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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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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Debbie Stothard

Biography

During her 38-year career, Debbie Stothard, has worked with diverse communities and activists to engage states, IGOs and other stakeholders throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas on human rights and justice. Her work is focused on the thematic priorities of business and human rights, atrocity prevention, and women’s leadership. Accordingly, she has either facilitated or been a resource person at nearly 300 training events in the past 15 years. Most of these were grassroots-oriented workshops delivered in the field, focused on human rights advocacy, economic literacy and business and human rights, and transitional justice and atrocity prevention. Her work in transitional justice and atrocity prevention has mainly focused on Burma/Myanmar, however she has provided advice on responses to other country situations around the world.

During 1981 – 1996, Debbie worked as a crime reporter, student organizer, policy analyst, academic, government advisor and food caterer in Malaysia and Australia while volunteering for human rights causes. In 1996, she founded ALTSEAN-Burma which spearheaded a range of innovative and empowering human rights programs. This includes ALTSEAN’s ongoing intensive leadership program for diverse young women from Burma, which in the past 22 years, has helped strengthen and expand women’s leadership in conflict-affected zones. She served as a member of the Board of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) for 9 years as Deputy Secretary-General (2010-2013) and Secretary-General (2013 – 2019) during which she promoted the mission and profile of FIDH at approximately 100 meetings and conferences per year.

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Combien de temps faut-il pour répondre aux questions de l’enquête?

La durée est estimée à 30 minutes.

Leticia Eulalia Mary Mukasa- Kikonyogo

Leticia fue una abogada y jueza de Uganda.

Antes de retirarse, ocupó muchas posiciones de alto perfil, como por ejemplo miembrx de la Corte de Apelaciones de Uganda y Presidenta Adjunta de la Corte Suprema de Uganda. Fue la primera mujer ugandesa en ocupar el cargo de Primera Magistrada entre 1973 y 1986, y la primera mujer en ser nombrada jueza de la Corte Suprema en 1986.

Fue una de las primeras mujeres investidas como “Caballero Papal” de la historia de la Iglesia Católica en África. Murió de un paro cardíaco.

 


 

Leticia Eulalia Mary Mukasa- Kikonyogo, Uganda

Snippet FEA What are the objectives (FR)

Quels sont les Objectifs de Nous Sommes la Solution?

AWID Forum Social Media Kit

Help spread word about the 2016 AWID Forum!

This kit includes sample messages fit for Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, plus images that can be used to accompany these messages.

Using this kit is simple. Just follow these steps:

  1. Choose your favourite messages:
    Twitter
    Facebook 
    LinkedIn

  2. Download your favourite images:
    Twitter
    Facebook
    Instagram

  3. Match up your favourite messages and images any way you like.

  4. Share them on your personal and/or professional social media accounts.

And that’s it – now you can get started! 

Twitter

Match up your favourite tweets below with these images for Twitter


Tweets for your personal handle

I'm going to the #AWIDForum. It's THE place to connect with women's rights & social justice movements. Join me!: http://forum.awid.org/forum16/

Can't wait to re-imagine #FeministFutures connect with other women's rights & social justice activists @ the #AWIDForum Join me!: http://forum.awid.org/forum16/

I’m so excited to attend the #AWIDForum next September, and now we can register! Join me! http://forum.awid.org/forum16/


Tweets for your institutional handle

Registration is now open for the #AWIDForum! Costa do Sauípe, Brazil, 8-11 Sept. 2016: http://forum.awid.org/forum16/

Join #AWIDForum, a historic global gathering of women's rights & social justice activists: http://forum.awid.org/forum16/

Join #AWIDForum to celebrate the gains of our movements & analyze lessons to move forward: http://forum.awid.org/forum16/

#AWIDForum – not just an event, a chance to disrupt oppression & advance justice: http://forum.awid.org/forum16/

Join the #AWIDForum to celebrate, strategize and renew ourselves and our movements: http://forum.awid.org/forum16/


Feminist Futures

Let's build #FeministFutures together. Register for 2016 #AWIDForum. Costa do Sauípe, Brazil http://forum.awid.org/forum16/

Join us to re-imagine & co-create #FeministFutures at the 2016 #AWIDForum. Register: http://forum.awid.org/forum16/

#FeministFutures: seize the moment @ #AWIDForum to advance shared visions for a just world: http://forum.awid.org/forum16/

We’ll be 2,000 social movement activists @ the #AWIDForum, strategizing our #FeministFutures http://forum.awid.org/forum16/


Cross-movement building

We’re more than a one-issue struggle. Join us at the #AWIDForum: http://forum.awid.org/forum16/

Join #AWIDForum, a space to strategize across movements & leverage our collective power: http://forum.awid.org/forum16/

Mobilize solidarity & collective power across social movements at the #AWIDForum: http://forum.awid.org/forum16/

Break the silos b/w our movements. Re-imagine & co-create our futures. All at the #AWIDForum: http://forum.awid.org/forum16/

Solidarity is a verb. Let’s put it into action at the #AWIDForum: http://forum.awid.org/forum16/


Special messages

Donors engaging with women’s rights and social movements at the #AWIDForum: http://forum.awid.org/forum16/

Media and movements: amplifying #FeministFutures at the #AWIDForum: http://forum.awid.org/forum16/

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Facebook 

Match up your favourite messages below with these images for Facebook.
These messages may also be used on Twitter via private Direct Messages, which don’t have character limits. 


Facebook messages for your personal profile

The wait is over! We can all register for the 2016 AWID Forum. So excited to reconnect with fellow activists and re-imagine our feminist futures. See you there, in Brazil! http://forum.awid.org/forum16/

I’m so excited to attend the AWID Forum next September, and now we can register! Join me! http://forum.awid.org/forum16/

Loving the thought of re-imagining feminist futures with 2,000 people from lots of amazing women's rights and social justice movements at the AWID Forum. Register and meet me in Brazil! http://forum.awid.org/forum16/

Facebook messages for your organization’s page

Registration is now open for the 2016 AWID Forum in Costa do Sauípe, Brazil! This is not just any event - it’s a key space for women’s rights and social justice activists to come together and re-imagine our feminist futures. You won’t want to miss it! http://forum.awid.org/forum16/

Join us at the 2016 AWID Forum in Brazil! Activists and movements from all over the world will come together to celebrate, strategize, inspire and renew ourselves and our collective struggles. Register now! http://forum.awid.org/forum16/

The 2016 AWID Forum will be a historic global gathering of women’s rights and social justice activists and movements. Join us there to break the silos, strengthen solidarity and leverage our collective power. Register now! http://forum.awid.org/forum16/

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LinkedIn

The 2016 AWID Forum will be a historic global gathering of women’s rights and social justice activists and movements. Join us to celebrate, strategize, inspire and renew ourselves and leverage our collective power. Registration is now open! http://forum.awid.org/forum16/

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Jemimah Naburri-Kaheru

Biography

Jemimah Naburri-Kaheru est une stratège internationale accomplie en matière de ressources humaines à impact profond dans la région de la Corne de l'Afrique. Jemimah était auparavant responsable régionale des ressources humaines et du bureau de l'Initiative stratégique pour les femmes dans la Corne de l'Afrique (SIHA) . Son influence s’est étendue jusqu’à la direction des ressources humaines de plus de 70 employé·e·s régionaux·ales, alors que l'organisation connaissait une croissance rapide, avec une augmentation de 40 % de ses revenus annuels. Tout au long de sa carrière, Jemimah a orchestré avec succès des efforts de recrutement, introduit des systèmes de performance basés sur le mérite, de même que supervisé les relations avec les employé·e·s et les politiques RH. Elle a joué un rôle central dans le soutien aux stratégies mondiales de personnel. Avec une formation universitaire en Études de Développement de l'Université de Makerere (Ouganda) et un Master en Gestion des Ressources Humaines, Jemimah est évidemment engagée envers le développement professionnel. Sa contribution à des effectifs hautement performants et à un leadership international en matière de ressources humaines la positionne comme un atout inestimable dans toute entreprise mondiale.

Position
Directrice adjointe des ressources humaines
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I have responded to the survey but changed my mind and want our response to be withdrawn, what do I do?

If, for any reason, you want your response to be withdrawn and deleted, you have the right to do so. Please contact us via the form here, indicating “WITM Survey” as the title of your message, and we will withdraw and delete your response.

Mona Chemali Khalaf

Mona était économiste et consultante indépendante sur les questions de genre et de développement.

Elle a été professeure d'économie et directrice de l'Institut d'études féminines du monde arabe à l'Université libanaise américaine. Elle est décédée subitement le 6 janvier 2018.

Des amis et d'anciens collègues disent de Mona: « Pour lui rendre hommage, la meilleure chose à faire est de continuer à faire ce qu'elle a commencé: l'égalité de genre, à tout prix. 

 

Mona Chemali Khalaf, Lebanon

Snippet FEA NSS Quote (EN)

“It’s the indigenous knowledge and the practices that have always supported food sovereignty and this knowhow is in the hands of the women … Ecofeminism for me is the respect for all that we have around us.”

Mariama Sonko
Interview to The Guardian

Pourquoi et comment renouveler votre adhésion de l'AWID

Rencontrez d'autres membres

Nos membres individuel-le-s et institutionnels viennent de 163 pays situés dans TOUTES les régions du monde. Les dernier-ère-s membres à avoir rejoint notre association viennent de l’Inde, du Royaume-Uni, du Sri Lanka et du Kirghizistan. Nos membres contribuent un éventail riche et diversifié de perspectives, d’expériences, de connaissances, d’énergie et d’inspiration !

Connaissez-vous nos profils hebdomadaires de membres ?

En tant que membre de l’AWID, vous pourrez, entre autres avantages, voir votre propre histoire figurer dans la newsletter que nous envoyons à 35,000 abonné-e-s et que nous diffusons par le biais des médias sociaux auprès de 60,000 personnes.

Récemment en vedette :

Rencontrez Angila Ashitua, une jeune femme du comté de Vihiga, situé dans l’ouest du Kenya.

Rencontrez d'autres membres


Connectez, Inspirez, Mobilisez !

Comment ?

Et bien plus encore !

Vous pouvez renouveler votre adhésion pour une période d’1, 2 ou 3 ans. Nous offrons la possibilité d’une adhésion individuelle ou institutionnelle gratuite à ceux et celles dont les revenus ou budgets sont restreints.

Renouvelez votre adhésion dès aujourd’hui !

Si vous rencontrez des difficultés lors de votre identification en ligne et avez besoin d’aide, n’hésitez pas à me contacter à l’adresse suivante : membership@awid.org

 


Les témoignages de nos membre

« Nous trouvons que l’AWID est un réseau particulièrement stimulant et nous nous impliquons dans beaucoup de ses plateformes. » – Engabu Za Tooro (membre institutionnel de l’AWID)

« Je me réjouis d’entamer une collaboration fructueuse avec l’équipe. J’en suis très heureuse. Merci de m’avoir acceptée parmi vos membres. » – R. Chakraborty (membre individuelle de l’AWID)

« Je tiens à remercier infiniment l’AWID ! Vous accomplissez un travail gigantesque. Vos efforts sont grandement appréciés. » – E. Khan (membre individuelle de l’AWID)

Khaoula Ksiksi

Biography

Khaoula Ksiksi is a passionate advocate for justice, equity, and liberation. As a Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (GEDI) Advisor, she works to make inclusivity a lived reality, not just a policy, across humanitarian programs and crisis contexts. She collaborates with teams to challenge structural oppression using bold, transformative tools rooted in lived experience.

Her activism began on the frontlines of Tunisia’s anti-racism movement. With Mnemty, she helped push through the country’s first anti-discrimination law, forcing a national reckoning with racial injustice. She later co-founded Voices of Black Tunisian Women to amplify Black women’s leadership, build solidarity networks, and demand visibility in a society that often silences them.

Khaoula is also a founding member of Falgatna, a radical queer-feminist movement fighting for SOGIESC rights and supporting LGBTQI+ communities through direct action, digital resistance, and survivor-centered advocacy.

Previously, she led regional feminist and climate justice projects at the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation in North and West Africa.

At the heart of her work is a deep belief: no one is free until we all are. Her activism is both a fight and a love letter to her people, her communities, and the world we deserve.

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¿Puedo compartir la encuesta con otrxs?

¡Sí, por favor! Te alentamos a compartir el enlace a la encuesta con tus redes. Cuanto más diversas sean las opiniones que recolectemos, más completa será nuestra comprensión del panorama financiero para las organizaciones feministas.

Olivia Arévalo Lomas

Olivia was the spiritual leader of the Shipibo Konibo indigenous peoples.

A wise Indigenous woman and grandmother, she was known for cultivating traditional medicine and the sacred songs of her people (Íkaros). Olivia Arevalo was an active defender of the cultural and environmental rights of her people. Olivia’s murder occurred in a context of territorial conflict between the Shipibo community and companies that desire to take over their land to cultivate palm oil.

Members of her community have said: “Her death is an aggression against the entire Shipibo community. She was the living memory of her people”.

 


 

Olivia Arévalo Lomas, Peru

Snippet FEA This is the story of the Nadia Echazú (ES)

Un lugar de trabajo no tiene que operar sobre la base de la competencia y las ganancias. No tiene que explotar a la gente en beneficio de unx dueñx o pequeña élite.

Las comunidades vulnerabilizadas al margen de las economías formales han ido construyendo modelos cooperativos alternativos basados en la autonomía, la cooperación, la corresponsabilidad, la autogestión y la solidaridad.

Las cooperativas y lugares de trabajo autogestionados por lxs trabajadorxs siempre han ofrecido formas alternativas de generar oportunidades de empleo, ingresos, seguridad social y ahorros y, al mismo tiempo, distribuir los ingresos de formas más comunitarias, sostenibles y seguras.

Pero es más que una oportunidad de empleo: es hacer realidad los sueños y construir economías feministas basadas en la solidaridad y el cuidado mutuo. Es crear un mundo donde nuestras vidas, nuestro trabajo y nuestras comunidades importen.

Esta es la historia de la Cooperativa Textil Nadia Echazú, la primera cooperativa creada y dirigida por y para personas travesti y trans en Argentina.

8. Finalize and format

Your comprehensive research product is now all organized and edited. You now want to ensure your findings are visually accessible and appealing to facilitate the dissemination.

In this section

Package your long report for public dissemination

Consider developing smaller products along with your long report.

As mentioned in the “Synthesize your research findings,” AWID often pulls smaller products from the lengthy research report. This allows for wider and easier distribution specialized for key audiences.

Always keep your targeted population in mind: who will read your report?

Examples of smaller products distilled from a larger report:

  • Infographics
  • Online gallery
  • An animation presenting your arguments

1. Think as your audience thinks

People are bombarded with information constantly. Your product will have to be visually compelling to maintain the interest of your audience. Again, having an idea of what you hope to accomplish and who you hope to reach, will allow the designer to create targeted products.

A lengthy written PDF report may seem the only way to present your research, but it could appear overwhelming to most people – especially online.

If you want to share your product with an online community, think about creating memes and infographics to use on social media, blogs and web platforms.

When deciding whether to create smaller products, consider dividing your results into several smaller products that you could share with targeted populations or at different times of the year to reactivate the interest on your product.

2. Work with a professional designer

If you have limited time and a little bit of budget, we recommend hiring a design firm.

It can be tempting for economic reasons to use in-house staff to package your report. However, a professional graphic designer can make a huge difference on how your final product looks and thus on how much impact it will have!

The designer (in-house or hired) must be able to:

  • Show you samples of their previous work that is similar to what you seek.

  • Provide you clear advice on how to present your research based on the content you provide and the audience you are targeting.

  • Suggest additional or different pieces to package your product.

What the designer will need from you:

  • A general idea on what you would like the lengthy report to highlight through visuals and graphics (what are the most important pieces of information, the key findings, for example) and some ideas on the types of smaller products you want to create (brochure, an infographic, a series of viral memes, for example). If possible, show the designer examples of similar documents developed by other organizations.
  • Your budget and time frame.
  • Your organization’s visual guidelines if you have any (logo, official colours, fonts, etc...).
  • A few photos copyright free or access to your photo bank if you have one.
  • Key visuals that need to be included – graphs, tables and other visual graphics drawn from your research.

The designer is a graphic expert. S/he is not necessarily familiar with women’s issues and does not know the results of your research, especially if you hire an external firm.

Communicate what elements of this report is important to you and who is your target. The designer will propose a way to highlight these elements and make the whole piece appealing to your users.

3. Make sure it's consistent

While creating a set of smaller information products, do not forget to link them all together:

  • A shorter version of the report that focuses only on your final results and recommendations should present a link to the final, full report
  • A visually compelling infographic that sends a message on the state of funding for your particular research can link to your website and the related section of the full report. It should be associated with a call to share on social media.
  • A short animation video that uses the data, findings and recommendations from your report should link back to your organization website and social media
  • A series of viral memes that can be distributed online should link back to your report, infographic, shorter report, etc.

It is also important to keep the research staff involved, so they can ensure any offshoot products stay true to the actual findings of the research.

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Control the quality of the translations

After the design and packaging of the final research report is complete, if any of the wording of content was changed, be sure to re-send to translators.

If you create smaller products, once designed and packaged, you will also need to get the copy translated for those pieces. The translations should be clear enough so the designer can apply to the design, even if she/he does not speak the language.

Once translated, make sure to have your design proofread by a native speaker before sharing it!

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Previous step

7. Synthesize your research findings

Next step

9. Advocate and tell the world


Estimated time:

• 2-3 months

People needed:

• 1 or more research person(s)
• 1 or more editor
• Design staff or hiring design firm
• Translator(s), if necessary

Resources needed:

• List of online spaces for dissemination


Previous step

7. Synthesize your research findings

Next step

9. Advocate and tell the world


Ready to Go? Worksheet

Download the toolkit in PDF

What is AWID?

The Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) is an international feminist membership organization.

We work to achieve gender justice and women’s human rights by strengthening the collective voice, impact and influence of global women’s rights advocates, organizations and movements. 

Read more about AWID