Miriam Bottassi
Resourcing Feminist Movements
The “Where is the Money?” #WITM survey is now live! Dive in and share your experience with funding your organizing with feminists around the world.
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Around the world, feminist, women’s rights, and allied movements are confronting power and reimagining a politics of liberation. The contributions that fuel this work come in many forms, from financial and political resources to daily acts of resistance and survival.
AWID’s Resourcing Feminist Movements (RFM) Initiative shines a light on the current funding ecosystem, which range from self-generated models of resourcing to more formal funding streams.
Through our research and analysis, we examine how funding practices can better serve our movements. We critically explore the contradictions in “funding” social transformation, especially in the face of increasing political repression, anti-rights agendas, and rising corporate power. Above all, we build collective strategies that support thriving, robust, and resilient movements.
Our Actions
Recognizing the richness of our movements and responding to the current moment, we:
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Create and amplify alternatives: We amplify funding practices that center activists’ own priorities and engage a diverse range of funders and activists in crafting new, dynamic models for resourcing feminist movements, particularly in the context of closing civil society space.
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Build knowledge: We explore, exchange, and strengthen knowledge about how movements are attracting, organizing, and using the resources they need to accomplish meaningful change.
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Advocate: We work in partnerships, such as the Count Me In! Consortium, to influence funding agendas and open space for feminist movements to be in direct dialogue to shift power and money.
Related Content
Will there be pre-Forum regional, thematic or other convenings?
We believe so! It is still very early in the planning process, so please stay tuned as plans are forming.
Love letter to Feminist Movements #9
The body is a powerful entity. As women, our bodies are controlled, oppressed and policed from the womb. The way we look, move, dress, walk, speak, gesture, laugh. I often wondered at what drives patriarchal fears around the power of female bodies. Where I come from sex work and sex workers were whispered of with simultaneous contempt, disgust, fascination, pity and condemnation.
Where I come from sex work and sex workers were whispered of with simultaneous contempt, disgust, fascination, pity and condemnation.
I first encountered sex work and sex workers at age 22. Simple conversations, sitting in circles, chatting over coffee and tea, we explored each other’s lives, experiences, thoughts and feelings.
For sex workers, sex work was the most worthwhile choice out of all other options to pay bills, to support family, to have more flexible working hours, to have sex. Just as I chose my job as the most worthwhile, to pay bills, to support family, to have more flexible working hours.
These individuals, women and men, taught me that I made my own decisions about my body… where I focus its life and energy, whether I use it for pleasure or pain, whether I trade it in or give it freely, and how I want to feel about my body. The awareness was as exciting as it was empowering.
Crear | Résister | Transform: a festival for feminist movements – 2021… you accompanied me through a series of life-changing moments (!!!)
We call these ‘events,’ though in truth, to me, your feminist learning spaces are, where I take a little of what’s inside me, a little of what your speakers say and some from the discussions to go deeper into our understanding.
Sharing… Partaking… Immersing…
in strength, in vulnerability, in pleasure.
Simply being the transformative feminist that I am, without pretentions, without misgivings…
Welcoming the transformative feminist that I have always been, without even knowing the term or acknowledging it in such a manner or in such terms…
Finding home for the fiercely transformative feminist living within me…
Despite the anger, rage and frustration of not being treated as equals and being treated with ‘less __ than,’
I did not always consider myself a feminist nor did I recognise myself within the feminist movement or discourse… Truly, I appreciate doors being held open, chairs being pulled out to be seated, acknowledgement as a woman, of my femininity.
At times I dismissed the patriarchy with annoyance, at times, I responded with frustration and anger but I did not address it… I did not notice its sinister, insidious toxicity… I was privileged enough to be able to work through it, to survive it, to overcome it, to excel in spite of it… I did not question enough, challenge enough, push my boundaries enough… I did not do enough…
connecting with sex workers, exploring sexuality, and the women for peace and security...
Until I became fully aware and understood the implications of both privilege and oppression that was intersectional.
Until I realised what it meant to fight for gender justice and not simply ‘equality for all.’
Practitioner and facilitator no longer, I am a transformative feminist practitioner and facilitator.
Being a feminist means that I will act
- – through my daily activities: the way I live, the work that I do, the processes that I am invited to lead, the workshops and lectures that I am invited to give –
- to push back against patriarchal toxicity, to dismantle patriarchal structures and systems,
- to work to decolonise values, beliefs, thoughts, to smash the myths of gender norms and expectations,
- to address power imbalances imposed by patriarchal beliefs and socialisation,
- to foster relationships built on inclusion, holism, equity, care, reciprocity, accountability and justice,
- to stand and act in solidarity in the frontlines of the fight towards inclusion, equity and justice.
Plunging into uncertain, fragile, complex (and possibly quite violent) future…
- I want to discover myself and be myself more intimately, authentically and deeply through the movement…
- I want to be more actively involved in and interconnected through this love relationship.
I am deeply grateful for you and I promise to remain fierce in addressing and redressing problematic issues around gender, race, ethnicity, social class, sexual orientation and ability, and remain present and faithful to the struggle for inclusion, equity and justice.
Khin Khin
Jennifer López
CFA 2023 - Who, where, when - EN
When: 2–5 December 2024
Where: Bangkok, Thailand; and online
Who: Approximately 2,500 feminists from all over the world participating in- person, and 3,000 participating virtually
Where: Bangkok, Thailand; and online
Who: Approximately 2,500 feminists from all over the world participating in- person, and 3,000 participating virtually
No care economies without domestic workers!
A Manifesto
As feminist and labour movements, together in solidarity, we articulate the following points as a collective vision for care economies with domestic workers rights at the centre. We call on feminist and social movements to join the call to rethink the economy with care at its centre recognising the rights, agency and leadership of domestic worker movements.
Our manifesto is a response to a complex context.
Domestic and care work is in the limelight after the COVID-19 global pandemic as it provided the means to carry the world through multiple intersecting crises at the global scale. The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and other multilateral institutions also acknowledge the importance of care and domestic work in sustaining the world’s economy. However, it is our analysis that this recognition most often takes an instrumentalist approach (i.e. care work sustains the ‘productive’ economy) focused on profiteering from care work without recognizing care as a human right and public good, or providing recognition and rights to the workers undertaking the bulk of this labour.
Miriam Mũmbi Nyoike
2023 - Hybrid like never before: in person - ar
هجين (hybrid) كما لم يحدث من قبل
لأول مرة، يعرض منتدى جمعية حقوق المرأة في التنمية ثلاثة طرق للمشاركة
الحضور الشخصي
سيجتمع المشاركون/ات في بانكوك، تايلاند. ننتظر بفارغ الصبر!
Marielle Franco
Marielle was a Brazilian politician, feminist, lesbian and human rights activist.
Marielle was an outspoken critic of police brutality and extrajudicial killings. Her openly feminist, Black and favela-centered politics were a source of hope for marginalized groups in Rio de Janeiro, currently governed by a conservative city government and an evangelical mayor.
On March 14, 2018, after delivering a speech in Rio de Janeiro, Franco and her driver were shot multiple times and killed. Following news of her death crowds took to the streets shouting "Marielle presente!" (Marielle is here!) and demanding justice be done.
Read more about Marielle and the situation in Brazil
CFA 2023 - what you need to know - ar
ما الذي تحتاج/ين معرفته؟
- سيتم إعطاء الأولوية للأنشطة التي تسهل وتشجع الاتصال والتفاعل بين المشاركين/ات.
- إذا كان من الممكن إجراء نشاطك عبر الإنترنت أو بشكل هجين (ربط المشاركين/ات في الموقع وعبر الإنترنت)، يرجى النظر في كيفية توليد مشاركة حقيقية ومشاركة نشطة من المشاركين/ات عبر الإنترنت.
- نشجع اللقاءات والحوارات والتبادلات بين الحركات والأقاليم وبين الأجيال.
- يرجى تصميم النشاط بطريقة تسمح بالمرونة في عدد المشاركين/ات. في حين أن بعض الأنشطة قد تقتصر على مجموعات أصغر، إلا أن الأغلبية ستحتاج إلى استيعاب أعداد أكبر.
- إذا كان نشاطك يناسب عددًا من أشكال التقديم أو لا يناسبه أي شيء، فستتمكن من الإشارة إلى ذلك في نموذج الطلب.
اللغات التي يمكنك إرسال طلبك بها
- لغات تقديم الطلبات: سيتم قبول الطلبات باللغات الإنجليزية والفرنسية والإسبانية والتايلاندية والعربية.
- لغات المنتدى: سيتم توفير الترجمة الفورية في الجلسات العامة للمنتدى باللغات الإنجليزية، الفرنسية، الإسبانية، التايلاندية والعربية، بالإضافة إلى لغة الإشارة الدولية (ISL)وربما أكثر. بالنسبة لجميع الأنشطة الأخرى، سيتم توفير الترجمة الشفوية في بعض هذه اللغات، ولكن ليس جميعها، وربما بلغات أخرى، مثل اللغة السواحيلية والبرتغالية.
Lara Kruger
Lara was a well-known and loved radio DJ on Motsweding FM in South Africa.
Lara was one of the first openly-transgender radio hosts on a mainstream station. She worked hard to shine a light on LGBTI issues.
Lara’s activism started at a young age when she would vocally defend her right to dress and behave as she felt comfortable to members of her community who didn’t yet understand what it meant to be transgender.
Is there a preferred methodology for the sessions?
The Call for Activities lists a number of suggested formats and methodologies. Be creative and make sure to read the section “What you need to know”.
Samira Khalil
Samira was a Syrian activist under Bashar al-Asad's regime.
From a young age Samira opposed all forms of despotism, particularly vis-a-vis the authoritarian regime in which she lived.
Samira was kidnapped in 2013 along with three other prominent activists. She is believed to have been taken from the Center for the Documentation of Violations in Duma, in rural Damascus.
The main suspect associated with her disappearance is the Army of Islam (which denies its involvement). There has been no formal investigation of Samira’s disappearance and she has not been heard from since. Samira was committed to her country and refused to leave Syria until she felt her role in empowering women and documenting crimes was no longer necessary.
لماذا بانكوك؟
يعقد كل منتدى في منطقة مختلفة، وقد حان الوقت لعودة منتدى جمعية حقوق المرأة في التنمية إلى آسيا! قمنا بزيارة العديد من البلدان في المنطقة، واستشرنا الحركات النسوية، وأجرينا تقييمات مفصلة للخدمات اللوجستية، وإمكانية الوصول، والسلامة، والتأشيرات، وغيرها من التفاصيل. وفي نهاية المطاف، وافق مجلس إدارة جمعية حقوق المرأة في التنمية على إقامة المنتدى في بانكوك، تايلاند، باعتبارها الخيار الأفضل. نحن متحمسون/ات للعودة إلى بانكوك، حيث عقدنا منتدى جمعية حقوق المرأة في التنمية في عام 2005.
Fahmida Riaz
“Afterwards
After love the first time,
Our naked bodies and minds
A hall of mirrors,
Wholly unarmed, utterly fragile,
We lie in one another's arms
Breathing with care,
Afraid to break
These crystal figurines.” - Fahmida Riaz
Fahmida Riaz broke social taboos by writing about female desire in her poetry, creating alternative narratives about women’s bodies and sexuality, and setting new standards in Urdu literature.
Her work faced harsh criticism from conservatives, who accused her of using erotic and “pornographic” expressions in her poetic language.
Fahimida was eventually blacklisted and charged with sedition under Section 124A of the Pakistan Penal Code) during the dictatorship of Zia Ul Haq. Forced into exile in 1981, she spent almost seven years in India before returning to Pakistan.
As part of the preface to “Badan Dareeda” ('The Torn-Bodied'), a collection of poetry published in 1974, she wrote:
If, indeed, I am forced to stand before this maqtal today and face the gallows, I should face them with my head held high. My poems are the trace of a mangled head: emanating sounds even as it is suspended from ropes... A Body Torn has taken the form of a razmia, or the sound of rupture. And if such rupture indeed shocks a people, then consider the poet as having achieved her purpose: she has managed to disturb them. (translation from Urdu by Asad Alvi)
The brilliance of Fahmida was in defying any singular logic or categories of gender, nation, religion or culture. She refused to be put in the role of a ‘woman poet’, breaking with traditional definitions of feminine poetry and concepts and themes (ranging from political consciousness, body, culture, desire, religion, home) and knocking down inhibitions put on her gender.
“You have to understand that culture can have no essence. Cultures move, flowing into one another, forming new cultures. Culture is born this way. There is no clash of cultures.”
Fahmida authored more than 15 books on poetry and fiction including her poem ‘Taaziyati Qaraardaaden’ (‘Condolence Resolutions’) that might serve as an appropriate tribute to her life and legacy and a collection of poems (Apna Jurm To Saabit He ‘My Crime Stands Proven’) published in 1988 during her time in exile.
Fahmida Riaz was born in Meerut, India on 28 July 1946 and passed away on 21 November 2018 in Lahore, Pakistan.
CFA FAQ - Funding - AR
تمويل مشاركتك
Hevrin Khalaf
Hevrin Khalaf was a prominent Syrian Kurdish political leader in the autonomous region of Rojava where Kurdish women are risking their lives to resist the Turkish offensive and build a feminist system.
She was Secretary-General of the Future Syria Party (FSP), a group that aimed to build bridges, reconcile different ethnic groups and work towards a “democratic, pluralistic, and decentralized Syria.”
Hevrin was a symbol of this reconciliation effort. She also worked to promote equality between women and men and was a representative for visiting journalists, aid workers, and diplomats.
Hevrin was also a civil engineer from Derik, and was one of the founders of the Foundation for Science and Free Thought in 2012.
On 12 October 2019 she was tortured and murdered by the Turkish-backed militia, Ahrar al-Sharqiya during a military operation against Syrian Democratic Forces in Rojava.
“The killing of Khalaf is a turning point in Syria’s modern history. It once again demonstrated the old Kurdish proverb “no friends but the mountains.” I will always be a friend of Khalaf and her vision of a better world.” - Ahed Al Hendi
มีวิธีการจัดกิจกรรมแบบเฉพาะเจาะจงที่ผู้จัดต้องการหรือไม่?
ในหัวข้อ เปิดรับสมัครกิจกรรม แสดงรายการรูปแบบและวิธีการจัดกิจกรรมที่แนะนำจำนวนหนึ่ง ใช้ความคิดสร้างสรรค์และอย่าลืมอ่านหัวข้อ “สิ่งที่คุณต้องรู้”
Rosa Candida Mayorga Muñoz
Rosa Candida Mayorga Muñoz was a Guatemalan social worker, union leader and labor rights defender. She was affectionately called Rosita and she inspired change.
In the 1980’s, Rosa became the first female member of the Executive Committee of the Union of Workers of the Institute of National Electrification (STINDE), a union she first joined to advocate for women’s labor rights. For her, this meant fighting for equal opportunities in a company where many women faced a discriminatory and violent system created by company authorities. Rosa had also suffered sexual harassment in her workplace, both by co-workers and managers. She was not to be kept quiet though.
Rosa continued fighting and was part of the effort to mould the struggle into a more specific form, that of the INDE-STINDE Collective Pact of Working conditions. This pact was a pioneer, the first in Guatemala to typify the concept of (sexual) harassment. It serves as a reference for the Guatemalan legislation on labor matters and is an encouragement for other unions.
“She had no fighting tools other than her own ideals... Many times she was intimidated, harassed to put the fight aside, but her courage generated the image of hope for grassroots unionists. Rosita created an image of respect, not only within her union, but before the authorities of the institution, before the women's movement; she was recognized as a pioneer of the trade union women's movement, in a space that had been more dominated by men.” - Maritza Velasquez, ATRAHDOM
Rosa passed away on 4 April 2018 at the age of 77.
لم أسافر من قبل. ماذا يجب أن أعرف؟
نحن نعلم أن السفر لأول مرة يمكن أن يكون مثيرًا ولكنه مرهق أيضًا. وإدراكًا للتحديات العديدة التي ينطوي عليها الأمر، سنقدم المزيد من المعلومات والتفاصيل حول كيفية الوصول إلى بانكوك عندما يتم فتح التسجيل في أوائل العام المقبل.