In the global North, news headlines frequently play on deeply-rooted prejudices. For example, following the Oklahoma bombing in the US in 1995 or, more recently, the post-9-11 Washington sniper attacks, the media were quick to blame Muslim "terrorists." In both cases, the perpetrators turned out to be disaffected US nationals with no links to the Islamic world or faith. In Britain, and in Europe more generally, the media most often portray minorities as homogeneous groups, frequently represented by religious 'leaders'.

"By now is clear that most responses to the crisis have been gender-blind and therefore not effective in mitigating the effects of the crisis on women. It is key to ensure that responses to the crisis incorporate a clear analysis of its impact on women and are gender-sensitive, taking into account different dimensions, but particularly, the reproductive economy," said Lydia Alpízar Durán, Executive Director of AWID, in the CSW.

54th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)

United Nations Headquarters - NYC, March 1-12, 2010

This Friday File is the first of a two part series featuring select highlights from AWID’s action-research Initiative “Where is the Money for Women’s Rights”. It illustrates some of the most significant general trends and opportunities that are impacting the current funding landscape.

À chaque nouveau numéro, nous discutons avec une lectrice d’Affronter les fondamentalismes et partageons un bref récapitulatif des derniers évènements en lien avec la religion, la tradition, la culture et les efforts d’organisation pour les droits dans différents contextes. (Si vous avez une idée qu’il vous tiendrait à cœur de voir dans cette chronique, faites-le-nous savoir!)

In the field of gender and sexuality rights, representations of religion tend to be dominated by fundamentalisms, with dogma being used to justify discrimination, stigma and abuse against those who transgress the narrow confines of patriarchal and heterosexist norms.

Each issue, we chat with readers of Facing Fundamentalisms and share a brief summary of recent events relating to religion, tradition, culture and rights-based organizing in your contexts.

Over half a billion people voted in India’s general election in April and May 2014. For many the result was no surprise; having won 282 of 543 seats, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) now holds power in the world’s largest democracy. The election, which was marked by a surge in women voters, and young women in particular, was attributed to women’s concerns about education, employment opportunities, and the rising tide of sexual and other forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG).

FRIDAY FILE: The sudden closure of two of Nike’s subcontracted factories in Honduras left many people out of work. Negotiations between the CGT* and the sportswear manufacturer led to an agreement that sets a precedent for the recognition of workers’ rights.

By Gabriela De Cicco

Translation by Karen Murray

FRIDAY FILE: With the presence of more than 700 delegates from 33 countries in the region, government authorities and civil society representatives, the eleventh session of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean took place in Brasilia, from July 13-16, 2010. (1)

By Gabriela De Cicco