About SAAF
SAAF is the only international fund focused exclusively on the right to safe and legal abortion.
We envision a world where women, girls and people with diverse gender identities have their human rights to abortion and bodily autonomy respected, protected and fulfilled. Through our funding and support we work to de-stigmatize abortion and to create opportunities for organisations working on abortion to connect with like-minded partners, with the goal of supporting a thriving intersectional movement to advance reproductive rights for all, especially communities which experience marginalisation.
The SAAF Theory of Change outlines our vision.
Red de Mujeres Afrolatinoamericanas, Afrocaribeñas y de la Diáspora, Nicaragua
Our history
SAAF was established in 2006 in part to meet the critical need for funding that arose upon the re-imposition of the ‘Global Gag Rule’ by US President George W Bush. We quickly became an important and unique funding mechanism – unequivocally focusing on de-stigmatizing and increasing access to safe legal abortion across the world and supporting organisations that serve people living in the most restrictive environments.
Where financial support for abortion initiatives is scarce, particularly for organisations that may not be able to access large international funding mechanisms, SAAF provides a channel that can effectively support and strengthen the capacity of these groups, without the high administrative burden required by many donors.
Where financial support for abortion initiatives is scarce, particularly for organisations that may not be able to access large international funding mechanisms, SAAF provides a channel that can effectively support and strengthen the capacity of these groups, without the high administrative burden required by many donors.
Our values
Trust
We trust that the best people to decide on what is needed and what works are those working in their own communities and contexts. We offer flexibility in our funding, are open to bold, innovative strategies, responsive to changing situations, and are non-directive in how best grants should be implemented.
Accountability
We are committed to being accountable to our grantee partners, donors and those engaged with SAAF funded projects, to ensure that this work is as effective and sustainable as possible and to make real change in the lives of women, girls and pregnant people in the communities that our grantee partners work with.
Committed to abortion rights
We are unreservedly in support of the right to safe abortion and bodily autonomy for all. We believe that people who are pregnant are the best placed to make their own decisions and that all those who need access to reproductive health care, including abortions, should be able to do so without obstruction.
Solidarity
We recognize that positive change happens when people and organisations work together to learn from each other and share ideas. We endeavour to support this by enabling a strong global network of passionate abortion rights advocates to learn from each other and gain strength from the power of numbers.