Trupti Shah
Building Feminist Economies
Building Feminist Economies is about creating a world with clean air to breath and water to drink, with meaningful labour and care for ourselves and our communities, where we can all enjoy our economic, sexual and political autonomy.
In the world we live in today, the economy continues to rely on women’s unpaid and undervalued care work for the profit of others. The pursuit of “growth” only expands extractivism - a model of development based on massive extraction and exploitation of natural resources that keeps destroying people and planet while concentrating wealth in the hands of global elites. Meanwhile, access to healthcare, education, a decent wage and social security is becoming a privilege to few. This economic model sits upon white supremacy, colonialism and patriarchy.
Adopting solely a “women’s economic empowerment approach” is merely to integrate women deeper into this system. It may be a temporary means of survival. We need to plant the seeds to make another world possible while we tear down the walls of the existing one.
We believe in the ability of feminist movements to work for change with broad alliances across social movements. By amplifying feminist proposals and visions, we aim to build new paradigms of just economies.
Our approach must be interconnected and intersectional, because sexual and bodily autonomy will not be possible until each and every one of us enjoys economic rights and independence. We aim to work with those who resist and counter the global rise of the conservative right and religious fundamentalisms as no just economy is possible until we shake the foundations of the current system.
Our Actions
Our work challenges the system from within and exposes its fundamental injustices:
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Advance feminist agendas: We counter corporate power and impunity for human rights abuses by working with allies to ensure that we put forward feminist, women’s rights and gender justice perspectives in policy spaces. For example, learn more about our work on the future international legally binding instrument on “transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights” at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
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Mobilize solidarity actions: We work to strengthen the links between feminist and tax justice movements, including reclaiming the public resources lost through illicit financial flows (IFFs) to ensure social and gender justice.
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Build knowledge: We provide women human rights defenders (WHRDs) with strategic information vital to challenge corporate power and extractivism. We will contribute to build the knowledge about local and global financing and investment mechanisms fuelling extractivism.
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Create and amplify alternatives: We engage and mobilize our members and movements in visioning feminist economies and sharing feminist knowledges, practices and agendas for economic justice.
“The corporate revolution will collapse if we refuse to buy what they are selling – their ideas, their version of history, their wars, their weapons, their notion of inevitability. Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing”.
Arundhati Roy, War Talk
Related Content
Will you be opening a call for proposals?
Yes! Please read the Call for Activities and apply here. Deadline is February 1st, 2024.
Nominate bold feminists to join AWID's Board of Directors
Every year, AWID seeks to renew and enrich the perspectives and experience reflected in our Board of Directors by bringing in new members.
Currently, we are looking for individuals to serve 3-year terms on AWID’s Board, starting in early 2023. This is an opportunity to contribute to our organisation’s governance and to be part of an amazing group of feminists from around the world.
Please help us to identify thoughtful and bold feminists to nominate for election by July 29, 2022.
Please also share this invitation to nominate with your networks!
Who are we looking for?
First and foremost, we are looking for candidates who are committed to AWID’s mission, who can make connections between local and global struggles, and who can help us to be thoughtful about how to best leverage AWID's positioning and strengths in a constantly evolving context. Candidates must be willing to uphold the legal duties and responsibilities of the AWID Board in the best interests of the organization.
This is a voluntary role that requires commitment and engagement throughout the year. Board members are expected to commit a minimum of 10-15 days per year to attend in-person and virtual meetings, and contribute to other communications.
We aspire for our Board to reflect diversity in all its forms, particularly in terms of gender identity, sexual orientation, age, geography and background. Additionally, we seek Board members with experience relevant to AWID’s priority areas of work.
While we will consider all candidates, in light of the current composition of the board, priority consideration will be given to:
Candidates with experience working at the intersections of women’s rights/gender justice and :
- Finance
- Climate justice
- Disability justice, and/or
- Technology
Candidates from the following regions:
- Africa
- South America
What Board members bring to AWID
The Board of Directors is key to inform AWID’s strategic direction and support our organisation to fulfill its mission in coherence with the world we live in and the needs of our movements.
Board members contribute to the organization in many ways: bringing governance experience from other spaces, perspectives from diverse sectors of feminist movements, and substantive expertise in areas relevant to AWID’s strategy.
The candidates who are ultimately elected will be joining the AWID Board in 2023, accompanying us for the launch of our new strategic plan led by AWID’s new Co-Executive Directors, and the planning of our next international Forum.
Do you know someone with this profile?
(You can nominate yourself or someone you know - with their consent)
Please also share this invitation to nominate with your networks!
While anyone can nominate a person for the AWID Board, only AWID members can vote in our Board Elections - Become an AWID member today!
Thank you, in advance, for helping us find our next wonderful Board members to support AWID in its journey ahead!
Christine Loudes
Will there be a young feminist space? A disability justice space? A digital/tech hub? Funder coffee hours? Wellbeing and healing spaces?
We will share information about the program, the spaces, and the way for everyone to participate in shaping them, as soon as we can, and ways for you to participate in shaping them - on the road to the Forum, and during the Forum. Please stay tuned!
Love letter to Feminist Movements #9
The body is a powerful entity. As women, our bodies are controlled, oppressed and policed from the womb. The way we look, move, dress, walk, speak, gesture, laugh. I often wondered at what drives patriarchal fears around the power of female bodies. Where I come from sex work and sex workers were whispered of with simultaneous contempt, disgust, fascination, pity and condemnation.
Where I come from sex work and sex workers were whispered of with simultaneous contempt, disgust, fascination, pity and condemnation.
I first encountered sex work and sex workers at age 22. Simple conversations, sitting in circles, chatting over coffee and tea, we explored each other’s lives, experiences, thoughts and feelings.
For sex workers, sex work was the most worthwhile choice out of all other options to pay bills, to support family, to have more flexible working hours, to have sex. Just as I chose my job as the most worthwhile, to pay bills, to support family, to have more flexible working hours.
These individuals, women and men, taught me that I made my own decisions about my body… where I focus its life and energy, whether I use it for pleasure or pain, whether I trade it in or give it freely, and how I want to feel about my body. The awareness was as exciting as it was empowering.
Crear | Résister | Transform: a festival for feminist movements – 2021… you accompanied me through a series of life-changing moments (!!!)
We call these ‘events,’ though in truth, to me, your feminist learning spaces are, where I take a little of what’s inside me, a little of what your speakers say and some from the discussions to go deeper into our understanding.
Sharing… Partaking… Immersing…
in strength, in vulnerability, in pleasure.
Simply being the transformative feminist that I am, without pretentions, without misgivings…
Welcoming the transformative feminist that I have always been, without even knowing the term or acknowledging it in such a manner or in such terms…
Finding home for the fiercely transformative feminist living within me…
Despite the anger, rage and frustration of not being treated as equals and being treated with ‘less __ than,’
I did not always consider myself a feminist nor did I recognise myself within the feminist movement or discourse… Truly, I appreciate doors being held open, chairs being pulled out to be seated, acknowledgement as a woman, of my femininity.
At times I dismissed the patriarchy with annoyance, at times, I responded with frustration and anger but I did not address it… I did not notice its sinister, insidious toxicity… I was privileged enough to be able to work through it, to survive it, to overcome it, to excel in spite of it… I did not question enough, challenge enough, push my boundaries enough… I did not do enough…
connecting with sex workers, exploring sexuality, and the women for peace and security...
Until I became fully aware and understood the implications of both privilege and oppression that was intersectional.
Until I realised what it meant to fight for gender justice and not simply ‘equality for all.’
Practitioner and facilitator no longer, I am a transformative feminist practitioner and facilitator.
Being a feminist means that I will act
- – through my daily activities: the way I live, the work that I do, the processes that I am invited to lead, the workshops and lectures that I am invited to give –
- to push back against patriarchal toxicity, to dismantle patriarchal structures and systems,
- to work to decolonise values, beliefs, thoughts, to smash the myths of gender norms and expectations,
- to address power imbalances imposed by patriarchal beliefs and socialisation,
- to foster relationships built on inclusion, holism, equity, care, reciprocity, accountability and justice,
- to stand and act in solidarity in the frontlines of the fight towards inclusion, equity and justice.
Plunging into uncertain, fragile, complex (and possibly quite violent) future…
- I want to discover myself and be myself more intimately, authentically and deeply through the movement…
- I want to be more actively involved in and interconnected through this love relationship.
I am deeply grateful for you and I promise to remain fierce in addressing and redressing problematic issues around gender, race, ethnicity, social class, sexual orientation and ability, and remain present and faithful to the struggle for inclusion, equity and justice.
Khin Khin
Doris Viloria Palomares
CFA 2023 - Suggested Activities Format - EN
Suggested Activity Formats
Panel: In Panel discussions, explore an issue or challenge from different perspectives, or share a learning or experience, followed by audience questions if time allows.
Talk Show: Have a more spontaneous conversation in Talk-Show style. Talk Shows can be a conversation among several people, facilitated by a talk-show host. Audience questions can determine the conversation’s direction.
Discussion: These can take the form of world cafes, fishbowls, and other methodologies that facilitate participants’ active involvement in conversations. Highly participatory.
Workshop: Interactive sessions that invite participants to build new skills in any and all areas of life and activism.
Strategy Session: This is an invitation to think through an issue or strategy, in depth, with others. A space to learn from each other: what works, what doesn’t, and how do we develop new and collective strategies to create the worlds we dream of.
Sharing Circle (also known as “Birds of a Feather”): Ideal for small groups, in a more intimate setting, to hear from each other, spark discussion and carefully address topics that may be specific, sensitive and complex.
Arts – Participatory Workshop: Participatory activities involving arts and creative expression. Whether through visual art, theater, film, mural, dance, music, collective craft or artmaking, etc., we welcome all ideas celebrating feminist art and creativity as forms of social change, healing, expression and transformation.
Arts – Performances, Installations and Exhibitions: We welcome submissions that offer Forum participants new experiences and perspectives, expand our horizons, and challenge and inspire us to think, feel and organize in new ways.
Healing: Diverse activities tailored both for groups and individuals, from learning relaxation techniques to discussing burnout prevention, from trauma-informed practices of care for our body, mind and soul to healing rifts within our movements.
No care economies without domestic workers!
A Manifesto
As feminist and labour movements, together in solidarity, we articulate the following points as a collective vision for care economies with domestic workers rights at the centre. We call on feminist and social movements to join the call to rethink the economy with care at its centre recognising the rights, agency and leadership of domestic worker movements.
Our manifesto is a response to a complex context.
Domestic and care work is in the limelight after the COVID-19 global pandemic as it provided the means to carry the world through multiple intersecting crises at the global scale. The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and other multilateral institutions also acknowledge the importance of care and domestic work in sustaining the world’s economy. However, it is our analysis that this recognition most often takes an instrumentalist approach (i.e. care work sustains the ‘productive’ economy) focused on profiteering from care work without recognizing care as a human right and public good, or providing recognition and rights to the workers undertaking the bulk of this labour.
Kate Millett
Related content
The Guardian: Kate Millett Obituary
New York Times: Kate Millett, Ground-Breaking Feminist Writer, Is Dead at 82
The New Yorker: A Last Interview with Kate Millett
CFA 2023 - Hubs - ar
جديد
محاور جديدة: السفر إلى الفضاء عبر الحدود
سيجتمع المشاركات/ون فعليًا في عدد من المواقع خارج مكان انعقاد المنتدى في بانكوك، في أجزاء مختلفة من العالم، في كل يوم من أيام المنتدى. وستكون جميع هذه المواقع ذاتية التنظيم مرتبطة افتراضيًا لموقع انعقاد المنتدى في بانكوك. كما هو الحال مع الأفراد المتواصلون عبر الإنترنت، سيتمكن المشاركون/ات من تسيير النشاطات والمشاركة في المحادثات والاستمتاع ببرنامج غني ومتنوع.
سيتم الإعلان عن مواقع التجمعات في عام 2024.
Deborah Holmes
At the time of her death, following a short but aggressive battle with cancer, Deborah was the Chief Communication and Engagement Officer at the Women’s Funding Network (WFN).
Deborah also worked for the Global Fund for Women from 2008 to 2017. Deborah was extremely loved and respected by board, staff, and partners of Global Fund for Women.
Kavita Ramdas, former CEO of the Global Fund for Women aptly noted that Deborah was “a small package exploding with warmth, generosity, intelligence, style, and a passionate commitment to fusing beauty with justice. She understood the power of story. The power of women’s voice. The power of lived experience. The power of rising from the ashes and telling others it was possible. And, still we rise.”
Musimbi Kanyoro, the present CEO of the Global Fund for Women, added, “We have lost a sister and her life illuminates values that unite and inspire us all. As we all come together to mourn Deborah’s passing, let us remember and celebrate her remarkable, bold, and passionate life.”
CFA 2023 - breadcrumbs Menu _ cfa-forum-ar
Mary Assad
An expert on social development and anthropologist by training, Mary was best known as a pioneer in the battle against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Born in Cairo Egypt in 1922, Mary’s work in development started early, as she joined the Youth Women’s Christians’ Association (YWCA). Mary was a member of the World Council of Churches and became increasingly concerned with issues regarding women’s health. Her long struggle against FGM proved fruitful in 2008, when Egypt finally criminalized the practice.
She is remembered as a mentor to many Egyptian feminists and activists.
Will there be any support for materials or other preparatory costs for workshops?
You can expect all the standard materials for workshops and presentations: flip charts, markers, sticky notes, in addition to projectors and audio-visual equipment. Any additional materials are the responsibility of the activity organizers. AWID’s logistics team will be available to answer questions and advise.
Efua Dorkenoo
Affectionately known as “Mama Efua”, her work to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) movement spanned three decades and helped bring international attention and action to end this harmful practice.
In 1983 Efua co-founded FORWARD (The Foundation for Women’s Health, Research and Development), which became a leading organisation in the battle to raise awareness about FGM. Her 1994 book, “Cutting the Rose: Female Genital Mutilation,” is considered the first on FGM and, featured in Columbia University’s “Africa’s 100 Best Books for the 20th Century”.
Originally from Ghana and a nurse by training, Efua joined the WHO in 1995 and successfully pushed for FGM to go on the agendas of WHO member states. She also worked closely with the Nigerian government in formulating a comprehensive National Policy that laid the groundwork for Nigeria’s anti-FGM laws, still in place today.
Her ground breaking work culminated in an Africa-led campaign, “The Girl Generation,” which is committed to ending FGM within a generation. Efua demonstrated how one person can become the unifying voice for a movement, and her wise words - “shared identity can help bring activists from different backgrounds together with a common sense of purpose” – are more relevant than ever.
กลุ่มของฉันหรือฉันควรจะเข้าร่วมในฟอรั่มที่ถูกยกเลิก ฉันจะเข้าร่วมในฟอรั่มนี้ได้อย่างไร?
เราจะติดต่อกับองค์กรพาร์เนอร์ในอดีตเพื่อให้มั่นใจว่าความพยายามที่เคยเตรียมไว้ในอดีตมีความหมาย หากองค์กรของคุณมีการเปลี่ยนแปลงข้อมูลติดต่อจากฟอรัมครั้งก่อนหน้ากรุณาแจ้งให้พวกเราทราบเพื่อให้เราสามารถติดต่อถึงคุณได้
Yelena Grigoriyeva
Yelena Grigoriyeva, often called Lena by friends, was a prominent LGBT rights campaigner in Russia.
She was part of democratic, anti-war and LGBT movements. In her activism, Yelena was a fierce critic of President Vladimir Putin and his administration, expressing her opposition against Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula and the ill-treatment of prisoners.
Yelena came out as bisexual earlier in 2019.
"Her coming out was a surprise to me, and I didn't approve of it. I told her 'Listen, Lena, you already have a target painted on you because of your political activity. You've just pinned another to your chest."
- Olga Smirnova
Yelena did receive multiple death threats and according to some of her acquaintances, was listed on a homophobic website that called on its visitors to hunt down LGBT persons. She reported the threats to the police, however the Russian state failed to provide protection.
But even in a society where political opposition, as well as members of the LGBT community and advocates for their rights, face continuous and increasing violence, Yelena kept campaigning for social justice and equality.
“She did not miss a single action. And they detained her so often that I already lost count,”
- Olga Smirnova (fellow opposition activist and friend).
Yelena was murdered on 21 July 2019, not far from home. A suspect was arrested but according to some sources, many friends and fellow activists believe that the suspect is a scapegoat and that this was a targeted political killing.
For Yelena’s relatives and friends, her case remains unsolved even though the suspect confessed.
In 2013, Russia passed legislation banning the spreading of what it described as ‘gay propaganda’. In 2014, Human Rights Watch published a report relating to this.
ฉันจะสามรถหาทุนสนับสนุนการเข้าร่วม AWID ฟอรัมได้อย่างไร
ถ้ากลุ่มหรือองค์กรของคุณได้รับการสนับสนุนเงินทุน คุณสามารถพูดคุยกับแหล่งทุนของคุณได้ตั้งแต่ตอนนี้หากพวกเค้าสามารถสนับสนุนการเดินทางและการเข้าร่วมของคุณได้ หลายองค์กรวางแผนงบประมาณปีหน้าในปี 2566 จึงเป็นการดีกว่าหากสามารถพูดคุยกับพวกเค้าก่อนภายในปีนี้
Mena Mangal
Mena Mangal was a prominent TV journalist, women’s rights advocate and cultural adviser to Wolesi Jirga, the lower house of Afghanistan's national parliament.
For more than a decade, she worked for Ariana TV, Tolo TV's Pashto-language channel Lamar, and the private Afghan national television broadcaster Shamshad TV. As a presenter, Mena focused on women’s rights and cultural talk shows.
"Women's rights activist Wazhma Frogh said Mangal "had a loud voice" and actively spoke out as an advocate for her people."
Off-screen, she also ran popular social media pages that advocated for the rights of Afghan girls and women to education and work. In terms of her private life, Mena wrote extensively about being forced into an arranged marriage in 2017 and the process she had to go through to finally obtain a divorce.
In a Facebook post, Mena wrote she was receiving death threats from unknown sources but would continue to carry out her work.
On 11 May 2019, she was attacked by unknown gunmen and shot dead in broad daylight in a public space in Southeast Kabul.
"We are concerned about the situation because it has a direct impact on women who work outside their homes...Female journalists are changing their professions due to the increasing risks they are facing." - Robina Hamdard, Kabul-based women’s rights activist.
