Rocio Gonzalez Trapaga
Protection of the Family
The Issue
Over the past few years, a troubling new trend at the international human rights level is being observed, where discourses on ‘protecting the family’ are being employed to defend violations committed against family members, to bolster and justify impunity, and to restrict equal rights within and to family life.
The campaign to "Protect the Family" is driven by ultra-conservative efforts to impose "traditional" and patriarchal interpretations of the family, and to move rights out of the hands of family members and into the institution of ‘the family’.
“Protection of the Family” efforts stem from:
- rising traditionalism,
- rising cultural, social and religious conservatism and
- sentiment hostile to women’s human rights, sexual rights, child rights and the rights of persons with non-normative gender identities and sexual orientations.
Since 2014, a group of states have been operating as a bloc in human rights spaces under the name “Group of Friends of the Family”, and resolutions on “Protection of the Family” have been successfully passed every year since 2014.
This agenda has spread beyond the Human Rights Council. We have seen regressive language on “the family” being introduced at the Commission on the Status of Women, and attempts made to introduce it in negotiations on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Our Approach
AWID works with partners and allies to jointly resist “Protection of the Family” and other regressive agendas, and to uphold the universality of human rights.
In response to the increased influence of regressive actors in human rights spaces, AWID joined allies to form the Observatory on the Universality of Rights (OURs). OURs is a collaborative project that monitors, analyzes, and shares information on anti-rights initiatives like “Protection of the Family”.
Rights at Risk, the first OURs report, charts a map of the actors making up the global anti-rights lobby, identifies their key discourses and strategies, and the effect they are having on our human rights.
The report outlines “Protection of the Family” as an agenda that has fostered collaboration across a broad range of regressive actors at the UN. It describes it as: “a strategic framework that houses “multiple patriarchal and anti-rights positions, where the framework, in turn, aims to justify and institutionalize these positions.”
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40 ans de la fondation de AWID: L'album
Rassembler, semer et perturber.
L’année 2022 marque les 40 ans de la fondation de AWID. Nous profitons de ce moment pour nous pencher sur les années passées et apprendre du chemin parcouru, tout en nous préparant à l’avenir et au travail qui nous attend. À mesure de notre progression entre les cycles de progrès et de repli , nous avons appris que les luttes pour les droits des femmes et la justice de genre sont itératives et non linéaires. En collaboration avec l'artiste Naadira Patel, nous avons créé un album qui met en lumière une sélection de moments marquants, représentatifs des quatre décennies de soutien de AWID aux mouvements féministes.
Nous n’avons pas fait tout cela toutes seules. Nous vous faisons part de cela avec une profonde reconnaissance envers la myriade d’activistes et de groupes féministes qui ont rendu ce travail possible. Dans ce contexte de si nombreuses crises convergentes, nous accueillons l’occasion de célébrer le pouvoir et la résilience des mouvements féministes autour du monde…
Explorez notre album ci-dessous :
Vous pouvez ouvrir en plein écran si vous le souhaitez.
Télécharger l'album ici
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Todos nuestros procesos de cambio se basan en las relaciones que construimos en espacios como los Foros de AWID donde se baila juntxs, tu humor se trasluce, tu yo real, cuentas historias... eso es lo que hace la diferencia.
- Nicky Mcintyre, Estados Unidos
Snippet2 - WCFM Explore and share - EN
Explore and share the databases with your network now!
Fadila M.
Fadila M. was a Soulaliyate tribal activist from Azrou, the Ifrane region of Morocco. She fought against a specific form of land discrimination directed against tribal women.
As part of the Soulaliyate Women’s Land-Use Rights Movement, she worked towards overhauling the framework legislation relating to the management of community property through the 2019 adoption of three projects of laws guaranteeing the equality of women and men.
According to the customary laws in force, women had no right to benefit from the land, especially those who were single, widowed or divorced. The rights to collective land in Morocco were transmitted traditionally between male members of a family of over 16 years of age. Since 2007, Fadila M. had been part of the women’s movement, the first grassroots nationwide mobilization for land rights. Some of the achievements included that in 2012 for the first time Soulaliyate women were able to register on the lists of beneficiaries and to benefit from compensation relating to land cession. The movement also managed to get the 1919 dahir (Moroccan King's decree) amended to guarantee women the right to equality.
Fadila M. died on 27 September 2018. The circumstances of her death are unclear. She was part of a protest march connected to the issue of collective land and while authorities reported her death as being accidental, and her having a cardiac arrest on the way to the hospital, the local section of the Moroccan Association of Human Rights (AMDH) pointed out that Fadila was suffocated by a member of the police force using a Moroccan flag. Her family requested investigation but the results of the autopsy were not known.
Find out more about the Soulaliyate Women’s Land-Use Rights Movement
Please note: As there was no photograph/image of Fadila M. available to us, the artwork (instead of a portrait) aims to represent what she fought and worked for; land and rights to live and have access to that land and what grows on it.
Film club - Finding Sally
Finding Sally (2020) Amharic | Anglais avec sous-titres anglais
Une enquête personnelle sur la vie mystérieuse de la tante de la réalisatrice Sally, une aristocrate éthiopienne devenue rebelle communiste qui a disparu après la révolution conduisant au renversement de l'empereur Haile Selassie.
Discussion en direct avec Tamara Dawit, réalisatrice de « Finding Sally »
23 juin à 12 h 30 EST sur IG en direct
Introducing AWID’s next Co-Executive Directors
Dear Feminist Movements,
On behalf of the AWID Board of Directors, I am proud to introduce AWID’s next Co-Executive Directors: Faye Macheke and Inna Michaeli!
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Faye Macheke is a passionate Pan-African feminist, active in movements for women's rights, racial justice, migrant and labor rights, and environmental justice. Her activism builds on the legacy of the struggle against apartheid in South Africa and the aftermath of the apartheid era in Zimbabwe. In 2019, Faye joined AWID as the Director of Finance, Operations and Development. She brings extensive experience in feminist leadership, strategy, and all aspects of organisational development. Faye is a committed Board Member of UAF-Africa and other women's rights organizations. She is based in Cape Town, South Africa. |
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Inna Michaeli is a feminist lesbian queer activist and sociologist with many years of deep engagement in feminist and LGBTQI+ struggles, political education and organizing by and for migrant women, and Palestine liberation and solidarity. Inna joined AWID in 2016 and served in different roles, most recently as the Director of Programs. She brings extensive experience in research and knowledge building, policy advocacy and organizational development. Inna serves on the Board of the Jewish Voice for Peace - Germany. She is based in Berlin, Germany. |
This decision is the result of a rigorous process with full participation of the Board and the staff of AWID. The Board recognised and honoured the skills and talents of AWID staff by opening an internal hiring search. As a result, we had two brilliant candidates, who embody the integrity, ethic of care, and feminist intersectional values that drive AWID’s work, apply together as a team. Faye and Inna brought forward a brave and exciting vision to meet the challenges of this moment: building a global feminist community, resisting and disrupting systems of oppression, and supporting feminist movements to thrive.
As AWID celebrates 40 years we are excited for Inna and Faye to co-lead AWID into our next strategy and a new phase of evolving, pushing boundaries, and supporting feminist movements worldwide.
Appointing and supporting AWID’s Co-Executive Directors to lead the organisation is a fiduciary responsibility we take seriously as a Board. How we engage those processes is also a reflection of AWID’s brilliant and diverse membership, which elects AWID’s Board.
As we say good-bye to Cindy and Hakima, we, the Board, unanimously and enthusiastically welcome Faye and Inna as our next Co-EDs as of September 5, 2022. Stay tuned for more updates about our leadership transition in the months ahead.
Most of all, thank you for your ongoing support!
In feminist solidarity and love,
Margo Okazawa-Rey
President, AWID Board
Où et quand se déroulera le Forum ?
Du 2 au 5 décembre 2024, à Bangkok, en Thaïlande ! Nous nous rassemblerons au Centre national de convention de la Reine Sirikit (QSNCC) et aussi virtuellement en ligne.
Snippet - Take the quiz FR
Répondez au quiz
Où est l’argent pour l’organisation des mouvements féministes ?
Que connaissez-vous du financement féministe ? Répondez au quiz de l’AWID Où est l’argent pour l’organisation des mouvements féministes ? pour tester vos connaissances
Isabel Cabanillas de la Torre
Isabel Cabanillas de la Torre fue una activista joven y una artista feminista muy querida de Ciudad Juárez, México, conocida por sus hermosos diseños evocadores de indumentaria pintada a manoen los que los ojos eran una característica emblemática de su trabajo. Sus murales transformaron los edificios abandonados y vacíos del centro de Ciudad Juárez, al sumarles vida y crítica política a sus paredes.
A través de su arte y de su activismo político, Isabel buscó llamar la atención sobre la violencia de género que se extendía por su ciudad natal. Colaboró como voluntaria con la red Mesa de Mujeres en el proyecto «Observatorio Ciudadano de Género», que monitoreaba la actuación de jueces, fiscales y defensorxs públicxs en casos de femicidios y otras violaciones a los derechos basadas en el género. Integró también «Hijas De Su Maquilera Madre», una colectiva feminista cuyo nombre alude a las hijas de madres que son trabajadoras de la maquila. Algunas de estas madres fueron las primeras víctimas de femicidio en Ciudad Juárez.
El último proyecto de Isabel (todavía en curso) fue una instalación artística para protestar contra una compañía canadiense que quería extraer cobre de los Médanos de Samalayuca.
El 18 de enero de 2020 Isabel fue atacada a balazos mientras volvía a su casa del centro de Ciudad Juárez en bicicleta, víctima, aparentemente, de un asesinato selectivo. Su cuerpo fue encontrado junto a su bicicleta.
El asesinato de Isabel desató una nueva ola de indignación contra los femicidios de la región: cientos de personas marcharon hacia el puente de la frontera entre EEUU y México, y lo bloquearon durante horas mientras cantaban «Ni una más», que es la protesta continua de las colectivas feministas contra los asesinatos de las mujeres en todo México. Solamente en 2019, 3.142 mujeres y niñas fueron asesinadas en el país; muchas de ellas fueron atacadas específicamente por su género.
Amaba andar en bicicleta.
«La bicicleta era un símbolo de libertad para ella. Simbolizaba ser libre en las calles.» - Marisol, amiga de Isabel
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Carta de amor a los movimientos feministas #1
Querida y maravillosa persona:
Sé que estás muy cerca. Puedes sentirlo, ¿verdad?: cómo las cosas necesitan cambiar y cómo necesitas centrarte.
Esta es una carta para decirte que lo hagas. Elige tu sanación. Elige estar bien. Mejor que bien. Elige estar plenx, ser feliz. Llora a lágrima viva solo por tí y por nadie más. Elige cerrar la puerta ante el mundo y decirle «Vuelvo en 5 minutos». O en cinco días. O en cinco años.
O nunca.
Elige no hacerte cargo de todo. Elige no asumir nada. Porque nada de eso es tuyo. Nunca lo fue. Te dijeron desde que naciste que eran tuyos. Los problemas de tu familia. Los problemas de tus amantes. Los problemas de tus vecinxs. Los problemas del mundo. Ese susurro constante de que esos problemas te pertenecen. Que son tuyos. Tuyos para cargarlos, tuyos para llevarlos sobre los hombros. Tuyos para solucionarlos.
Eso fue una mentira.
Un engaño
Un engaño de larga duración.
Una estafa.
Los problemas del universo no son tuyos.
Los únicos problemas que son tuyos son los tuyos. Todxs lxs demás pueden irse de paseo.
Permítete dejarlo todo y adentrarte en la selva. Hazte amigx de una ninfa vestida de margaritas, crea una biblioteca pequeña en las raíces de un árbol. Baila desnudx y aúlla a la luz de la luna. Conversa con Oshun en el lecho del río.
O simplemente tómate una taza de té cuando necesites un momento para respirar.
Permítete desaparecer en la niebla y reaparecer tres países más allá como unx misteriosx chocolaterx con un pasado dudoso y afición por capas espectaculares y cigarros puros.
O deja de responder a las llamadas del trabajo durante los fines de semana.
Permítete nadar hasta una isla desierta con unx amante y vestirte solo con las cáscaras de los cocos que usaron para hacer el ron de coco que beben al atardecer.
O di que no cuando no tengas la capacidad de crear un espacio de contención para alguien.
Las opciones para sostenerte a ti mismx son infinitas.
Hagas lo que hagas, debes saber que el mundo siempre seguirá girando. Por eso es bello y por eso duele.. No importa a quién o qué elijas por encima de tí mismx y de tu alma, el mundo siempre seguirá girando.
Por lo tanto, elígete a tí mismx.
Por la mañana, con la primera luz, elígete a tí mismx. Cuando sea la hora del almuerzo, o te den ganas de llorar durante las horas de trabajo, elígete a tí mismx. Por la noche, cuando estés calentando las sobras porque no tuviste tiempo de volver a cocinar, elígete a vos mismx. Cuando la ansiedad te despierte y la existencia esté en silencio a las 3:45 am.
Elígete a tí mismx.
Porque el mundo siempre seguirá girando, inclinado, y tú mereces tener a alguien que siempre intente acomodarlo para tí.
Cariños,
tu ninfa de la selva con capa espectacular.
Rachel Bhagwan
How much does participation cost?
Please calculate your costs of travel to Bangkok, accommodations and per diem, visa, any accessibility needs, and incidentals, on top of a registration fee that will be announced soon. Hotels in the Sukhumvit area in Bangkok range from USD$50 to $200 per night, double occupancy.
AWID members receive a discount at registration, so if you are not a member yet, we invite you to consider becoming a member and joining our global feminist community.
WITM - Refreshed DATA SNAPSHOTS - EN
Data Snapshots
Our collective power, wisdom, and commitment have no boundaries, but our bank accounts do.
Data snapshots are based on the responses of 1,174 feminist, women’s rights, LGBTQI+, and allied organizations (hereafter referred to as “feminist and women's rights organizations”) from 128 countries to the Where is the Money for Feminist Organizing? survey.
Aïssata Kane
Aïssata Kane, surnommée affectueusement “Yaye Kadia” (Mère Kadia), a de tout temps été une féministe engagée dans la défense des droits des femmes africaines, et particulièrement mauritaniennes.
Au cours de sa carrière politique, en 1975, elle fut nommée ministre de la protection de la famille et des affaires sociales et travailla avec ardeur à l’amélioration du statut des femmes dans son pays; c’était la première fois qu'une femme occupait un tel poste.
Ce travail consista notamment à promouvoir l’éducation des filles et des femmes, à lutter contre la pratique du gavage sur les jeunes femmes, à faire pression pour l’inclusion d’une disposition sur les droits maritaux et à plaider en faveur de la création d’un quota de représentation féminine au Parlement.
“[Aïssata] a réalisé toutes ses passions avec humilité, courage et détermination. Elle ne voulait déranger personne avec ce combat qu’elle menait sur tous les fronts à la fois.” Ball Halimata Dem, la nièce d’Aïssata
Ayant fondé l'Union nationale des femmes de Mauritanie (UNFM), elle avait cocréé et publié pour elles le magazine Marienou, dédié à l’émancipation des femmes mauritaniennes. Aïssata dirigea également plusieurs organisations sous-régionales et locales, notamment en tant que présidente de l'Association internationale des femmes francophones (AIFF) et, en écologiste résolue, fut présidente de l'Association pour la protection de l'environnement en Mauritanie (APEM).
En 2018, on lui décerna le Prix de la Femme africaine pionnière. Ce prix honore son engagement à faire progresser le statut de la femme en Mauritanie et reconnaît son grand leadership et son sens de l'innovation.
Aïssata est décédée le 10 août 2019.
ours chapter 4
Chapitre 4
Les acteurs et actrices antidroits
Un réseau complexe et mouvant d’antidroits exerce une influence croissante dans les sphères internationales et les politiques locales. Souvent soutenu·e·s par des financements d’origine imprécise, ces acteur·rice·s renforcent leur impact en créant des alliances tactiques entre thématiques, régions et croyances.
Love letter to Feminist Movements #7
Dearest Feminist community,
I am pleased to share with you one of my remarkable dates as feminist with disability. It was May 30, 2014 when we (the Nationwide Organization of Visually-Impaired Empowered Ladies NOVEL) participated in the Philippine Fashion Week Holiday 2014 for our white cane advocacy campaign. Two ladies who are blind walked down the catwalk to promote the white cane as one of the symbols of gender equality, empowerment, full inclusion and equal participation of women and girls with visual impairment in society.
Their walk in front of the crowd were extremely a nerve-wracking experience for me, as the proponent of our project with the Runway Productions (I enduringly waited for a year for its approval), knowing that they were not models, they were the crowned Ms. Philippines Vision and 1st Runner Up of 2013 Ms. Philippines on Wheels, Signs and Vision by Tahanang Walang Hagdanan, Inc. (House with No Steps). Also, they fell on their orientation and practiced the evening before the event and they didn’t have practice with professional models. Before the show started, I talked to them via mobile phone to boost their confidence and to pray together for God’s guidance. When they exited the catwalk, I breathed deeply while my tears were flowing. I was feeling euphoric because we did it despite the challenges we’ve been through! Our message to the world that women and girls with visual impairment can walk with dignity, freedom and independence on an equal basis with others, with the use of our assistive device - white canes was successfully delivered! We trended in social media and we were featured by television networks.
My life as a feminist with disability started as a means to mend my broken spirit and to see a different path towards finding my life’s purpose after I became victim-survivor to a vicious acid attack in 2007 while I was waiting for a ride going home from office. My eyes were severely damaged, to the point that I became a woman with low vision.
I never knew how joyful and purposeful my life could be again until I met women leaders in the gender and disability movement who influenced me to keep going. Their words of encouragement attracted me and became the sweetest music to my ears. My broken heart leaped like a hummingbird in flight every time I think of them and feminism which stimulated me to partake in making difference for our invisible sisters with disabilities and to those who continue to experience discrimination. To date, I am consumed by the desire to be with the movement. I cannot hide my excitement whenever I submit project proposals to different stakeholders for our sisters with disabilities' empowerment, development and advancement; and to make representations in local, national and international conversations to amplify our voices even at my expense.
Unexpectedly, I was selected as our country’s female representative in the 2012 World Blind Union (WBU) General Assembly in Thailand even though I was a newcomer in the disability movement. In the same year, I was elected as the only woman officer of the Philippine Blind Union (PBU) in its assembly. I was inspired to reach out, gather and empower our sisters with visual impairment on their rights and to know their intersecting issues. In 2013, we officially launched the Nationwide Organization of Visually-Impaired Empowered Ladies (NOVEL) to support the empowerment of our sisters with disabilities, build coalitions with cross-disability and women’s movements and promote gender and disability-inclusive development.
My participation as co-focal person of women with disabilities in our 2016 CEDAW Shadow Report submission convened by Women’s Legal and Human Rights Bureau (WLB) with the marginalized groups of women, opened many doors such as working with various women’s organizations and attending the 2017 Inclusion Days International in Berlin, Germany together with 3 Filipino women leaders with disabilities to share our good practices, mainly our engagement with the women’s movement in our country.
My journey as feminist with disability has been an emotional roller coaster for me. It gave me happiness and a sense of worth when I participated in promoting for our sisters with disabilities full inclusion, equal and effective participation in society, yet I felt frustrated and upset when I gave my all but I received negative remarks. Nevertheless, I feel that way because I am in love with the movement.
I see my future working in solidarity with the movement to ensure that our sisters with and without disabilities can equally and fully enjoy and participate in society.
Love lots,
Gina Rose P. Balanlay
Feminist with disability
Philippines
Yolanda Ordaz
