Special Focus

AWID is an international, feminist, membership organisation committed to achieving gender equality, sustainable development and women’s human rights

Confronting Extractivism & Corporate Power

Women human rights defenders (WHRDs) worldwide defend their lands, livelihoods and communities from extractive industries and corporate power. They stand against powerful economic and political interests driving land theft, displacement of communities, loss of livelihoods, and environmental degradation.


Why resist extractive industries?

Extractivism is an economic and political model of development that commodifies nature and prioritizes profit over human rights and the environment. Rooted in colonial history, it reinforces social and economic inequalities locally and globally. Often, Black, rural and Indigenous women are the most affected by extractivism, and are largely excluded from decision-making. Defying these patriarchal and neo-colonial forces, women rise in defense of rights, lands, people and nature.

Critical risks and gender-specific violence

WHRDs confronting extractive industries experience a range of risks, threats and violations, including criminalization, stigmatization, violence and intimidation.  Their stories reveal a strong aspect of gendered and sexualized violence. Perpetrators include state and local authorities, corporations, police, military, paramilitary and private security forces, and at times their own communities.

Acting together

AWID and the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRD-IC) are pleased to announce “Women Human Rights Defenders Confronting Extractivism and Corporate Power”; a cross-regional research project documenting the lived experiences of WHRDs from Asia, Africa and Latin America.

We encourage activists, members of social movements, organized civil society, donors and policy makers to read and use these products for advocacy, education and inspiration.

Share your experience and questions!

Tell us how you are using the resources on WHRDs Confronting extractivism and corporate power.

◾️ How can these resources support your activism and advocacy?

◾️ What additional information or knowledge do you need to make the best use of these resources?

Share your feedback


Thank you!

AWID acknowledges with gratitude the invaluable input of every Woman Human Rights Defender who participated in this project. This project was made possible thanks to your willingness to generously and openly share your experiences and learnings. Your courage, creativity and resilience is an inspiration for us all. Thank you!

Related Content

Afíliate

Afíliate

Al unirte a AWID, te sumas a un proceso organizativo feminista mundial, un poder colectivo surgido del trabajo entre movimientos y basado en la solidaridad.

Afíliate hoy mismo

Snippet - WITM To build - RU

Создать ориентированную на феминистские реалии доказательную базу движения денег их получателей

Sue Hoya Sellars

Sue was an artist, activist and teacher born in 1936 in Maryland, USA.

Sue created art for women, about women. As a lesbian feminist, and for a time, a separatist, she was committed to creating women-only spaces. In 1976 she purchased land that is still held by women who visit to make art. Sue took a fierce stand on the protection of women and girls.

With her groundbreaking futuristic, classical and anthropological approach, she filled any room she entered with intellect, authentic eccentricity, unforgiving wit, and humor.  Her ideas about consciousness and creativity continue to inspire many people.


 

Sue Hoya Sellars, USA

Principles of Engagement

Welcome to Crear | Résister | Transform: a festival for feminist movements!

Principles of Engagement

AWID is committed to creating an online space that invites and challenges us all to operate from a place of courage, curiosity, generosity and shared responsibility.

We invite you to co-create spaces with us that are free of harassment and violence, where everyone is respected in their gender identity and expression, race, ability, class, religion, language, ethnicity, age, occupation, type of education, sexuality, body size, and physical appearance. Spaces where we recognize inequalities in our world and strive to transform them in our own interactions with each other.


We want to create a space where ...

  • we can all be present

This means that we are able to listen, understand and relate to each other. To feel close, in spite of it all being virtual.  For this, we will make interpretation available and open channels (like chat and other tools) for you to react and share. To hear each other better, we invite you to wear headphones during the conversation. If it is possible for you , we suggest  that you close your email and any other likely source of distraction while you are in the conversation. 

  • all forms of knowledge are valued

Let us celebrate the multiple ways in which knowledge shows up in our lives. We invite you to approach the conversation with curiosity and openness to learn from others, allowing ourselves to unlearn and relearn through the exchange, as a way to start collectively building knowledge.  

  • all of us feel welcome

We are committed to holistically approaching accessibility by being mindful of different physical, language, mental and safety needs. We want a space that is welcoming of folks from various  backgrounds, beliefs, abilities and experiences. We will be proactive but we also ask that you communicate your needs with us, and we will do our best within our capacity to address these needs.

  • all of us feel safe and respected:

We all commit individually and collectively to respect each other’s privacy and to seek people’s consent before sharing any images or content generated during the conversation that involves them.


Creating a safer, respectful and enjoyable environment for the conversations, is everybody's responsibility.


Reporting

If you notice that someone is behaving in a discriminatory or offensive manner, please contact the reference person who will be indicated at the beginning of the session.

Any participants that express oppressive language or images, will be removed from the call and will not be readmitted. We will not engage with them in any way.

Snippet FEA Striking against all odds (FR)

Lutter contre vents et marées : le récit de la victoire sans précédent du Réseau Solidarité.

En janvier 2022, le Réseau Solidarité a organisé une grève avec 400 travailleur·euses. Sa principale demande ? L’augmentation des salaires. La grève a été déclenchée après des mois de discussions sans résultats avec le ministère géorgien des Affaires Sociales.

Après avoir manifesté, négocié, parlé à la presse, résisté aux représailles et enduré le froid de l’hiver géorgien pendant des semaines, les travailleur·euses ont obtenu des concessions sans précédent de la part du gouvernement: augmentation des salaires, congés payés de maternité, couverture des frais de transport, arrêt des licenciement, indemnisation des jours de grève, et plus.

La grève a non seulement abouti à des gains matériels, mais a également permis aux travailleur·euses de se sentir uni·e·s et habilité·e·s à se défendre et à lutter pour des conditions de travail décentes, dans le présent et à l'avenir. Iels sont devenu·es une source d'inspiration pour tous·tes les travailleur·euses du pays.

Pour en savoir plus sur leur victoire, cliquez ici.

Reason to join 5

Etendez vos frontières. Les membres de l'AWID représentent de plus en plus une section transversale dynamique et variée de féministes travaillant, entre autres, sur les questions foncières, les droits des travailleures, les droits sexuels et l'autonomie corporelle. En devenant membre, vous pouvez relier vos luttes entre mouvements.

Snippet - WITM Why now_col 1 - PT

Por que devo responder à pesquisa agora?

A monochromatic orange illustration of a woman with curly hair with her hand on her chin. She seems to inquisitive or posing a question.

Os movimentos feministas, de direitos das mulheres, de justiça de género, de LBTQI+ e de aliados em todo do mundo encontram-se num momento crítico, e enfrentam uma forte retaliação contra direitos e liberdades conquistados anteriormente. Os últimos anos trouxeram o crescimento rápido do autoritarismo, a violenta repressão da sociedade civil e a criminalização dos defensores dos direitos humanos das mulheres e de pessoas de género diverso, o aumento da guerra e do conflito em várias partes do nosso mundo, a perpetuação contínua de injustiças económicas e crises de saúde, da ecologia e do clima interligadas.

Ottilie Abrahams

Ottilie fue una activista feminista, educadora y política de Namibia.

Fue una de las fundadoras de la Organización Popular del Sudoeste Africano (SWAPO), del Club Yu Chi Chan (un grupo armado revolucionario) y del Frente Nacional de Liberación del Sudoeste Africano (SWANLIF). También fue una de las fundadoras de la Asociación de Mujeres de Namibia y del Proyecto Niñas. A lo largo de su vida, Ottilie defendió el derecho a discutir, a pensar, a disputar y a exigir. Movilizó a las mujeres, organizó a estudiantes y docentes y criticó a otrxs camaradas por su elitismo y su corrupción.

Ottilie trabajó intensamente para desmantelar el patriarcado y para crear una democracia participativa concreta, feminista, transformadora y liberadora.

A menudo decía: «Descansaré cuando muera».


 

Ottilie Abrahams, Namibia

Upasana Agarwal

Forgotten Song
“Forgotten Song” [«Canción Olvidada»]
Ode to the Moon
“Ode to the Moon” [Oda a la Luna»]
Vapour and Fire
“Vapour and Fire” [«Vapor y Fuego»]

Sobre Upasana Agarwal

Upasana Agarwal
Upasana es unx ilustradorx y artista no binarie de Calcuta, India. Su obra explora narrativas identitarias y personales, que empean restos o evidencias visuales de los contextos con los que trabaja. Le atraen especialmente los diseños en patrones que, para ellx, comunican verdades complejas sobre el pasado, el presente y el futuro. Cuando Upasana no está ilustrando, organiza y dirige un centro de arte comunitario queer y trans de la ciudad.

Snippet FEA Otras Union meetings and demonstrations (EN)

Otras Union meetings and demonstrations

Body

Our values - esponsibility, Accountability, and Integrity

Responsibility, Accountability, and Integrity

We strive for transparency, responsible use of our resources, fairness in our collaborations and accountability and integrity with our members, partners, funders and the movements with(in) which we work. We are committed to reflecting on our experiences, sharing our learnings openly, and striving to change our practices accordingly.

Snippet - WITM RESOURCES - RU

Ресурсы

(Доступно на английском языке)

Mary Assaad

Experte en développement social et anthropologue de formation, Mary était surtout connue pour être une pionnière de la lutte contre les mutilations génitales féminines (MGF).

Née au Caire en 1922, les travaux de Mary en matière de développement ont commencé tôt, dès son adhésion à la YWCA (Association chrétienne des jeunes femmes). Mary était membre du Conseil œcuménique des Églises et s'est progressivement intéressée aux questions relatives à la santé des femmes. Sa longue lutte contre les MGF a porté ses fruits en 2008, lorsque l'Egypte a finalement criminalisé cette pratique.

On se souvient d'elle comme d'une mentor pour de nombreuses féministes et militant-e-s égyptien-ne-s


 

Mary Assad, Egypt

Comprendre le contexte des menaces antidroits

Chapitre 2

Bien plus de la moitié de la population mondiale est aujourd’hui dirigée par l’extrême droite. C’est sur cette toile de fond que défenseur·e·s des droits humains et féministes luttent pour « tenir bon », protéger le multilatéralisme et le système international des droits humains, alors que leurs engagements les exposent à de violentes répressions. Ces institutions sont cependant de plus en plus soumises aux intérêts du secteur privé. Les grandes entreprises, surtout les sociétés transnationales, siègent à la table des négociations et occupent des fonctions de leadership dans plusieurs institutions multilatérales, l’ONU notamment. Le lien entre ultranationalisme, restriction de l’espace civique et emprise des entreprises a un impact considérable sur la réalisation ou non des droits humains pour tout le monde.

Protester holding a flyer that reads "Danger - Trump and the Far Right."
© Alisdare Hickson / Flickr
Danger - Trump and the Far Right.

Sommaire

  • Nationalisme et ultranationalisme
  • Emprise des entreprises : le pouvoir débridé des entreprises met nos droits en danger
  • Répression et restriction des espaces civiques pour les activistes féministes et les défenseur·e·s des droits humains des femmes et des personnes LGBTIQ+
  • Histoire du mouvement de la résistance. L’Article 16 de la CEDAW : vers une réforme des codes de la famille discriminatoires dans les contextes musulmans
     

Lire le chapitre complet >

Snippet FEA Union Otras Photo 5 (ES)

Foto de personas sentadas en sillas rojas en una sala de conferencias