Efigenia Vásquez Astudillo
Advancing Universal Rights and Justice
Uprooting Fascisms and Fundamentalisms
Across the globe, feminist, women’s rights and gender justice defenders are challenging the agendas of fascist and fundamentalist actors. These oppressive forces target women, persons who are non-conforming in their gender identity, expression and/or sexual orientation, and other oppressed communities.
Discriminatory ideologies are undermining and co-opting our human rights systems and standards, with the aim of making rights the preserve of only certain groups. In the face of this, the Advancing Universal Rights and Justice (AURJ) initiative promotes the universality of rights - the foundational principle that human rights belong to everyone, no matter who they are, without exception.
We create space for feminist, women’s rights and gender justice movements and allies to recognize, strategize and take collective action to counter the influence and impact of anti-rights actors. We also seek to advance women’s rights and feminist frameworks, norms and proposals, and to protect and promote the universality of rights.
Our actions
Through this initiative, we:
- Build knowledge: We support feminist, women’s rights and gender justice movements by disseminating and popularizing knowledge and key messages about anti-rights actors, their strategies, and impact in the international human rights systems through AWID’s leadership role in the collaborative platform, the Observatory on the Universality of Rights (OURs)*.
- Advance feminist agendas: We ally ourselves with partners in international human rights spaces including, the Human Rights Council, the Commission on Population and Development, the Commission on the Status of Women and the UN General Assembly.
- Create and amplify alternatives: We engage with our members to ensure that international commitments, resolutions and norms reflect and are fed back into organizing in other spaces locally, nationally and regionally.
- Mobilize solidarity action: We take action alongside women human rights defenders (WHRDs) including trans and intersex defenders and young feminists, working to challenge fundamentalisms and fascisms and call attention to situations of risk.
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Snippet Opening Dance Performance EN
Clone of CFA 2023 - Hybrid like never before: in person - EN
In-person
Participants will come together in Bangkok, Thailand. We can’t wait!
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CFA 2023 - Call for Activities is live- thai
เปิดรับสมัครกิจกรรมแล้ว!
กำหนดเส้นตายในการปิดรับรายละเอียดกิจกรรมใหม่ : 1 กุมภาพันธ์ 2567
ด้วยเจตนารมณ์ของประเด็นสาระหลักของเวทีนี้ เราจึงขอเชิญท่านร่วมเสนอหัวข้อและรูปแบบของกิจกรรม อันหลากหลายซึ่งจะ
- เอื้อให้เกิดการเชื่อมต่อและการมีปฏิสัมพันธ์อย่างแท้จริงระหว่างผู้เข้าร่วมประชุม
- ส่งเสริมการเยียวยาและฟื้นฟูในรูปแบบต่างๆ ทั้งส่วนบุคคล ชุมชน และในขบวนการเคลื่อนไหว
- สร้างแรงบันดาลใจและความท้าทายที่ทำให้เราเติบโตร่วมกันในฐานะชุมชนและขบวนการ เคลื่อนไหว
Mona Chemali Khalaf
Mona was an economist and an independent consultant on gender and development issues.
She was a former Professor of Economics and Director of the Institute for Women's Studies in the Arab World at the Lebanese American University.
She passed away suddenly on January 6, 2018.
Friends and former colleagues say of Mona: “When we celebrate her life, the best thing we can do is commit to continuing what she started: gender equality no matter what.”
Forum 2024 - FAQ - Will you be opening CFA - EN
Yes! Please read the Call for Activities and apply here. Deadline is 15 January 2024
Juana Raymundo
Juana was an Indigenous Mayan Ixil, professional nurse and coordinator of the Farmers’ Development Committee (Comité de Desarrollo Campesino – CODECA).
CODECA is a human rights organisation of Indigenous farmers dedicated to promoting land rights and rural development for Indigenous families) in the Nebaj Quiché micro-region. She first joined CODECA as a member of its youth branch (Juventud de CODECA). At the time of her death had been elected to be part of the Executive Committee of the Movement for the Liberation of Peoples (MLP).
Juana’s body was found by neighbours by a small river on the road near Nebaj and Acambalam Village, Guatemala. According to CODECA, her body showed signs of torture.
CFA 2023 - Intro FAQ - ar
المنتدى الدولي الخامس عشر لجمعية حقوق المرأة في التنمية (AWID)
يعتبر المنتدى الدولي الخامس عشر لجمعية حقوق المرأة في التنمية حدثًا مجتمعيًا عالميًا ومساحة للتحول الشخصي الجذري. يجمع المنتدى، وهو اجتماع فريد من نوعه، الحركات النسوية وحقوق المرأة والعدالة الجندرية ومجتمع الميم عين والحركات الحليفة، بكل تنوعنا وإنسانيتنا، للتواصل والشفاء والازدهار. المنتدى هو المكان الذي تحتل فيه نسويات ونسويو الجنوب العالمي والمجتمعات المهمشة تاريخياً مركز الصدارة، حيث يضعون الاستراتيجيات مع بعضهم/ن البعض، مع الحركات الحليفة الأخرى، ومع المموّلين وصانعي السياسات بهدف تحويل السلطة، إقامة تحالفات استراتيجية، والدخول في عالم أفضل ومختلف.
عندما يجتمع الناس على نطاق عالمي، كأفراد وحركات، فإننا نولد قوة جارفة. انضموا إلينا في بانكوك، تايلاند في عام 2024. تعالوا وارقصوا وغنوا واحلموا وانهضوا معنا.
متى: 2-5 ديسمبر 2024
أين: بانكوك، تايلاند؛ وعلى الانترنت
من: ما يقرب الـ 2500 ناشط/ة نسوية من جميع أنحاء العالم يشاركون شخصيًا، و3000 يشاركون افتراضيًا
2019: Feminist Realities in a changing world
AWID began preparing this annual report just as the global pandemic began to unravel how we gather, organize and live our lives. It is impossible to review what we have done without COVID-19 tinting our assessment.
Download the full 2019 Annual review
Co-Creating Feminist Realities is no longer just an AWID Forum theme - it is a rallying cry in response to a pandemic that has laid bare the failures of social, political and economic systems.
It is an urgently needed affirmation that there are other, more just ways of organizing our lives. During 2019 hundreds of groups shared their experiences and proposals for feminist realities with us, ranging from radical networks of community support in Latin America facilitating self-managed abortion, to practices of community-centered economies in Indonesia and community-centered food systems in India and the US, to a re-imagination and new practice of harm-free rites of passage in Sierra Leone. These are the experiences that will chart a path forward for a “new normal”.
Yet long histories of oppression and violence can make it difficult to imagine the possible. A key part of our work in 2019 was to spark these explorations through a toolkit AWID launched to support groups interested in unearthing the stories and aspirations that are the building blocks of feminist propositions.
While we focus on our proposals for a different world, we recognize the challenging context around us.
Through the Observatory on the Universality of Rights, Feminists for a Binding Treaty, Count Me In! and other alliances, AWID has continued to push back against unfettered corporate power and fascist and fundamentalist agendas that undermine women’s rights and gender justice. With dim prospects for transformative change through multilateral processes and limited responsiveness from most states, we are redoubling our efforts to ensure that feminist movements, in all their diversity, are resourced in ways that match the critical roles they play - supporting their communities, demanding rights and responding to crises. In 2019 we introduced feminist principles and approaches to ground-breaking funds like the Spotlight Initiative and the Equality Fund, and succeeded in leveraging resources through feminist reality seed grant funding from feminist funders.
As we look ahead, it is clear that the context is calling for a transformation of our organizing strategies:
- we are learning to navigate global advocacy confined to online channels,
- we grapple with the uncertainty of when and how we can convene in person, and
- we use the tools at our disposal to tighten connections across local to global spheres.
AWID is embarking on a new membership model that lowers barriers to access and emphasizes opportunities for engagement and cross-member connection. We will continue to experiment with different online tools and processes for building community. Cross-movement engagement will stay at the center of our work. AWID’s actions in solidarity with oppressed movements and identities, even and especially where these are marginalized in feminist movements, are important to drive change and support broad and inclusive movements for all.
Crisis is not new to feminist and social movements.
We are resilient, we adapt, and we show up for each other. And we have to keep doing better. Thank you to all who are part of the journey with us.
Download the full 2019 Annual review
Stella Mukasa
Stella began her career at the Ministry of Gender and Community Development in Uganda engaging with policymakers for law reform, including the 1995 Ugandan Constitution, which established some of the most progressive reforms for women in the region.
She is revered throughout the region for her tireless efforts to create and enforce gender-responsive laws and policies. She played a key role in drafting Uganda’s Domestic Violence Act and in mobilizing support for gender-responsive constitutions in both Uganda and in Rwanda.
Through her work with International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), she worked on violence against children, and worked to strengthen the capacities of grassroots organizations addressing gender-based violence. She was a lecturer on gender rights and the law at Makerere University and served on the boards of Akina Mama wa Afrika, ActionAid International Uganda and the Open Society Initiative for Eastern Africa.
CFA FAQ - Registration - AR
تسجيل
Priscilla Hon
Biography
Priscilla has nearly two decades of experience working in the non-profit sector with social justice organizations that worked on women and youth rights, conservation, peacebuilding and development. Her interests are in setting up progressive processes and systems that will help an organization live to their values and principles and thrive, and finding ways to support organizations and fundraisers to locate and secure the resourcing they need to do good work. . Priscilla joined AWID in 2018 as Resource Mobilization Manager and in July 2023, took on the role of Director of Operations and Funding Partnerships.
Priscilla holds an MSc in International Politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), a growing pile of books she is still trying to find time to read, and sits on the Board of Hodan Somali Community, a London-based charity.
Position
Director of Operations and Funding Partnerships
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In memory of all women journalists who were killed in 2018
Just like women have learned to avoid dark streets for their safety, women journalists are forced to avoid reporting certain stories as a result of online harassment.
The physical, sexual and online abuse that has become a part of their daily work lives should never be normalized.
Harassment is not part of the job description and should be called out and challenged at every turn to ensure these important voices are not silenced.
This tribute to journalists was made on behalf of IFEX
CFA FAQ - Call for activities - Thai
เปิดรับสมัครกิจกรรมภายในงาน
Maria Olivo
Biography
Maria is a graphic designer and visual communicator. Maria has worked with NGOs and Human Rights like Profamilia and OXFAM. As a woman of the Global South, she feels especially called to use her skills to work with organizations that help protect the wellbeing, as well the rights of millions of girls and women in Latin America.
Position
Digital Communications Coordinator
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Mereani Naisua Senibici
Mereani Naisua Senibici, also called ‘Sua’, was a longstanding member of the Fiji Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) movement.
She worked with diverse groups of women in multi-racial, rural and urban settings and was committed to supporting and promoting women’s and young women’s rights.
In the Lautoka YWCA, she worked with women of Indian descent, and was a leading figure in the sports development and participation of women and of trans athletes in Lautoka.
“Sua is greatly loved by Fiji YWCA members for her dedication and long-time support towards all that the organisation endeavoured to do.” - Tupou Vere
Mereani was part of the House of Sarah (HoS), an initiative of the Association of Anglican Women (AAW), launched in 2009 and aimed at raising awareness of the issues around gender-based violence, as well as providing support to women who face violence. She started as a dedicated volunteer and offered support to women throughout the Pacific.
“A people’s person and an all-rounder in women's empowerment and movement work at community level. Rest in Peace, Sua.” - Tupou Vere
هل سيكون هناك أي دعم للمواد أو التكاليف التحضيرية الأخرى لورش العمل؟
يمكنك أن تتوقع جميع المواد الأساسية لورش العمل والعروض التقديمية: اللوحات الورقية، والأقلام والملاحظات اللاصقة، بالإضافة إلى أجهزة العرض والمعدات السمعية والبصرية. أي مواد إضافية تقع على عاتق منظمي/ات النشاط. سيكون الفريق اللوجستي التابع لجمعية حقوق المرأة في التنمية متاحًا للإجابة على الأسئلة وتقديم المشورة.
Jemutai Mercy
Biography
Jemutai is a passionate plant lover who finds inspiration in the natural world and its intricate web of interconnections. This fascination with the universe's interrelatedness is mirrored in their approach to work, community building, care and support.
She believes in the vibrant presence of their ancestors within them and lives to experience, remember, uphold, appreciate and celebrate their struggles, triumphs and values.
As an intersectional queer feminist and human rights activist, Jemutai has dedicated their career to advocating for equity and inclusivity. They are passionate about Organizational Development, with a background in Grants Making and Administration, and now pursuing a path in creating impactful experiences for convenings and providing operational leadership and support, ensuring that spaces are inclusive, safe and curated with precision and care.
Jemutai is also a strong believer in the philosophy of Ubuntu – the idea that "I am because we are." This belief in our shared humanity and mutual interdependence informs their collaborative approach and commitment to fostering a supportive, inclusive environment for all, especially structurally silenced and marginalized people.
Position
Logistics & Administrative Coordinator
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María Digna Montero
María Digna Montero was a Garifuna (Afro-descendent and indigenous) land defender and a member of the National Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras (OFRANEH), a grassroots organization working to protect the Garifuna communities, their ancestral rights, culture, resources and territory.
María also taught in the local school and was a member of the OFRANEH Intercultural Bilingual Education working group.
On the Day of Indigenous Resistance, October 12, 2019, unknown assailants shot María multiple times in the backyard of her house.
She was one of six Garifuna women defenders murdered between September and October 2019 and according to OFRANEH, there was no investigation by the authorities into these crimes. In an official statement, the organization also highlighted the connection between the violence against Garifuna leaders and the increase in extractive industries which exploit natural resources in their communities calling this violence part of a “strategy of intimidation and systematic expulsion” by the Honduran State.
“The heightened tension and growing risks to the security and human rights of the leaders in the communities and ancestral territories is a product of the dispossession, displacement and criminalization of the communities and of the extractive mega projects promoted by the State together with the national and international corporations.” - OFRANEH communique, October 12, 2019
