What can we learn about the role of feminist and women’s movements?

The overall question on What can we learn about the role of feminist and women’s movements in the context of ending violence against women? is very key as we can learn how to ensure that the true principle of LNOB - Leaving No One Behind, be embraced with a national team that includes states and non-states actors with the UN, EUD and other Funding Agencies support and inclusive of an effective participatory monitoring and evaluation process.

Below are inputs to specific questions shared:

1. What do you think it means to build or support a feminist and/or women’s movement, specifically with the aim of ending violence against women and girls in your context? As many would say, supporting or building feminist and/or women's movement is contributing to the sustainable development goals progress and charting the way towards working on reaching gender equity and equality with the principles of "Do no Harm" and "Leaving No One Behind". 

2. What do you think are the key characteristics of organizations that build or support sustainable and inclusive feminist and women’s movements? Feel free to share documents or links to resources? Key characteristics, in my view, could be ensuring inclusiveness of strengthens from men and women, boys and girls, in the drive for forward and positive growth as the human rights are respected at all times and recognizing the human capacity and value. Note that positivity looks at being solution oriented and using a participatory monitoring and evaluation approach. Link to Human Interest stories developed by the Belize Spotlight Initiative Team below:

• Relay for Change: Mentoring Youths to Prevent Violence in Belize  | Spotlight Initiative
• In Belize, teacher training makes schools safer for children | Spotlight Initiative
• A community mobilizer in Belize empowering women in her community | Spotlight Initiative
• Youth taking the lead on navigating comprehensive sexuality education in Belize | Spotlight Initiative
• Improving services for women and girls in Belize by building institutional capacity | Spotlight Initiative
• 15 and capable: youth leadership in action | Spotlight Initiative
• Building up youths for tomorrow | Spotlight Initiative

3. What support is needed from the donor community across global, regional and country and local level to support women’s and feminist movement work for Ending Violence against Women and Girls? Advocate for the full roll out of the National Gender Based Policy at the national level and support directly or indirectly, the implementation of actions within the National Gender Based Policy Action Plan and at the municipal, district, village and community levels.

Welcome everyone to our new discussion on Feminist and Women's Movement and their role in Ending Violence against Women and Girls! 
I am Amélie, Research Assistant at the UN Trust Fund, and I will be moderating this first week of discussion. I am looking forward to hearing from all of you! 

1. Au Tchad, nous formons et accompagnons les organisations féminines de base dans les actions de lutte contre les discriminations liées au genre. Nos actions pratiques sont :

- formation des groupes vulnérables sur les droits de la femme et l'égalité de sexe ;

- initiation des femmes au processus de prise et suivi de décision avec les hommes ;

- plaidoyer pour l'implication des femmes et des filles dans le système de gouvernance locale.

Thank you to those of you who have commented on this discussion so far. We have heard from  Pamela Bradley in Belize about the importance of building feminist and women's movements to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and check out her post for some wonderful human interest stories from the work of the Spotlight Initiative in the country.  We also heard from KAKINE HOUSSOUBE about efforts in Chad to support women's organizations and how this supports women to take up decision-making roles, another critical element of the women's movement for gender equality. We are now in Week 2 of the discussion and look forward to hearing more thoughts and comments on the questions.  For inspiration you could check out the UN Trust Fund's short video here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Pg5jqxn4rI

Hi Everyone, my name is Abdul Bangura, Executive Director for the United Funding and Development for Underage Mothers (UFDUM)

The United Funding and Development for Underage Mothers (UFDUM) is a national non-governmental organization that supports and promotes gender equality, economic empowerment for girls and young women and involved in the fight to End Violence against Women (VAW), and actively collaborating with the government of Liberia, likeminded Civil Society Organizations to promote gender equality, and fight against all forms of sexual gender based violence and advocate for economic empowerment for girls, young women, children and persons with disabilities. UFDUM is a member of the GBV taskforce, the Adolescent Girls Working Group, the Child Protection Network, the Education NGO Forum and the Liberia NGOs Network (LINNK) and being one of the key GBV Actors in Liberia, UFDUM is collaborating efforts with other likeminded CSOs and INGO partners to lobby and advocate for policy changes and actions to end violence against Women and Girls in Liberia. UFDUM is presently covering five counties namely, Montserrado, Lofa, Nimba, Grand Gedeh, and Grand Cape Mount Counties, implementing project activities for Plan International Liberia on the Girls Advocacy Alliance Project. UFDUM is also implementing project activities with funding and support from UN Women/European Union/UN under the Spotlight Initiative Project to roll out the Comprehensive Prevention Strategy, also implementing partner for UN Women under the UN Trust Fund (UNTF) project to end violence against women and Girls in Liberia. 

Our organization is a deep rooted local group of members emanating as local volunteers before constituted now as a National Non-Governmental Organization. Because of gradual progress from time to time, today UFDUM is a member of the GBV taskforce, the Adolescent Girls Working Group, the Child Protection Network, the Education NGO Forum and the Liberia NGOs Network (LINNK) and being one of the key GBV Actors in Liberia, UFDUM is collaborating efforts with other likeminded CSOs and INGO partners to lobby and advocate for policy changes and actions to end violence against Women and Girls in Liberia and  for the promotion of Human Rights and Justice for all with priority given to women and girls who are the most vulnerable ones among others as a result of beliefs and societal misfits. We push for the implementation of relevant policies like the National Gender Policy, Youth Safeguarding and Child protection Policy, for the protection of all staffs, partners and associates, volunteers and beneficiaries. At the wider community level, the same aforementioned policies are applicable and implemented through the establishment of by-laws in line with the statutory laws and with the collaboration of our partners, CSO networks, and the Women and Children Protection Services (WACPS) of the Liberian National Police, these by-laws are enforced for appropriate action to fight against violence against women and girls.

We identify community stakeholders and empower them with knowledge and skills to serve as SGBV/GBV Focal persons in the communities with the responsibilities to monitoring and preventing SGBV/GBV cases, and promptly report to SGBV Pillar members for prompt action. We support SGBV survivors/victims with food and non-food items during the COVID-19 pandemic as the case may be. Communities engagement were held and trainings were conducted for beneficiaries on the referral pathways to ensure effective response and prevention of SGBV/GBV issues and also holding state Actors accountable on the expedition of trails in order to discourage perpetrators and mitigate compromising of cases.

Our organization is fully committed to the implementation of activities aimed at preventing violence against women and girls and also promoting economic empowerment for women that goes with their security, safety, knowledge/skills, and livelihood opportunities. The establishment of community structures added value to our work in tackling all forma of violence against women and girls in the societies they live. Community stakeholders, State Actors as well as SGBV service providers are engaged regularly for collaboration and to enforce synergies in the interest of ensuring the implementation of relevant laws and policies to prevent SGBV against women and girls Building the capacities of women, girls, women’s rights organizations, women with disabilities and other marginalized groups is part of our on-going activities in order to ensure effective advocacies through awareness raising campaigns which enhances their capacities to amplify their voices and serve as Ambassadors for change for other women and girls, and are able to advocate for their rights. In effect, they are now representing other women both at community and national levels by providing directions of hope and success, organizing special events like the International Day of the Girl Child, International Women’s Day and during which they can show-case the importance of women and girls in the society and how they can contribute to ending all forms of violence against women, girls and children and ensure a violence free society.

Hi everyone! My name is Diep, I lead External Communications & Advocacy work at the UN Trust Fund and will be the moderator for this week. In this and the next comment I will share the insights from two members of our community on feminist movements, please do feel free to engage and continue your discussions!

First from Umenjoh Vania Andoumbeni  

Evidence from experience shows that sometimes women and men or girl and boys are victims and perpetrators of gender based violence due to ignorant. Culture have made them to view certain practices to be normal as such they reinforces it ignorantly. For example the practice of early marriages in some communities in Cameroon, child marriage, and domestic violence. Use of evidence based knowledge is vital in addressing gender based violence in a holistic manner.
Feminist and women's movement are very vital in ending violence against women because they are the primary victims of Gender Based violence. Women are more victims of marginalisation compared to men and they are more likely to express the best way to solve problems affecting them. It is often said that "it is he that wear the shoes that knows where it pains"

This comment is from Renato Jesús Nieto Ramos  on feminist movements:

Es fabuloso que existan organizaciones feministas y de mujeres en el contexto de poner fin a la violencia contra las mujeres, el mi país Perú, la mayoria no son organizaciones netamente feministas, sin embargo existen variasque en los últimos tiempos son organizaciones locales llamadas de base, vecinales o comunales, con recursos propios o con alguna esporadica donación, tiene una labor adecuada en la defensa de los derechos de las mujeres, adolescentes y niñas, organizan talleres de capacitación para la prevención, lucha y erradicación de la violencia contra las mujeres, adolescente, niñas y la familia, las organizaciones representativas y reconocidas hacen poco en la prevención y erradicaciónde la violencia contra la mujer, algunas veces aoarecen solo para la foto.
Como lo vuelvo a reiterar es fabuloso que existan organizaciones en favor de la mujeres, adolescentes y niñas, para preservar su integridad y prestarle la ayuda necesaria en caso sean vulnerada, y más que nada hacerles saber que no están solas cuentan con personas que las van ayudar a superar el problema y que ellas no son las culpables del maltrato.
Lo malo es como está sucediendo en Perú, que muchas organizaciones feministas no están cumpliendo con su finalidad de lucha contra la violencia contra la mujer.

Buenos días, 

mi nombre es Malena Correa, soy médica infectóloga y trabajo en investigación e implementación en salud pública, en lo referente a salud sexual y (no) reproductiva  de poblaciones tradicionalmente más vulneradas.

Desde FUSA AC, y en asociación con REDI (Red de Personas con Discapacidad de Argentina) y el Fondo Fiduciario de Naciones Unidas para eliminar la violencia contra la mujer, desarrollamos e implementamos el proyecto DeSeAr con inclusión, para mejorar y promover el acceso de mujeres y otras identidades feminizadas a los servicios de salud sexual y (no) reproductiva en Argentina: https://grupofusa.org/proyectodesear/

Trabajamos a tres niveles, de manera integral: con las personas con discapacidad (PCD) para que aumenten su conocimiento y agencia al momento de asistir a una consulta de SSR, con equipos de salud, para que brinden una atención con perspectiva de genero, derechos, y discapacidad, y con el Estado y la sociedad civil para cambiar estereotipos, mitos, prejuicios, y actitudes nocivas hacia las personas con discapacidad y su derecho a una vida libre de violencias, lo cual incluye, obviamente, a la violencia institucional que se ejerce diariamente sobre este colectivo, en discriminaciones interseccionales: por género, discapacidad, y clase, entre otras.

Ambas organizaciones locales trabajan con en alianzas con el Estado, lo interpelan, y crean espacios de colaboración; FUSA desde el ámbito de la salud, y REDI desde el activismo de PCD. 

El proyecto DeSeAr incluyó numerosas e intensas acciones de cabildeo para modificar legislación vigente y culminó con la modificación de la ley de contracepción quirúrgica, en diciembre de 2021, creó una coalición ad hoc, y sumó para estas acciones a un grupo de organizaciones de la sociedad civil que trabajan temáticas feministas y/o de derechos humanos, legisladoras feministas, funcionarios de ministerios y secretarías del poder ejecutivo, que sumaron su apoyo para que se apruebe la modificación propuesta por el equipo DeSeAr primero en la Camara de Diputados y luego en la Camara de Senadores.

al respecto de la pregunta: What do you think are the key characteristics of organizations that build or support sustainable and inclusive feminist and women’s movements

pienso que organizaciones con una trayectoria sólida, que articulan con diversos actores, pero que también trabajan a diferentes niveles, desde las comunidades, hasta los órganos de gobierno y gestión son quienes tienen más chances de recibir financiamiento, y de lograr alianzas estratégicas que permitan la sostenibilidad de sus acciones.

saludos

1. ¿Qué crees que significa construir o apoyar un movimiento feminista y/o de mujeres, específicamente con el objetivo de acabar con la violencia contra las mujeres y las niñas en tu contexto?  
   Es fabuloso la creación y apoyo de movimientos feministas o de mujeres que trabajen para la prevenir, luchar y eliminar todo tipo de violencia y abuso sexual contra las, mujeres, adolescentes y niñas,  sin embargo por experiencia, no deben estar centralizado en un solo lugar, hay que crearlos en los diferentes espacios sociales de la localidad donde vivamos, recordemos de mientras vivas mas cerca o en la misma ciudad, cuentas con acceso a los sistemas de salud, educación, policía, justicia, trabajo, agua potable, alcantarillado, electricidad, mientras mas alejado se encuentre de la ciudad y su centro, existe menos acceso a dichos servicios, por lo tanto la realidad es distinta y debemos adecuar nuestros puntos de trabajo a la realidad de la comunidad y de las mujeres, adolescentes y niñas que  desenvuelven en dicha realidad su vida social y cotidiana, evitemos cometer el error de tener la creencia que todos los casos de violencia son iguales, ningún cao de violencia es idéntico o igual a otro, son demasiados los factores a considerar, por ello cada caso es único. Lo único que debe estar centralizado en un solo centro o varios, es el apoyo especializado de medicina, apoyo legal, emocional y de alguna posible o eventual ayuda social.  

2. ¿Cuáles cree que son las características clave de las organizaciones que construyen o apoyan movimientos feministas y de mujeres sostenibles e inclusivos? ¿Se siente libre de compartir documentos o enlaces a recursos?
    La característica clave seria que dichas organizaciones no deben centrar su trabajo únicamente despues de tener conocimiento de haberse cometido algún acto de violencia fisica o sexual contra las mujeres, adolescentes o niñas, deben actuar mucho antes impartiendo medidas de concientización tendientes a la prevención, mas que nada como lo diría la argentina Dra. Rita Segato “El feminismo no puede y no debe construir a los hombres como sus enemigos “naturales”. El enemigo es el orden patriarcal, que a veces está encarnado por mujeres”. Toda organización cuya labor este orientada a la lucha contra la violencia física y sexual contra las mujeres, adolescentes y niñas, en su trabajo debe comprometer a los hombres, adolescentes y niños, asi como las mujeres hoy en dia realizan trabajos considerados exclusivamente para hombres, como es labores de ingenieria, operación de maquinaria pesada, albañilería, conductoras de buses, camiones, trenes, etc.; para terminar con la desigualdad, que nunca se logara con leyes, los hombres, adolescentes y niños, empezando en casa, debemos enseñarles e involucrarnos en realizar las labores consideradas exclusivamente para mujeres como son, el trabajo domestico, que es repetitivo y agotador; como es: tender las camas, limpiar y ordenar todos los ambientes incluido los baños de la casa cuantas veces al dia sea necesario, preparar las comidas, lavar la vajilla, sacar la basura, llevar y recoger a los hijos del colegio, ayudarles en las tareas escolares, realizar las compras diarias o semanales, etc., trabajos que nunca terminan.                                                        Sino involucramos a los hombres, adolescentes y niños, en especial a las mujeres, adolescentes y niñas, en el cambio de actitud y demostrarles que la idea que el hombre es superior a la mujer y que la mujer debe estar sumisa al hombre, es tan solo una idea que nos inculcados desde siempre, y las ideas se cambian, depende de cada una aceptar el cambio que transformara de manera positiva sus vidas hacia un real estado de bienestar y realización personal.   

3. ¿Qué apoyo se necesita de la comunidad de donantes a nivel mundial, regional, nacional y local para apoyar el trabajo del movimiento feminista y de mujeres para poner fin a la violencia contra las mujeres y las niñas?                                                           El apoyo seria que la sociedad y algunas ONG no ridiculicen el trabajo que se realice en favor de las mujeres, adolescentes y niñas, cualquier ser humano con voluntad de hacerlo lo puede realizar, la experiencia ha demostrado que cuando existe dinero (financiamiento) de por medio quienes apoyan el trabajo lo hacen por la ventaja economica que obtienen, lo que les ayuda a elevar su nivel social;  cuando disminuye o se  recorta el financiamiento, simplemente abandonan la labor y a las victimas, aduciendo falta de recursos, lo ideal es crear organizaciones autogestionarias, donde el apoyo eventual ser bienvenido, pero no es parte del funcionamiento y donde los casos que revisten gravedad derivarlos a las entidades gubernamentales especializados, quienes si cuentan con altos presupuestos, sea de dinero publico o donativos internacionales.

Hi Diep Nguyen,

Partnerships are built by forming fishing where the fish are, using the right bait for the kind of fish you are after to achieve your desired object. UFDUM linked up with all of the above mentioned groups because we all are working for the achievement of Gender Equality, Economic Empowerment for Women and Girls, and Ending Violence against Women and Girls etc. UFDUM being a member of the GBV Technical Committee, where you have representatives of other relevant institutions like the Gender Ministry, the police, the justice ministry, The health ministry, the ministry of Internal Affairs, CSOs, INGOs (including UN Women, UNFPA, UNICEF) etc. Members of this Technical Committee regularly meets to discuss issues affecting women and girls, and it's during these meetings that UFDUM (key member of the committee), represented by the Executive Director engages with the relevant stakeholders on pertinent issues that requires urgent attention. One example that UFDUM engaged Women and Children Protection Section (WACPS) of the Liberian National Police (represented by the Director of the WACPS) is to have more female WASCPs officer recruited, trained and deployed to address SGBV issues, instead of having more of male WACPS police officers. The concern, was, SGBV survivors said they are ashamed to speak out what perpetrators did to them, but rather they feel more comfortable in explaining their ordeals to the female WACPs Police Officers... I can explain everything in detail if I am investigated by a female officer "Women-to-Women" than to the male WACPs officers. They feel ashamed to explain certain SGBV crimes inflicted on them by their perpetrators and this sometimes leads to compromising of SGBV cases for lack of evidence, and sometimes perpetrators are let to go free/unpunished for crimes they actually committed. This issue was raised during coordination meetings for the attention of the Director of the WACPs represented in the Technical Committee and other committee members at that top level, and the Director of the WACPs officer promised to have more female WACPs police officer trained and deployed at one-stop centers to address SGBV issues. With female officers, SGBV Survivors/Victims will no longer feel ashamed to talk about SGBV crimes committed against them, and perpetrators are now held accountable for the crimes they commit. Another collaboration that has yielded fruitful results is with the Legal Pillar Members of the Sex Crimes Unit at the Ministry of Justice, before cases at the  court were left untried and even dismissed but now, legal pillar members are ensuring that  SGBV cases are addressed to seek justice for SGBV Survivors/Victims. This and plus many other collaborations with likeminded CSOs, women's rights organizations in awareness raising, for the rights of women and girls is also improving women's participation as advocates for other women in their various communities and also at national level.  

Srtas. Gemma Wood y Diep Nguyen

Gracias por invitarme a participar en este foro y sobre todo leer y comentar lo que redacte a las tres inquietudes del foro, lo expresado es la experiencia, obtenida mediante las observaciones, entrevistas, investigaciones y conocimiento adquirido, acumulado a través del tiempo en que se realizaba la labor de prevención y eliminación de todo tipo de violencia y abuso sexual contra las mujeres, adolescentes y niñas, se aprendió que se debe realizar un trabajo transversal en cada caso o persona, para lograr el cambio de actitud, iniciar adaptándonos a su realidad social, económica y cultural, no tratar de imponer el nuestro, ni mucho menos relacionarlo con algún otra situación similar, lo importante utilizar su mismo lenguaje de comunicación, mediante esta capacitación transversal la mujer, adolescente o niñas victima de alguna violencia o abuso sexual comprenda que ella nunca fue la culpable, sino que su entorno familiar o social tenía una percepción equivocada de la realidad con la cual había sido formada, que eran ideas equivocadas y vamos a demostrarle que eran solo ideas y las ideas podemos cambiarlas, no son inmutables, no son leyes natrales, como mujer también tienes derechos humanos y el derecho humano N°12 Derecho a la Intimidad  te corresponde, para lograr que se empodere. Sino realizamos esta labor transversal esta mujer agredida, que por necesidad retorna al espacio donde fue víctima de la agresión sino esta empoderada, corremos el riesgo de la victimización o se victimice.

Gracias por el espacio, se termino mi hora de descanso y debo volver al trabajo.       

Hi Abdul and Diep,

This is Lipi Rahman, from Bangladesh. Very good morning! Abdul thank you for your great writing and I have learned and realized a lot of the situations women face.

Yes, Diep in our working areas at the beginning we engaged and involved local police and officials and now they are very sensitized and support the women whenever they go to seek any help or to file any report.

We started our collaboration with local police by having a project orientation meeting where our women leaders from women groups were presented and led the meeting discussion for building the relationship. Now the women group leaders along with our team members have regular quarterly basis meeting to learn and share the situation of women in our working areas. Now, whenever any woman or any case file related to any VAW&G they take the case sensitively and take action quickly. I need to mention here all the cases are dealt with by the female police officials at the special desk for the women survivors' support. Also, Badabon Sangho appointed a two-panel lawyer to support women survivors to deal their cases in court.

Thank you.

Please visit our website for more details and photos:

www. badabonsangho.org

1. What support is needed from the donor community across global, regional and country and local levels to support women’s and feminist movement work for Ending Violence against Women and Girls?
    

Hi I think, The donor community needs a mechanism to support women’s and feminist movements by systematically recognizing the leadership of local women-led organizations and providing them with the capacity-building support and long-term funding they need to continue the critical role they play to end violence against women and girls with feminist approach.

Hello everyone! My name is Annie and I work with Knowledge Management, Monitoring and Evaluation at the UN Trust Fund. I will be the moderator for the discussion this week and I look forward to engaging with you! Thank you so much to those of you who have engaged in the discussion!

Below is a summary of the discussions held in the past week.

Last week, we talked about the cultural impact on violence against women and girls, particularly in the forms of harmful practices and domestic violence thanks to Umenjoh Vania Andoumbeni  's insights. They emphasized the importance of the socialization that boys and girls experience, in which normalized practices are gradually instilled.

Abdul Bangura  from UFDUM and Lipi Rahman  from Badabon Sangho, both shared their experience engaging with the local police through training and involving female police officers to handle VAW/G cases. Renato Jesús Nieto Ramos   emphasized the importance of sustainable actions from grassroots organizations to ensure that any activities to tackle VAW/G is not one-off and highlighted the need to involve all actors in EVAW/G work, and for CSOs to become sustainable, echoing Abdul’s comment on the need to involve both state and non-state actors. One example from Argentina was kindly shared by Malena Correa  from FUSA on their work in Argentina in building coalitions and movements of local feminist networks in advocating for the disability rights. Lipi also addressed the need for support from the donor community and how it is important to systematically recognize and support women-led organizations and how capacity building and long-term funding contribute to sustainability and to continued efforts to end VAWG with a feminist approach. It would be great to hear more on what support is needed from the donor community to support women and feminist movement's to end violence against women!

This is the fourth week of this discussion. Please feel free to engage and share your thoughts and experiences relating to the above questions and to continue the below discussions!

1. What do you think it means to build or support a feminist and/or women’s movement, specifically with the aim of ending violence against women and girls in your context?

I think, it means women coming together to secure, support and advocate for equal opportunities and rights for all. For example, I work in the mining sector where men are paid more than women, the sector is full of all sorts of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and injustices against women and girls, so the building of a feminist movement to stop very serious issues like this, is in the right direction.

In addition to formation of this movement, I will suggest the support, trainings and education of both young and old male gender through advocacy and campaigns on equity and inclusiveness.

3. What support is needed from the donor community across global, regional and country and local level to support women’s and feminist movement work for Ending Violence against Women and Girls?

 Support from the donor community should involve contribution from global, regional and national multi-stakeholders' collaborations, down to the rural and local communities. The support should be gender sensitive and friendly, this should include special government laws, policies, regulations, guidelines and special interventions for social, economic, political, financial empowerments of the women and girls (SDG 5) to bridge the gap of inequality and reduce Gender Based Violence (GBV).