When we are connected, it is easier to prevent and face reprisals.
Elena, feminist activist
What Can We Do to Support Feminist Activists Facing Backlash?
What Can We Do to Support Feminist Activists Facing Backlash?
A Collective Care Response: Feminist activists have much to offer each other in preparing for, avoiding, and healing from reprisals. Collective care and protection networks are one of the most effective ways feminist activists keep themselves and each other safe. By building the infrastructure necessary to create and sustain collective care networks, practices and opportunities, feminist movements can build collective power from a position of individual and collective well-being, to challenge oppressive systems and create reimagined ones for a just world–more safely, freely and without fear.
Feminist Activist-to-Activist Recommendations
Feminist Activist-to-Activist Recommendations
Feminist activists and movements are already leaders in building collective care networks, infrastructure, and practices to prevent, mitigate, and heal from disruptive, dangerous backlash. Activists know best what they need and can share insights and tools with one another to assess risk and formulate action plans for safety.
Flexible Funding for Collective Power & Care
Flexible Funding for Collective Power & Care
Funders need to provide access to flexible funding that allows activists to mobilize quickly and effectively in response to unexpected risks and build networks, practices, and infrastructure for collective care that can sustain activists and movements over time. With access to timely infusions and long-term commitments of support, feminist activists can take advantage of critical windows of opportunity to hold the line against repression and rollbacks while simultaneously building collective power for lasting, transformative change.
Policy Action For Feminist Activism Without Fear
Policy Action For Feminist Activism Without Fear
Policymakers need to push for the power, perspectives, and holistic protection of frontline feminists to be reflected in global advocacy decision-making arenas, commitments, and demands. Governments must establish, promote, and fully implement clear policies and practices to protect feminist activists from the full range of backlash that they face, and affirm the rights and liberties of those who are improving our world by advancing justice.
Movement Strategies For Collective Power & Care
Movement Strategies For Collective Power & Care
Feminist movements are leading movements for justice and liberation worldwide. In the face of increased risks and backlash, activists share their key strategies to respond to these challenges with collective power and care. These movement-led approaches to protection and well-being understand and document backlash in holistic ways, support collective care, and build sustainable feminist movements.
Key Organizations Working to Defend Activists Against Reprisals
- International Service for Human Rights
- Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition
- Coalition for Human Rights in Development
- NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security
- United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- United Nations Working Group on discrimination against women and girls
Resources
- Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development, Claiming Rights, Claiming Justice: A Guidebook on Women Human Rights Defenders.
- Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, Healing Justice: Building Power, Transforming Movements.
- AWID, Our Right to Safety: Women Human Rights Defenders’ Holistic Approach to Protection.
- IM-Defensoras, The Pact to Care among Ourselves. 2010-2021: IM-Defensoras’ Approach to Feminist Holistic Protection in Mesoamerica
- International Service for Human Rights Reprisals Handbook
- Front Line Defenders Risk Analysis & Protection Planning and Global Analysis
- Civicus Monitor
- Urgent Action Sister Funds, How Can We Ground Ourselves in Care and Dance Our Revolution?
- Protection International, Strengthening the Inclusion, Protection, and Wellbeing of Human Rights Defenders with Disabilities
- Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, People power under pressure: Human rights defenders & business in 2023
- United Nations Secretary General, Cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights
- International Service for Human Rights, Declaration +25
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Working Group on Women, Peace, and Security: Protecting Participation: Women civil society at the UN Security Council (January 2023–September 2024)
Photo Credit: Ankiyay
Collective care is also about movements’ sustainability. If activists are not well supported, how can they continue their work that is essential to building the just and equitable world we need?