Jean-Marc Ferré | Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
A general view of participants at the 16th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.

Human Rights Council (HRC)

The Human Rights Council (HRC) is the key intergovernmental body within the United Nations system responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights around the globe. It holds three regular sessions a year: in March, June and September. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is the secretariat for the HRC.

The HRC works by:

  • Debating and passing resolutions on global human rights issues and human rights situations in particular countries

  • Examining complaints from victims of human rights violations or activist organizations on behalf of victims of human rights violations

  • Appointing independent experts (known as “Special Procedures”) to review human rights violations in specific countries and examine and further global human rights issues

  • Engaging in discussions with experts and governments on human rights issues

  • Assessing the human rights records of all UN Member States every four and a half years through the Universal Periodic Review

Learn more about the HRC


AWID works with feminist, progressive and human rights partners to share key knowledge, convene civil society dialogues and events, and influence negotiations and outcomes of the session.

With our partners, our work will:

◾️ Monitor, track and analyze anti-rights actors, discourses and strategies and their impact on resolutions

◾️ Raise awareness of the findings of the 2017 and 2021 OURs Trends Reports.

◾️Support the work of feminist UN experts in the face of backlash and pressure

◾️Advocate for state accountability
 
◾️ Work with feminist movements and civil society organizations to advance rights related to gender and sexuality.
 

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AWID in 2016: Co-Creating Feminist Futures

AWID is pleased to share our 2016 Annual Report.

2016 was an incredible year for AWID, we convened the 13th International AWID Forum in Bahia, Brazil, a space for strategizing and alliance building with feminists and other justice movements, which was attended by over 1800 participants from 120 countries and territories across the globe.

We know that women’s rights and feminist movements are key actors in creating sustainable transformative change. Within our movements, organizing, resisting and responding to the challenging context is sharpening, and in our increasingly connected world, the potential for collective action across diverse movements has dramatically grown.

This is the crucial work that AWID seeks to amplify and support every day.


What we achieved in 2016

We expanded solidarity and joint action across diverse movements

A highlight of 2016 was our ground-breaking 13th International Forum with the theme: “Feminist Futures: Building Collective Power for Rights and Justice”, where we harnessed the thinking and energy of nearly 500 partners, presenters, panelists, moderators, artivists, writers, facilitators, IT innovators, and performers, many of them leaders in their movements. We also supported the convening of the first and historical Black Feminisms Forum (BFF) organised by a working group of Black Feminists from across the world.

We strengthened knowledge of issues and strategies

We contributed to collective advocacy

AWID, in partnership with other feminist and women’s rights organisations, engaged in advocacy and dialogue to explore better solutions for women’s rights agendas including our work with the Count Me In! consortium .

We increased the visibility of movements

The experiences of women with disabilities, Black and Afro-descendant women, sex workers, Indigenous women, trans and intersex people, domestic workers and how their lives are impacted by multiple oppressions and violence were placed front and center of the Forum process.

We also launched the 2016 WHRD Tribute to commemorate defenders who are no longer with us, during the 16 Days of activism, and thanks to the contributions from our members,

We drove attention to groups and issues that do not usually receive adequate mainstream media coverage through our partnership with The Guardian and Mama Cash.


Our members

 

Snippet - WITM about research - RU

Об исследовании «Где же деньги для феминистских объединений?»

Глобальный опрос «Где деньги для феминистских объединений?» является ключевым элементом третьего этапа нашего исследования, ориентированного на конкретные действия: «Где деньги для феминистских объединений» (короткое название – «Где деньги?»). Результаты опроса будут доработаны и обстоятельно изучены в ходе бесед с активистами и донорами, а также сопоставлены с другими имеющимися аналитическими материалами и исследованиями о состоянии ресурсов феминистских движений и инициатив по достижению гендерного равенства во всем мире.

Полный отчет организации «Где деньги для феминистских объединений?» будет опубликован в 2026 году.

Чтобы узнать больше о том, как AWID освещает вопросы финансирования феминистских движений, ознакомьтесь с историей инициативы «Где деньги?» и нашими предыдущими отчетами здесь.

Snippet FEA Who takes care of them S4 (ES)

...¿QUIÉN LES CUIDA A ELLXS?

So'oalo Roger

So'oalo fue una ferviente defensora de los derechos humanos, especialmente de los derechos de la comunidad LGBTQI en el Pacífico.

Fue integrante de la Asociación Fa’afafine de Samoa (SFA) y una apasionada activista por el reconocimiento de un tercer género en el país insular. Bajo su liderazgo, la SFA luchó por el reconocimiento de la validez y los derechos de la comunidad fa’afafine.

También fue pionera en articular los vínculos entre derechos humanos, explotación de lxs fa’afafines en Samoa y el Pacífico y la salud, el bienestar y la seguridad de la comunidad LGBTQI.

Fue fuente de inspiración, visionaria y su dedicación a la lucha por los derechos de su comunidad es admirable y será recordada  por siempre.


 

So'oalo Roger, Samoa

Co-Creating Feminist Realities

While we dream of a feminist world, there are those who are already building and living it. These are our Feminist Realities!

What are Feminist Realities?

Feminist Realities are the living, breathing examples of the just world we are co-creating. They exist now, in the many ways we live, struggle and build our lives.

Feminist Realities go beyond resisting oppressive systems to show us what a world without domination, exploitation and supremacy look like.

These are the narratives we want to unearth, share and amplify throughout this Feminist Realities journey.

Transforming Visions into Lived Experiences

Through this initiative, we:

  • Create and amplify alternatives: We co-create art and creative expressions that center and celebrate the hope, optimism, healing and radical imagination that feminist realities inspire.

  • Build knowledge: We document, demonstrate & disseminate methodologies that will help identify the feminist realities in our diverse communities.

  • Advance feminist agendas: We expand and deepen our collective thinking and organizing to advance just solutions and systems that embody feminist values and visions.

  • Mobilize solidarity actions: We engage feminist, women’s rights and gender justice movements and allies in sharing, exchanging and jointly creating feminist realities, narratives and proposals at the 14th AWID International Forum.


The AWID International Forum

As much as we emphasize the process leading up to, and beyond, the four-day Forum, the event itself is an important part of where the magic happens, thanks to the unique energy and opportunity that comes with bringing people together.

We expect the next Forum to:

  • Build the power of Feminist Realities, by naming, celebrating, amplifying and contributing to build momentum around experiences and propositions that shine light on what is possible and feed our collective imaginations

  • Replenish wells of hope and energy as much needed fuel for rights and justice activism and resilience

  • Strengthen connectivity, reciprocity and solidarity across the diversity of feminist movements and with other rights and justice-oriented movements

Learn more about the Forum process

We are sorry to announce that the 14th AWID International Forum is cancelled

Given the current world situation, our Board of Directors has taken the difficult decision to cancel Forum scheduled in 2021 in Taipei. 

Read the full announcement

Find out more!

Related Content

2021: Feminist Power in Action

In 2021, AWID, along with many other organizations, was coming to grips with the implications of the on-going global pandemic for how we work and our role in this particular time. The year taught us three critical lessons about navigating this moment as a global feminist movement-support organization.

Download the full 2021 Annual review


English language cover for the 2021 AWID Annual Report. It shows a collage of protests fists raised, along with flowers and a silhouette of a person with short hair in the back.

Through dialogue and exchanges critical to their work, AWID connected thousands to feminists from around the world.

Our experience in 2021 reaffirmed the importance of building and sustaining a global feminist community, and AWID’s core mission to support feminist movements as a whole. We believe that at this moment, a strong community bound by a shared vision and collective care is the foundation of all social change and transformation.

Download the full 2021 Annual review

Почему мне стоит принять участие в опросе?

Есть много причин, по которым ваше участие в опросе очень важно. Это возможность поделиться своим опытом привлечения финансирования для деятельности вашей организации; заявить о себе как об эксперте в вопросах движения денежных средств и их получателей; внести свой вклад в коллективную и последовательную адвокацию среди доноров, чтобы привлечь более объемное и эффективное финансирование. За последние два десятилетия исследования AWID в этой области зарекомендовали себя как ключевой ресурс для активисток(-тов) и доноров. Мы приглашаем вас присоединиться к нам в реализации третьей части инициативы «Где деньги?», чтобы осветить реальное состояние ресурсного обеспечения, оспорить ошибочные решения и указать на то, как необходимо изменить финансирование, чтобы движения процветали и реагировали на сложные вызовы нашего времени.

Snippet FEA collaborator and allies Photo 2 (FR)

La photo montre huit femmes se tenant ensemble lors d'une manifestation. Beaucoup tiennent des banderoles tandis que Sopo tient le mégaphone près de la bouche d'une ouvrière aux cheveux roux courts, portant une écharpe blanche et un manteau noir, qui lit un manifeste.

Samira Khalil

Samira était une activiste syrienne sous le régime de Bachar al-Asad.

Dès son plus jeune âge, Samira s'est opposée à toutes les formes de despotisme et en particulier au régime autoritaire dans lequel elle vivait. Samira a été kidnappée en 2013 avec trois autres activistes de premier plan. Elle aurait été enlevée au Centre de documentation sur les violations à Douma, une ville située en périphérie rurale de Damas.

Le principal suspect associé à sa disparition est le groupe rebelle syrien Jaych al-Islam (l'armée de l'islam), qui nie son implication. Aucune enquête officielle n’a été ouverte sur la disparition de Samira et elle n’a plus donné de nouvelles depuis lors. Samira était attachée à son pays et refusait de quitter la Syrie tant qu'elle estimait que son rôle en faveur de l'émancipation des femmes et la documentation des crimes était utile et nécessaire.


 

Samira Khalil, Syria

Stephanie Bracken

Biography

Stephanie Bracken est une féministe qui se consacre à la construction et au soutien de systèmes solides qui répondent aux besoins du moment et des personnes qui interagissent avec eux, tout en servant les principes de justice. Elle est titulaire d'un master en droits humains de l'Université de Sydney et d'une licence en études de genre, histoire et philosophie de l'Université McGill. Elle possède une expérience de travail avec des organisations féministes et de justice sociale dans les domaines du suivi, de l'évaluation et de l'apprentissage, de la planification stratégique du travail, de la gouvernance, de la gestion de projet et de la création de systèmes et de processus opérationnels. Stephanie est basée à Tiohtià:ke/Montréal, où elle aime chanter avec d’autres, camper, pratiquer les arts textiles et passer du temps avec ses enfants et sa communauté.

Position
Cheffe des Opérations
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Nós redistribuímos recursos para os nossos parceires beneficiários e identificamo-nos como um fundo feminista e/ou de mulheres. Devemos participar no inquérito?

Não, apreciamos muito o vosso trabalho, mas atualmente não solicitamos respostas de fundos feministas e de mulheres. Encorajamos-vos a partilhar o inquérito com os vossos parceires beneficiários e as vossas redes feministas.

Snippet FEA Meet the Solidarity Network (EN)

SOLIDARITY NETWORK

Meet the Solidarity Network, a health and service union mostly led by women. Emerging as a response to increasing precarity, severe underpayment and hostile work environments faced by workers in Georgia, Solidarity Network fights for dignified compensation and work places.

Its goal? To create a national worker’s democratic movement. To do so, it has been branching out, organizing and teaming up with other local and regional unions and slowly creating a network of unions and empowering women workers to become union leaders.

Its political approach is a holistic one. For Solidarity Network, labor rights issues are directly connected to broader national political and economic agendas and reforms. That’s why they are pushing for tax justice, women and LGBTQIA+ rights, and fighting against the dismantling of the Georgian welfare state.

The Solidarity Network is also part of Transnational Social Strike (TSS), a political platform and infrastructure inspired by migrant, women and essential worker organizing that works to build connections between labor movements across borders and nurture global solidarity.

Florence Adong-Ewoo

Florence was a disability rights activist who worked with several disabled women’s organizations in Uganda.

She also held the position of Chairperson of the Lira District Disabled Women Association, as well as the Lira District Women Councilors’ caucus. Trained as a counsellor for persons with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities, she supported many projects that called for greater representation of persons with disabilities.

She died of a motorcycle accident. 


 

Florence Adong-Ewoo, Uganda

Kasia Staszewska

Biography

Kasia has been supporting the work of feminist and social justice movements for the last 15 years. Before joining AWID, Kasia used to lead policy and advocacy for ActionAid and Amnesty International while organizing with feminists and social justice groups in Poland for access to abortion and against violence on the European borders. Kasia is passionate about resourcing feminist organizing in all their boldness, richness and diversity. She shares her time between Warsaw and her DIY community village in the forest. She loves saunas and is crazy about her dog named Wooly.

Position
Manager, Resourcing Feminist Movements
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هل استطيع الوصول للاستطلاع وتعبئته من هاتفي؟

نعم، يمكن تعبئة الاستطلاع من خلال الهاتف الذكي.

Snippet FEA different lines of work FOR S4 (ES)

Líneas de trabajo:

A FAVOR DE

Nadine Ramaroson

Nadine fue un ejemplo para muchxs por su trabajo en apoyo de las mujeres y lxs más vulnerables de su comunidad. Estaba comprometida con ayudar a l pobres, especialmente a las personas sin techo. 

Aunque su muerte se informó como accidente, la familia Ramaroson, encabezada por su padre, André Ramaroson, llevó adelante una investigación que arrojó evidencias de que había sido asesinada. Se informó que había muerto en un accidente fatal ocurrido entre Soanierano - Ivongo y Ste Marie, una historia que fue desmentida por su familia. Ella había recibido numerosas amenazas de muerte por sus audaces posiciones políticas. Su caso todavía está en la corte de Antananarivo (la capital de Madagascar).


 

Nadine Ramaroson, Madagascar