Summary of the year 2024

The KIOS Annual Report shows how, despite the world taking a turn from the perspective of human rights, our grantees keep defending democracy, fighting for corporate responsibility and ensuring equality and democracy through local actions. In 2024, KIOS funded 52 human rights projects or programmes in East Africa and South Asia.

In 2024, KIOS grantees secured legal victories, influenced policies, defended communities and expanded civic space in Nepal, Uganda, Kenya and Sri Lanka – by empowering grassroots groups, advancing gender equality, and promoting environmental and human rights accountability in challenging contexts.

In Finland, KIOS strengthened human rights advocacy by participating in national policy forums, training finnish NGOs on rights-based approaches, raising public awareness through campaigns and events, and amplifying the voices of human rights defenders in Finnish media and civil society discussions.

Download the annual report (in english) and read more about our work in 2024! Below more details of our work in light of numbers and themes (information presented in visuals, all the information also in text form above the pictures).

The Year 2024 in Numbers

  • 52 KIOS grants were ongoing
  • 30 in East Africa
  • 22 in South Asia

Some results from grants that ended in 2024:

Last year, KIOS directed €1,254,000 to human rights work in developing countries. In the 19 projects or programmes that concluded last year:

    • 176,280 people directly benefited from KIOS-funded human rights work
    • 108,300 human rights defenders and right-holders raised their awareness about human rights
    • 31 000 people received legal aid or assistance
    • 460 public officials and political decision-makers were trained on human rights issues

The themes of all grants in 2024

  • Rights of people in vulnerable positions 25 grants
  • Rule of law and democracy 18 grants
  • Women’s rights and gender equality 18 grants
  • LGBTQIA+ rights 13 grants
  • Business and human rights 9 grants
  • Access to justice 8 grants
  • Human rights defenders 7 grants
  • Non-discrimination and gender equality 5 grants
  • Ethnic minorities & indigenous people 5 grants
  • Transitional justice 3 grants
  • Environmental rights and climate justice 3 grants
  • Right to peace 2 grants
  • Right to nationality or citizenship 1 grant
  • Right to physical integrity and humane treatment 1 grant
  • Right to life 1 grant
  • Right to be free from torture and other cruel or unusual punishment 1 grant
  • Economic, social and cultural rights 1 grant
  • Freedom from violence 1 grant
  • Land rights 1 grant
  • Child rights 1 grant
  • Sex worker’s rights 1 grant
  • Right to a clean and healthy environment 1 grant
  • Freedom of expression 1 grant

There were 24 new grants in 2024. 19 grants closed during 2024. 9 grants were ongoing over year 2024. Some grants have multiple themes.