in paper).
Book Violence Against Women in Intimate Partner Relationship: Model for Coordinated Community Response written by Tanja Ignjatović was published.
In partnership with Women in Black from Belgrade and Center for Women’s Studies, RWF published Ethics of Courage / Ksenija Atanasijević edited by Ljiljana Vuletić.
From 2011 to 2014 RWF shared with the readers the literature written by rebellious women – Rosa Luxemburg, Audre Lorde, bell hooks, Virginia Woolf, Jasmina Tešanović.
2012
Short bilingual booklet “To je moj izveštaj vama / This Is My Report To You” was published (translation to English by Jasmina Tešanović), containing quotes from Žarana Papić. Žarana Papić was a political activist whose legacy pushes us to keep opposing fascism and nationalism.
Based on the book and in production of RWF, a short movie under the same name was created, containing quotes and original audio materials from texts, discussions and lectures of Žarana Papić. Movie was directed by Vladimir Šojat and was translated to sign language, with the idea of continuous questioning of thoughts and ideas (sign language interpreter was Vera Jovanović).
Together with the Faculty of Political Sciences – Center for Gender Studies and Politics and Women in Black from Belgrade, RWF published the book Žarana Papić: Texts 1977-2002 (edited by Adriana Zaharijević, Zorica Ivanović and Daša Duhaček).
2013
RWF published the book Gypsy Sexuality: Romani and Outsider Perspectives on Intimacy, edited by Chad Nirenberg, with translations by Slavica Stojanović, Silvia Dražić, Jelena Jovanović, Milica Turnić, Olivera Babić, Radoslava Aralica, Veronika Mitro, Ksenija Livada, Jasmina Tešanović, Iva Kljakić, Emilia Epstein, and Ana Zorbić.
As part of the feminist philanthropy program, Zoe Gudović started a series of interviews titled “They Inspire and Motivate Us”.
From 2013 to 2015, there was a support program for the activism of young women, specifically for groups that were created, led, and carried out by young women.
The campaign UNCLOG YOURSELF – PLUG IN WHERE NEEDED! was conducted, which included “Delicacy Monday” at Cultural Centre Grad, with the support of BeFem and Act Women.
2014
The General Support program was started and continues to this day.
Celebration of the 10th anniversary of RWF in CZKD (Center for Cultural Decontamination) together with the JOYFULNESS CRAZINESS festival.
RWF marks the Anti-War Centenary of the First World War by publishing books, texts and poetry under the same name.
In partnership with Women in Black from Belgrade, RWF published a book Topčider Case – Anatomy of the State’s Crime written by Bojan Tončić.
From 2014 to 2016 activist-donor interventions of Reconstruction Women’s Fund were organized due to the floods which affected the worst the ones already most vulnerable.
RWF launched the first out of many benefit events titled Sisters are doing it best. First Sisters were held in Social Centre Oktobar for collecting solidarity support for the victims of the floods. By 2022, more than 18 events were held in various spaces and for various solidarity purposes.
2015
After long years of renting flats at several locations in Belgrade, RWF bought its forever home in Braće Baruh 6.
In June 2015, Slavica Stojanović, Svenka Savić, Stanislavka Zajović and Mirjana Mirosavljević Bobić were registered as founders of RWF.
In honor of the Student Day, on the 4th of April, RWF began publishing translations in the section Critical Themes within the edition of “Sources of Epistemology – Critical Life” (by December 2023, 30 translations were published, including speeches, texts, movies and interviews by Edward Snowden, Jasbir Puar, Italo Calvino, Wendy Brown, Klara Matei and many more.)
2016
RWF published a book A Model of Temporary Housing – From Concept to Realization: The Roma Settlement Example.
New section on the website was created – Focus on Focus – sharing various inspirational actions, projects, publications and events supported through Special Focus program.
2017
RWF marks the 100th anniversary of October Revolution by publishing books and texts in the edition “Upside down 2017”
Educational campaign How Sisters Could do it the Best was launched. Same year, a publication under the same title was created and edited by Marija Jakovljević and Zoe Gudović. More about practices within this campaign can be found at rwfund.org/category/sestre-prakticne-akcije
In partnership with Bulevar Books from Novi Sad, RWF published a book of poetry This Is Not Home: Female Poets on Migration edited by Jelena Anđelovska and Vitomirka Trebovac.
2020
RWF supported Women in Black to translate and publish the book Agonistic Mourning: Political Dissidence and the Women in Black by Athena Athanasiou.
During the COVID-19 pandemic and consequential crisis, RWF adapted at all levels and flexed its actions in accordance with the situation, with emergency and rapid support it provided, adequate forms of cooperation and solidarity, and other activities.
2021
A new group of translations has been added to the website’s section Critical Issues, as part of the Feminist Reader edition. This selection was made in collaboration with Katarina Lončarević from the Gender Studies program at the Faculty of Political Sciences, in order to provide the program participants with texts previously untranslated but used in the study program.
New section on the website was launched – Why We Donate – a series of interviews and videos where we think out loud, talk and try to provide answer to the question – why do we donate?
Online donations with just a few mouse clicks were made possible! (the only options to donate before were via bank transfer or e-banking, either by single donation or by creating regular monthly payments – of course, these options remain available). More information on ways to donate: rwfund.org/eng/get-involved/you-can-support-us.
First fundraising campaign for the Žarana Papić Stipends was launched and it was primarily directed towards individual donors from the diaspora.
2022
RWF publishes a biomythography by Audre Lorde Zami: A New Spelling of My Name translated by Ana Imširović Đorđević. Book was presented at JOYFULNESS CRAZINESS festival in Cultural Centre Grad and then promoted in Dom Omladine in partnership with Beopolis bookstore, where all of the RWF publications are available through donations.
2023
RWF publishes a book by Laurie Mintz Becoming Cliterate: Why Orgasm Equality Matters–And How to Get It translated by Ana Imširović Đorđević. Promotion of the book and discussion were organized during the JOYFULNESS CRAZINESS festival in Cultural Centre Magacin.
2024
RWF hosted a cross-regional meeting of the “On the Right Track” initiative. Over 100 activists and members of women’s funds from more than 30 countries of Europe and Latin America gathered in Belgrade. The meeting was the first opportunity for activists and women’s funds from the two continents to meet, exchange knowledge and experiences and start creating a collective response to the ever growing anti-gender threats.
This year we are also celebrating our 20th anniversary, a party is inevitable, details coming soon….
2004 ONE
Prva kampanja prikupljanja sredstava za Stipendije Žarana Papić, usmerena pre svega na individualne donatore/ke i to prevashodno iz dijaspore
2004 TWO
Prva kampanja prikupljanja sredstava za Stipendije Žarana Papić, usmerena pre svega na individualne donatore/ke i to prevashodno iz dijaspore
