Call for Participation

The Forum is now over, but we encourage you to check the "Latest News" section of this site for selected session writeups, transcripts, and other post-forum information. Updates will be posted throughout December and January.

The deadline for proposals is now over.

Introduction

In the global struggle to improve the lives of girls and women, our successes and failures are most meaningfully measured by actual, concrete changes in the day-to-day lives of women around the world. When girls go to university, when women no longer feel the constant threat of violence, when women’s voices are heard in policy discussions, or when families have enough food on the table, we know that we have moved forward.

We also know, however, that change brings with it its own threats and fierce resistances. Over the years, we’ve seen how women’s hard-won victories have been met with sustained backlashes against gender equality. Fundamentalist leaders are forcing women back into traditional roles, armed conflicts are increasing in many regions, and formidable economic forces are pushing hard to privatize everything from social programs to water.

The stakes for girls and women in this global push-pull process of change are exceedingly high. As small gains are overtaken by huge global shifts, women’s lives continue to hang in the balance.

AT THE AWID FORUM, we want to unravel these complexities by exploring the many ways in which change happens and is sustained. Through workshops, debates, plenaries and multi-media presentations, we will share lessons on key change processes and candidly evaluate our efforts toward gender equality. We will also look more critically at our theories and histories of change, as we move toward shared visions of the future.

In doing so, we intend to learn more about how to effect the kinds of transformation that result in economic justice, clean environments, an end to armed conflict, and the elimination of discrimination against women.

THIS IS YOUR INVITATION TO JOIN US FOR THIS MILESTONE EVENT.