It was an amazing experience for those of us who had the privilege to be there. The purpose of the Forum was timely and powerful: connecting feminist movements, building alliances across constituencies, and strengthening collective power to create a just future free of patriarchy and where human rights are respected. This is music to our ears, and food to our souls.
I felt an incredible and instant rush of energy from connecting with feminist activists and organizers from all around the world at AWID’s 13th International Forum in spite of the exhausting 24-hour journey from Beersheba, Israel (historic Palestine) to Salvador, Brazil. There’s something empowering about surrounding ourselves with those who validate our struggles, and understand the multi-faceted elements of fighting for inclusive justice.
It’s not so much that there isn’t enough coverage of these issues. In fact, the opposite can be true; we often feel bombarded by news coverage of the atrocities committed in the name of religion against women, and against people with non-conforming sexualities and gender identities.
The Women Human Rights Defenders Hub at the AWID Forum was many things that are beautiful, informative, and challenging. Bringing to the same space women, trans* and intersex activists working in different parts of the world, we all had the opportunity to collectively reflect on challenges, unite in healing power and exchange strategies. It was a one of a kind opportunity for committed and fierce women, trans* and intersex activists in acknowledging each other’s strength in the struggle for healing justice.
As disability scholar and activist, Martina Shabram wrote in a recent article about how Zika reveals our societies’ prejudice about disability, “too often, the narrative surrounding microcephaly relies on familiar – and disturbing – assumptions about what kind of lives are worth living.”
This poem was developed by the facilitators and participants in the session on: ‘Visions through the arts: Rights and justice for disabled and non-disabled women’ AWID 2016 Brazil conference
Connections for feminist futures.
For the first time ever this fall, the AWID international Forum occurred in Brazil, and put a spotlight on Brazilian feminist movements and perspectives.
I am bisexual. When I walk down the street some men think it is a compliment to say You are just my size’. I am also African. I am a smorgasbord of identities that could possible preclude me from fitting into the mainstream of what it would mean to be a ‘good functioning human’.
AWID’s 5th online tribute to Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) who have died in recent years, commemorates sixty feminists and activists. Thirty eight of these defenders died violently, and were murdered as a result of who they were, their identities, and the rights they defended.