What FORWARD does

FORWARD (Foundation for Women's Health Research and Development) is a UK-registered charity (No. 292403) founded in 1982-1983, headquartered in London, that works to end violence against women and girls (VAWG), with a particular focus on African women and girls affected by or at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM), child and forced marriage, and domestic abuse. The organization delivers a portfolio of programmes including the TuWezeshe Akina Dada feminist leadership fellowship, the Young Women's Circle psychoeducational support service, the Young Women's Hub platform, the Young People Speak Out (YPSO) youth advocacy programme, and accredited training for schools and safeguarding professionals. Service delivery is direct and partner-mediated, spanning phone, email, online chat, schools-based workshops, and community engagement across the UK, seven European countries, and 12+ African countries through implementing partners such as Akina Dada, Think Young Women, Akina Mama wa Afrika, and the End FGM European Network.

The organization generates no proprietary technology products and operates with a 44-person staff base. Its revenue model is a hybrid of three streams: donations and charitable giving (including JustGiving, Saucony 10k, Royal Parks Half Marathon, and ethical gift shop), institutional grants (notably UNFPA under the UN-EU Spotlight Initiative, and EU-based programmes), and commissioned training services for schools, local authorities, and safeguarding professionals. FORWARD does not publish its financial statements in the available source material, and pricing for commissioned services is not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is community-led, combining awareness campaigns, peer-led advocacy, policy engagement with UK and EU policymakers, and direct service delivery to survivors via multilingual support.

Customer concentration is functionally Low on the beneficiary side (diverse African women and girls across geographies) but represents a material funder concentration risk given reliance on UNFPA, EU, and a narrow set of institutional grant-makers. No AI/ML, proprietary software, or mobile applications underpin the service model; the technology surface is limited to standard digital marketing, CRM-style supporter engagement, and remote support channels.

Name

FORWARD

Legal name

FORWARD (Foundation for Women's Health Research and Development)

Website

https://forwarduk.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FORWARD is a UK-registered African women-led charity that delivers programmes, training, and support services to end violence against women and girls, particularly FGM and child marriage, serving African women and girls in the UK, Europe, and 12+ African countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Rights Advocacy and Social Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (81331), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB), Gender Equality & Women’s Rights (BPADAGAF), Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF)

Keywords

• Women's rights advocacy
• Gender-based violence prevention
• FGM awareness training
• Youth leadership programmes
• Safeguarding training services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: FORWARD operates as a registered UK charity (No. 292403) that relies on public donations, fundraising events (e.g., running events, JustGiving), and general charitable giving to fund its programmes and services.
2. Grants and Funder Partnerships: The organization receives funding from institutional funders and partners including UNFPA, EU-based initiatives, and other grant-making bodies to support specific programmes such as the TuWezeshe Akina Dada leadership programme.
3. Training and Commissioned Services: FORWARD offers accredited professional training and schools programmes that can be commissioned by organizations, local authorities, and educational institutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

FORWARD is an African women-led UK-registered charity that works to end violence against women and girls (VAWG), including female genital mutilation (FGM), child marriage, and forced marriage. It delivers free, confidential support and counselling services for survivors, accredited training for professionals and schools, youth leadership development through the flagship TuWezeshe Akina Dada programme, participatory research, community engagement, and policy advocacy across the UK, Europe, and Africa.

Product overview

FORWARD (Foundation of Women's Health Research and Development) is an African women-led organisation providing a portfolio of programmes, support services, and training focused on ending violence against women and girls (VAWG). The core offerings include the TuWezeshe Akina Dada Young Women's Leadership Programme, the Young Women's Circle support service, the Young Women's Hub platform, and the Young People Speak Out (YPSO) youth advocacy programme. Additional services include schools and professional training, support services for survivors, and research publications on FGM and related topics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TuWezeshe Akina Dada Young Women's Leadership Programme Flagship feminist leadership programme that inspires young African women to engage in civil and political spheres and galvanise collective action against violence against women and girls; delivered across UK, France, Belgium, Italy, Sweden, Netherlands, and Spain.
• Young Women's Circle Free weekly psychoeducational support service for young women aged 18-35 from BAME backgrounds, run by trained psychotherapists, covering life challenges, leadership, mental health, and VAWG.
• Young Women's Hub Online platform where young women aged 18-30 from BAME backgrounds meet, network, and participate in discussions exploring lived experiences, including the Red Issues Series exploring taboo topics.
• Young Women's Advisory Council Council that integrates young women's voices and perspectives into FORWARD's work, improving BAME young women's engagement with VAWG issues.
• Young People Speak Out (YPSO) Programme working with young people aged 18-25 to develop skills as youth advocates, supporting them to create projects, events, and workshops raising awareness of harmful practices affecting African women and girls.
• Schools Training Training services for UK schools and higher education institutions to teach students about body rights, FGM awareness, and safeguarding. Reached 44,580 students since 2015.
• Professionals Training Accredited professional training on safeguarding women and girls affected or at risk of FGM and other forms of violence; available for commissioning by organisations. Reached 11,570 professionals since 2015.
• Support Services for Survivors Free, confidential advice and support services for survivors of domestic abuse, sexual violence, FGM, forced marriage, and other forms of violence affecting women and girls; available via phone, online chat, and email with multilingual support.
• Publications and Research Research reports, studies, and publications on FGM, child marriage, VAWG, and young women's leadership produced over four decades of organisational knowledge.

Quantifiable outcome

• 44,580 students taught about their body and rights in UK schools since 2015
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, secondary and minor.

• UNFPAflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNFPA is a key strategic partner for the TuWezeshe Akina Dada programme, providing funding under the UN-EU Spotlight Initiative. The partnership aims to eliminate violence against women and girls through the feminist leadership programme targeting young African women.
• End FGM European NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnd FGM European Network is the implementing partner for Europe-based TuWezeshe Akina Dada programming, facilitating delivery of the fellowship programme to young women across UK, France, Belgium, Italy, Sweden, Netherlands, and Spain.
• Akina Dada (Kenya)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAkina Dada is an implementing partner for the TuWezeshe Akina Dada leadership programme, supporting the delivery of feminist leadership training to young women in Kenya and contributing to the Africa-UK young women leadership initiative.
• Think Young Women (The Gambia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThink Young Women is a Gambian partner organization contributing to the TuWezeshe Akina Dada programme, supporting young women's leadership development and FGM advocacy efforts in The Gambia.
• Akina Mama wa AfrikacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAkina Mama wa Afrika is a pan-African feminist organization and key partner in the TuWezeshe programme, contributing to the leadership and feminist education components of the fellowship.
• Sub-Sahara Advisory PanelsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSub-Sahara Advisory Panel collaborates with FORWARD on the TuWezeshe programme, supporting African diaspora engagement and advocacy work across sub-Saharan regions.
• Children's Dignity ForumsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerChildren's Dignity Forum is a Tanzania-based partner contributing to the TuWezeshe programme, focusing on child rights and protection issues relevant to the programme's work in Africa.
• Somaliland Nursing and Midwifery AssociationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSomaliland Nursing and Midwifery Association partners with FORWARD on the TuWezeshe programme, providing healthcare perspectives and supporting fellows working on FGM awareness in Somaliland.
• Home Girls UniteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHome Girls Unite is a support group for eldest daughters of immigrant families, co-founded by Hanna Adan and Yasin Bojang as a TuWezeshe alumni Social Action Project. The organization works with FORWARD on community engagement and peer support.
• Safe SistersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSafe Sisters is a fellowship for human rights defenders that partnered with FORWARD through TuWezeshe alumni Aidah Bakunzi, providing digital security training opportunities.
• National FGM CentresecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe National FGM Centre is a UK-based partner contributing to FORWARD's pan-European FGM in schools conferences and sharing expertise on FGM policy and safeguarding.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Orchid Project: UK-based charity dedicated to ending FGM and child marriage through community engagement and partnerships in Africa and Asia. Directly comparable as a specialist peer in FGM/child marriage elimination with similar programmatic and advocacy approaches.
• Equality Now: International women's rights organisation using legal advocacy to end violence and discrimination. Directly comparable in mission (ending VAWG and harmful practices), advocacy approach, and global operating footprint.
• Southall Black Sisters: UK-based Black women's organisation providing services to women experiencing gender-based violence. Directly comparable as a peer specialist charity serving BAME women affected by VAWG with overlapping advocacy, helpline, and policy functions.
• Imkaan: UK-based Black feminist organisation addressing VAWG in minority communities. Directly comparable as a peer BAME women's rights charity offering parallel training, advocacy, and survivor support services to similar beneficiaries.
• Women's Aid Federation of England: National federation coordinating domestic abuse services across England. Directly comparable as a UK VAWG service provider and policy advocate, with overlapping survivor support, training, and policy advocacy mandates.
• National FGM Centre: UK-based organisation focused on FGM safeguarding, training, and policy. Directly comparable as a co-deliverer of FGM safeguarding training and co-host of the pan-European FGM in Schools conferences with FORWARD.
• End FGM European Network: European umbrella network for FGM prevention and survivor support. Directly comparable as FORWARD's implementing partner for Europe-based TuWezeshe Akina Dada programming and a peer in FGM advocacy across the continent.
• Daughters of Eve: UK non-profit focused on ending FGM through education, awareness, and advocacy. Directly comparable as a smaller specialist FGM-focused peer targeting African diaspora communities in the UK with similar survivor support and education objectives.

Broad incumbents

• Plan International UK: Large UK-registered children's and girls' rights organisation operating globally. Broadly comparable as a much larger incumbent working on girls' rights and ending child marriage/FGM across the same African geographies, though operating at significantly greater scale and with broader remit.
• UN Women UK: UK National Committee supporting UN Women's global gender equality and VAWG elimination mandate. Broadly comparable as a larger, higher-profile incumbent in the same thematic space with similar policy advocacy and programmatic funding channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forward-uk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FORWARD