Building Feminist Economies is about creating a world with clean air to breath and water to drink, with meaningful labour and care for ourselves and our communities, where we can all enjoy our economic, sexual and political autonomy.
In the world we live in today, the economy continues to rely on women’s unpaid and undervalued care work for the profit of others. The pursuit of “growth” only expands extractivism - a model of development based on massive extraction and exploitation of natural resources that keeps destroying people and planet while concentrating wealth in the hands of global elites. Meanwhile, access to healthcare, education, a decent wage and social security is becoming a privilege to few. This economic model sits upon white supremacy, colonialism and patriarchy.
Adopting solely a “women’s economic empowerment approach” is merely to integrate women deeper into this system. It may be a temporary means of survival. We need to plant the seeds to make another world possible while we tear down the walls of the existing one.
We believe in the ability of feminist movements to work for change with broad alliances across social movements. By amplifying feminist proposals and visions, we aim to build new paradigms of just economies.
Our approach must be interconnected and intersectional, because sexual and bodily autonomy will not be possible until each and every one of us enjoys economic rights and independence. We aim to work with those who resist and counter the global rise of the conservative right and religious fundamentalisms as no just economy is possible until we shake the foundations of the current system.
Advance feminist agendas: We counter corporate power and impunity for human rights abuses by working with allies to ensure that we put forward feminist, women’s rights and gender justice perspectives in policy spaces. For example, learn more about our work on the future international legally binding instrument on “transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights” at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Mobilize solidarity actions: We work to strengthen the links between feminist and tax justice movements, including reclaiming the public resources lost through illicit financial flows (IFFs) to ensure social and gender justice.
Build knowledge: We provide women human rights defenders (WHRDs) with strategic information vital to challenge corporate power and extractivism. We will contribute to build the knowledge about local and global financing and investment mechanisms fuelling extractivism.
Create and amplify alternatives: We engage and mobilize our members and movements in visioning feminist economies and sharing feminist knowledges, practices and agendas for economic justice.
“The corporate revolution will collapse if we refuse to buy what they are selling – their ideas, their version of history, their wars, their weapons, their notion of inevitability. Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing”.
Arundhati Roy, War Talk
Joe is a trans masculine advocate born in Singapore. As the Executive Director of the Asia Pacific Transgender Network (APTN), he leads the organisation and the community engagement rights-based work in sexual, general and mental health. He has contributed to global, regional, and local initiatives. In his time in APTN, he advocated for trans masculine inclusion in the network resulting in the increased visibility, discussion and inclusivity of trans masculine people and their issues the region.
His experiences includes advocating for trans men’s sexual and reproductive health rights and trans people’s access to basic health rights, and has developed and implemented best practice standards for transgender people. His area of focus is increasing funding for trans-led initiatives and stronger trans organising for shifting policies and attitudes.
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Maie Panaga Babker is a Sudanese woman based in Cairo. She co-runs the editorial section at the Cairo-based Ikhtyar Feminist Collective. In 2014, Mai co-established Ikhtyar, which is devoted to feminist knowledge production in Arabic, covering areas of feminism, sexuality, reproductive health and rights, feminist Internet, and women’s street performances.
Phylesha is a champion for the rights of sexual and gender identity minority groups within Aotearoa and the Pacific region. She is the Director of F’INE Pasifika Aotearoa, a Whanau Ora funded organisation that supports Pacific LGBTQI+/MVPFAFF individuals and their families in Auckland City, New Zealand. She is the Co-Chairperson of the Asia Pacific Transgender Network (APTN) and is currently completing a Masters degree in Applied Indigenous Knowledge. She hails from the village of Fineone Hakupu Atua, Niue Island.
Rula Khoury is a Palestinian born in Haifa. She is an art curator, historian and critic. In 2011, she received a Masters degree in Art History from Haifa University and an additional Masters degree in Writing Art Criticism from the New York School of Visual Arts in 2017.
Khoury is a creative professional with extensive curatorial and production management experience. Her project portfolio includes exhibits, symposia, lectures, film, and theater across Palestine and internationally. She is passionate about Palestinian and Arab culture both contemporary and classical, committed to finding creative solutions to obstacles of identity and geo-politics, and a proponent of open and inspiring spaces for young artists and creators. Khoury is currently the General Director of the Arab Culture Association in Haifa.
María Florencia Alcaraz (1985) is a journalist and has a degree in Social Communication from the National University of La Matanza (UNLaM). She is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Gender Studies and Policies from the National University of Tres de Febrero (UNTREF). She is co-director and founding member of the digital native media outlet LatFem. In 2018 she published "What is law! The fight of feminisms for legal abortion", by editorial Marea. As a journalist, she collaborates with different media: Washington Post, Anfibia Magazine, Cosecha Roja, Infojus Noticias, among others. She worked on radio at Nacional Rock and El Uncover
Patience is a human resources professional with nearly a decade of experience in human resources (HR) management in the not-for-profit sector. She lives and works in Zimbabwe. Patience has recently been with an INGO working as the Global HR Officer for Africa and in the same organization she also worked as Country Human resources and Safeguarding Focal Point for the Zimbabwe country office. Prior to that she worked in HR and Operations at another INGO in various capacities. She also has HR Consultancy experience which she gained while she was still studying for her BSc Honors degree in Human Resource Management. She regards herself as a people person and she takes wellbeing and safeguarding as her core personal values and in her professional work as well. As someone who loves sports, you can also find Patience at the basketball court, the tennis court or on the soccer field.