About this Initiative

The 1 in 9 March against violence against women was one of the highlights of the 2008 Forum

The International Forum on Women's Rights and Development is the largest recurring event of its kind, bringing together women's rights leaders, donor agencies, development practitioners, grassroots leaders and activists from around the world. Held every three to four years, the Forum gives participants an opportunity to network, build alliances, celebrate, and learn in a highly charged atmosphere that fosters deep discussions and sustained personal and professional growth.

For AWID, the Forum responds to the urgency to promote stronger and more coordinated engagement and action by women’s rights advocates, organizations and movements. We also believe that the Forum has the potential to set agendas for women’s rights movements and organizations on key issues, identifying concrete initiatives they can engage with.

Since the first Forum was held in 1983 in Washington DC, AWID has organized 11 such events around the world, with a steadily growing number of participants. Close to 2000 activists came to the last Forum ‘The Power of Movements’ in Cape Town, South Africa in 2008.

AWID’s next International Forum will take place in Istanbul, Turkey in 2012