São Paulo – Delegates from Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia, and Palestine will be at the 13th International Forum of the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID). The event will be in Costa do Sauípe, Bahia, from September 8 to 11, focusing on projects developed by women, and the challenges facing them in their struggle for equal rights. This year’s meeting will be themed “Feminist Futures: Building Collective Power for Rights and Justice,” featuring discussions, lectures, and experience sharing among women’s and human rights defense movements. Registration ends on Sunday (28).
AWID’s communications manager Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah told ANBA via email that Bahia was picked to host the 2016 edition of the forum in recognition and celebration of the long-standing struggle of blacks and Brazilians for freedom and justice in Brazil. She remarked that the situation of women in the country right now mirrors the challenges they face in numerous cities of several nations.
“Brazilian feminists, who have been active in organizing the forum, have shared with us several episodes women have endure in the country: the fight against racism, sexism and misogyny (aversion to women), severe economic inequality, limited presence of women in politics, police brutality, corruption, repeated violations of women’s reproductive rights, increasing violence against women, including rape, and at this time a weakening of democracy, with increasingly severe crackdowns and the reversal of achievements from the past few years,” she said. “These are facts that activists from around the world can relate to, in different contexts,” she pondered.
The Palestinian women will discuss the results of the Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions (BDS) campaign put in place due to the conflict with Israel. The BDS movement came about 11 years ago in an attempt to drive Israel to back down on its actions against Palestine. The campaign espouses a boycott on Israeli businesses, calls on corporations and organizations to pull out their investment from the country, and on governments to enforce sanctions against Israel.
“Likewise, we will try to learn and engage with activists from Syria on the best way to support them through the ongoing conflict,” said Nana, adding that delegates who work for women’s rights in Lebanon and in Tunisia will also be in attendance.
September 8 will see a session on women’s rights in Islam, and the session “A cross-generational dialogue within Egyptian feminist institutions.” On the 10th of the month, one of the sessions will be “The changing realities of the MENA region: New responses and continued
resistance from the women’s human rights defenders.”
Over 5,000 people and organizations from 165 countries are members of AWID, which has offices in Ontario, Canada and in Mexico City. Between 15% and 20% of the forum’s delegates are women aged 30 or younger. “This year’s theme, ‘Feminist Futures: Building Collective Power for Rights and Justice,’ is about creating a space for movements with different backgrounds and from different places to work together in building the feminist futures we wish to see, a world where the rights of all people are respected, and one where we live in synergy with a healthy planet,” she said. Past editions of the forum have taken place in the United States, Turkey, South Africa, and Mexico.
Quick facts
Additional information and registration: http://www.forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
schedule: http://www.forum.awid.org/forum16/sites/default/files/AWID%20Forum%20Program%20-%20Schedule%20-ENG.pdf
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
