the abcs of building feminist movements:

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The ABCs of Building Feminist Movements: What, How and Why 05/13/22 SBatliwala, ABCs Session

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The ABCs of Building Feminist Movements:. What, How and Why. What is a Movement?. “an organized set of constituents pursuing a common political agenda of change through collective action.”. Movement characteristics. An organized constituency base - i.e., - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: The ABCs of Building Feminist Movements:

The ABCs of Building Feminist Movements:

What, How and Why

04/21/23 SBatliwala, ABCs Session

Page 2: The ABCs of Building Feminist Movements:

What is a Movement?

“an organized set of constituents pursuing a common political agenda of change through collective action.”

04/21/23 SBatliwala, ABCs Session

Page 3: The ABCs of Building Feminist Movements:

Movement characteristicsAn organized constituency base - i.e.,

individuals, groups, and/ or communities who consciously identify themselves with the movement, and who are vested in the change it seeks, and who can be mobilized quickly to demonstrate their collective power

the constituency is collectivized in formal or informal organizations (such as networks, groups, federations, unions, member collectives, etc.) who form the core of a movement

Collective power – gained through the above04/21/23 SBatliwala, ABCs Session

Page 4: The ABCs of Building Feminist Movements:

Movement characteristics:

A clear political agenda – a clear analysis of what’s wrong, and also of what’s right, and how to make the change!

Leadership at multiple levels, leaders from the constituency

Collective or joint actions in pursuit of common goals

Some continuity over time Diverse strategies of political struggle04/21/23 SBatliwala, ABCs Session

Page 5: The ABCs of Building Feminist Movements:

Feminist movements have• Gendered political goals - they seek a change

that privileges women’s interests and that transforms both gender and social power relations

• Gendered strategies – that build on women’s own strategies and capacities, and involve women members at every stage of the process

• an agenda built from gendered analyses of the problem or situation they are seeking to change

• Members of the movement participate in shaping all three

04/21/23 SBatliwala, ABCs Session

Page 6: The ABCs of Building Feminist Movements:

Feminist movements haveWomen as the critical mass of the movement’s

membershipFeminist values and ideology (gender equality,

social and economic equality, the full body of human rights, tolerance, inclusion, peace, non-violence, etc.), even if they don’t call themselves “feminist”

Women’s leadership at all levels – i.e., they do not treat women instrumentally (as good for numbers and resistance, but without real decision-making or strategic power in the movement)

04/21/23 SBatliwala, ABCs Session

Page 7: The ABCs of Building Feminist Movements:

Elements of Effective Feminist Movement Building• Consciousness-raising / awareness-building• Organizing and building “mass” base• Clear power analysis to develop political

agenda• Focus on formal and substantive change• Changing the practice of power internally

and externally

04/21/23 SBatliwala, ABCs Session

Page 8: The ABCs of Building Feminist Movements:

• Creating new knowledge and knowledge politics• Cycles of action-reflection-action-impact• Leadership from the primary constituency /

“mass base”• Autonomous; at least partly self-financed (not

donor-dependent)• Clear and transparent hierarchies of leadership,

communication and decision-making

Elements of Effective Feminist Movement Building

04/21/23 SBatliwala, ABCs Session

Page 9: The ABCs of Building Feminist Movements:

Why Do Movements Matter?

• Because they can create change at levels that other interventions can’t!

• Let’s examine the dynamic of change to understand why…..

04/21/23 SBatliwala, ABCs Session

Page 10: The ABCs of Building Feminist Movements:

Individual

Systemic

Informal Formal

Internalized attitudes, values,

practices

Access to & control over resources

Cultural norms, beliefs, practices

Laws, policies, resource allocations

Community

\

Courtesy Rao & Kelleher, 2005

The Dynamic of Change

04/21/23 SBatliwala, ABCs Session

Page 11: The ABCs of Building Feminist Movements:

…..And that is

“ The Power of Movements”!!

04/21/23 SBatliwala, ABCs Session

Page 12: The ABCs of Building Feminist Movements:

The Continuum of Movement Growth

Movements in the Making

Emerging Movements

Mature Movements

04/21/23 SBatliwala, ABCs Session

Page 13: The ABCs of Building Feminist Movements:

Movements in the MakingMobilization, awareness and identity buildingMovements in the makingPolitical consciousness and issue/s identification Preliminary political agenda Tentative actions for change Nascent constituency-based leadership Higher dependence on support organization

04/21/23 SBatliwala, ABCs Session

Page 14: The ABCs of Building Feminist Movements:

Emerging Movements• Steady membership base • Higher political consciousness• Evolving organizational structure / layers• Longer-term political agenda / strategies • Evolving internal leadership and decision-making

structures and systems • Greater autonomy vis-à-vis support organizations

• Increasing visible impacts on society -, policy,

law, community, discourse, etc.• Facing backlash / setbacks 04/21/23 SBatliwala, ABCs Session

Page 15: The ABCs of Building Feminist Movements:

Mature Movements• Strong / sustained membership base consciously

identifying with the movement (not organization)

• Strong autonomous organizational and governance structure

• Extensive and deep layers of leadership • Sophisticated analysis, strategies• Significant political experience / acumen • High measurable impact on formal and informal

power structures - state and non-state actors, community, larger society

04/21/23 SBatliwala, ABCs Session

Page 16: The ABCs of Building Feminist Movements:

Batliwala, FMBLA Inst

Page 17: The ABCs of Building Feminist Movements:

Small Group Exercise:

• Using a live context in which one of you works, each group makes a “perfect” plan for building a feminist movement

• Identify:– the first five steps you would take– the challenges that could arise– how would you handle these – The movement’s organizational and decision-

making structure

04/21/23 SBatliwala, ABCs Session

Page 18: The ABCs of Building Feminist Movements:

Small Group Exercise 2:• Using a live context in which one of you works,

identify the “stage” of a movement you know or are part of;

• Make a “perfect world” plan for taking this movement to the next stage of maturity; do this by identifying: – The next three steps you would take– The challenges that could arise– How these could be handled– The changes in the movement’s organizational and

decision-making structure

04/21/23 SBatliwala, ABCs Session