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?

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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!

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我無法親自參加論壇，我還可以以何種方式參加？

AWID論壇不僅是一個活動，更是我們女權主義現實實踐之旅的一部分。有許多空間可以供參會者在線和離線地聚集在一起，用於共享、討論、制定戰略和共同創建女權主義現實實踐。

在論壇之前瞭解有關女權主義現實實踐之旅的更多信息。(In English) 加入我們的郵件列表，可隨時關注論壇結束後的公告！

我們正在探索以虛擬的方式參與論壇，而且會即時地分享信息一旦我們確定可以提供任何信息。

L’activisme au Moyen-Orient et en Afrique du Nord

Notre hommage en ligne met à l’honneur cinq défenseuses des droits humains assassinées au Moyen-Orient ou en Afrique du Nord. Ces défenseuses étaient avocates ou militantes et ont œuvré pour les droits des femmes ou pour les droits civils. Leur mort met en évidence les conditions de travail souvent difficiles et dangereuses dans leurs pays respectifs. Nous vous invitons à vous joindre à nous pour commémorer la vie, le travail et l’activisme de ces femmes. Faites circuler ces mèmes auprès de vos collègues et amis ainsi que dans vos réseaux et twittez en utilisant les hashtags #WHRDTribute et #16Jours.

S'il vous plaît cliquez sur chaque image ci-dessous pour voir une version plus grande et pour télécharger comme un fichier 

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Snippet FEA Get Involved 2 (FR)

Si vous êtes de passage à Sao Paulo, au Brésil, visitez l'Occupation 9 de Julho et prenez un repas collaboratif. Vous pouvez aussi acheter leurs produits dans leur boutique en ligne depuis l'étranger.

Visitez la boutique en ligne de l'Association des Femmes Afro-Descendantes du Cauca du Nord où vous pouvez trouver de superbes produits faits à la main.

Il existe plusieurs façons de soutenir Metzineres : vous pouvez faire un don financier, offrir du matériel et des services, proposer une formation, un atelier ou une activité (pour plus d'informations, cliquez ici).

Quelles sont les langues officielles de l’enquête WITM?

À l’heure actuelle, l’enquête est disponible sur KOBO en français, anglais, arabe, espagnol, portugais et russe. Vous pouvez choisir votre langue au début du questionnaire.

鑒於新冠肺炎疫情，AWID國際論壇還會在台北舉行嗎？

AWID正密切關注全球新冠肺炎疫情，目前會按原訂計畫推動論壇事宜。

若屆時情況有變，我們會立即通知您。

第十四屆AWID國際論壇將於西元2021年9月20日至23日在台北举行。

更多資訊 (in English)

WHRDs from Sub-Saharan Africa

In our 2015 Online Tribute to Women Human Rights Defenders No Longer With Us we are commemorating four women from Sub-Saharan Africa, three of whom were murdered due to their work and/or who they were in their gender identity and sexual orientation. Their deaths highlight the violence LGBT persons often face in the region and across the globe. Please join AWID in honoring these women, their activism and legacy by sharing the memes below with your colleagues, networks and friends and by using the hashtags #WHRDTribute and #16Days. 

Please click on each image below to see a larger version and download as a file

 

Snippet FEA EoS The Ivy (FR)

An illustration of a vine with vine like leaves in neon with purple background

Le lierre
Communauté et quartier

Our group did not receive external funding between 2021 and 2023, should we still fill out the survey?

Yes, we still want to hear from you regardless of whether you received funding in all three, two or only one of the years between 2021 and 2023.

AWID為何決定將論壇舉辦地點從峇里島移師到台北呢？

自2019年年末在印尼發生的一連串事件中，我們觀察到了當地軍事緊張與對同志權益的反彈跡象，AWID希望多元的與會者能在論壇齊聚一堂，但這讓我們自問是否能為與會者維持合理安全和讓人感到被歡迎的環境。

經過仔細商討後，AWID董事會在2019年11月決定將第十四屆AWID國際論壇的舉辦地點由峇里島改至台北。

台北擁有穩健的勤務服務能力，對旅客友善（針對國際論壇參與者提供便利的電子簽證流程）。

更多資訊請見以下 ：

Research methology

Over eight years, we did four global surveys and built a research methodology.

In 2013, we published three global reports. These reports confirm that women’s rights organizations are doing the heavy lifting to advance women’s rights and gender equality by using diverse, creative and long-term strategies, all while being underfunded.

Our 2010 global survey showed that the collective income of 740 women’s organizations around the world totaled only USD 104 million. Compare this with Greenpeace International, one organization with a 2010 budget of USD 310 million1. Imagine the impact these groups could have if they were able to access all the financial resources they need and more?

AWID’s WITM research has catalyzed increased funding for women’s rights organizing. WITM research was a driving force behind the Catapult crowdfunding platform, which has raised USD 6.5 million for women’s rights. The Dutch Government cited WITM research as a reason for its unprecedented MDG 3 Fund of EU 82 million. WITM research has also led to the creation of several new funds: FRIDA – The Young Feminist Fund, the Indigenous Women’s Fund, Fundo Elas, the Mediterranean Women’s Fund and the Rita Fund.

Funding trends analyses

While the WITM research has shed important light on the global funding landscape, AWID and partners have identified the need to dig deeper, to analyze funding trends by region, population and issue. In response, organizations are now using AWID’s WITM research methodology to do their own funding trends analyses. For example, in November 2013, Kosova Women’s Network and Alter Habitus – Institute for Studies in Society and Culture published Where is the Money for Women’s Rights? A Kosovo Case Study.

At the same time, AWID continues to collaborate with partners in Where is the Money for Indigenous Women’s Rights (with International Indigenous Women’s Forum and International Funders for Indigenous Peoples) and our upcoming Where is the Money for Women’s Rights in Brazil? (with Fundo Elas).

Several organizations have also conducted their own independent funding trends research, deepening their understanding of the funding landscape and politics behind it. For example, the South Asian Women’s Fund was inspired by AWID’s WITM research to conduct funding trends reports for each country in South Asia, as well as a regional overview. Other examples of research outside of AWID include the collaboration between Open Society Foundations, Mama Cash, and the Red Umbrella Fund to produce the report Funding for Sex Workers Rights, and the first-ever survey on trans* and intersex funding by Global Action for Trans* Equality and American Jewish World Service.

Snippet FEA We are living in a world (EN)

We are living in a world where the destruction of Nature fuels our current global economy.

Even in times of climate crisis, governments continue to encourage large-scale agriculture industries to expand. These activities poison the land, threaten biodiversity, and destroy local food production and livelihoods. Meanwhile, while women produce the majority of our food in the world, they own almost none of the land.

What if we perceived land and Nature not as private property to exploit, but as a whole to live in, learn from, and harmoniously coexist with? What if we repaired our relationships with the land and embraced more sustainable alternatives that nurture both the planet and its communities?

Nous Sommes la Solution (We Are the Solution, NSS) is one of many women-led movements striving to do this. This is their story.

Nos solicitan el nombre de la agrupación, organización o movimiento que está respondiendo la encuesta, así como nuestra información de contacto, ¿por qué?

Solicitamos estos datos para facilitar el análisis de las respuestas, para evitar duplicaciones y para contactar a su organización en caso de que no hayan podido completar el cuestionario o de que tengan dudas u otras preguntas. Puedes consultar más detalles acerca de cómo utilizamos la información personal que recolectamos a través de nuestro trabajo aquí.

Événements

Série de conversations: L’aventure des réalités féministes se poursuit

7. Synthesize your research findings

Now that you have analyzed all your data – from your survey, interviews, desk research and potentially other sources – you can create your final product.

In this section:

Create your final product

Your final product will be the document that will summarize, analyze and criticize your data. That will be the piece that you will share with your community to present and explain your research to your audience.

At AWID, we often write a comprehensive written report that analyzes each set of data and synthesizes all of our findings, then later create smaller products, such as infographics and summaries (explained in the subsequent section “Finalize and format”).

1. Write clearly

  • Organize your data as you would like to tell a story. You can follow the order of your survey. Or you can regroup some questions to lead to your conclusion in a smooth and progressive way.
  • Adapt your language to your audience. Use universal language and avoid jargon or too technical terms.

Importance of the editor

An editor will proofread, ensure concise writing, conduct fact-checking, point out inconsistencies that need to be resolved, arrange the flow of the document and possibly suggest titles.

Your editor should preferably be someone who understands and knows your WITM work but who was not directly involved in the research. This will bring in a fresh perspective.

2. Make it pretty

  • Use the data collected to create graphs and tables. These type of visuals are a compelling way to highlight the main findings of your research and validate your analysis.

  • Source relevant images that can illustrate your report.

  • Highlight key-numbers and/or powerful testimonials.

Remember: The more accessible your product is, the more people will want to read (and share!) it.

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Gather review & inputs

At this point, you have collected all your data, analyzed it and transformed it into your final product, likely in a long report.

1. Polish your results

Before moving on to the next steps – you should share your final research product with your advisor organizations, activists, and donors.

This is a great moment to check the following points:

  • Are there any key points missing in your analysis of the present funding landscape and trends?
  • Are there any key points missing in your conclusions?
  • Are there any inaccuracies in the data that need to be corrected?
  • General suggestions on strengthening the report to achieve your goals as listed in your research framing.

Once you have inputted all feedback from your advisors, be sure to run it by your editor once more.

This will now be the final, completed version of your report.  If you intend to publish the final report in other languages, now is the time to send it for translation.

2. Facilitate the feedback

  • Your advisors are likely busy with their regular responsibilities. Be sure to request feedback within a reasonable deadline.
  • Keep your request for feedback brief and specific, so it is easy for them to respond. If you like, you can simply copy and paste the bullet points we have provided.
  • If you are publishing in multiple languages, ensure you have advisors who can also review the final translated versions of your product(s).

This is a significant contribution from your advisors. Consider offering them some form of recognition.

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Previous step

6. Conduct desk research

Next step

8. Finalize and format

Estimated time:

• 2 - 5 months

People needed:

• 1 or more research person(s)
• 1 Editor (or web-editor if you create an online product)
• Translator(s), if done in more than one language

Resource needed:

• List of advisor organizations, activists, and donors.
• Concept note (from “Frame your research” section)
• Survey topline results
• Prepared interview questions
• Interview results
• Desk research data
• All other data used in report

Previous step

6. Conduct desk research

Next step

8. Finalize and format

Ready to Go? Worksheet

Download the toolkit in PDF

Snippet FEA Agroecology And Food (EN)

AGROECOLOGY AND FOOD SOVEREIGNTY AS RESISTANCE

Today, large-scale industrial food production uses single-crop plantations, genetically modified organisms and other pesticides that destroy the land and knowledge of local communities.

Agroecology is a resistance to corporate-driven agriculture. It prioritizes smaller scale agriculture, multiple crops and diversified food production, and the centering of local knowledge and practices. Agroecology goes hand-in-hand with demands for food sovereignty, or the “right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems”(Via Campesina, Declaration of Nyéléni).

The role of women, indigenous and rural communities and people of color from the Global South is absolutely essential when it comes to food systems. Feminist agroecologists are working to dismantle oppressive gender roles and systems of patriarchy embedded within food production. As shown by the heroines of NSS, they are generating a liberatory agroecology by strengthening community resilience, empowering women peasants and farmers, and preserving local traditions, territories, and knowledge of food-producing communities.