Young Women’s Institute on Money and Movements Mexico, 6-7 November 2006

1. Young Women’s Institute on Money and MovementsMexico, 6-7 November 2006 Participant Pre-Institute Analysis

2. What is Feminist Movement Building?

3. Defining Feminist Movement Building • “Feminist movement building is collective thoughts and actions of women, to re-claim women’s political, social and economic rights.” • “…linking between the vision and mission of feminist organizations, and their means and tools to achieve these visions and missions.” • “Facilitating an active, committed, relevant group of activists (persons and organizations) that strategically seeks to promote/enhance/create gender equality socially and systemically (institutions etc).” • “An initial step in an advocacy process that aims at obtaining rights, raising awareness towards such rights, and/or changing existing stereotypes that result in discrimination or lack of recognition.”

4. Defining Feminist Movement Building cont. • “Inspiring other movements to take over feminists causes.” • “Movement building aims to broaden women's self awareness and challenge traditional stereotypes of women as passive, dependent, or irrational in order to give support to other women in facing their inequality.” • “Mobilization of resources which include human resources and capacities of women.”

5. Why Feminist Movement building? • “By building a movement, the chancesof making your voice heard aregreater and the activities (you undertake) become more legitimate. Involved actors gain credibility”. • “… to raise consciousness of the different problems plaguing women’s lives, empower them to take charge of their lives, in order to enable them contribute effectively to the development of themselves and the community they live in” • “to adequately address gender based discrimination in all aspects of life including social, political and economical development to achieve equal access to all opportunities as men” • “In order to ensure that women share equal power with men for a more just, developed and peaceful world”

6. Young women’s engagement in movement building • Young women are mobilized along class lines, tribal lines, racial lines, cultural lines, national lines, urban/ rural lines, professional lines, political affiliation, religious affiliation, around specific issues (e.g. HIV, peace, economic justice etc.) The possibilities are endless. Despite these differences, young women have been building alliances with likeminded organizations, activists and individuals and with actors from a across a broad spectrum of social movements in order to strengthen their voices and amplify their impacts. • Globally they are involved in: Public Forums, Marches, Campaigns, Working and Volunteering in Women’s Rights Organizations, Creating and Leading Young Women’s Rights Organizations, Student/University Unions, Conferences/Workshops/Meetings, Trainings, Websites, Moderating e-Forums, Newsletters, Regional frameworks, Regional Networks

7. Regional Challenges to movement building: Middle East and North Africa • Low political participation by women • Women are pre-occupied with poverty and security issues • Patriarchy • Rise of political Islam • Lack of resources and knowledge on how to build a movement • NGO’s heavy reliance on the state for funding (gulf states) • Feminist movements dominated by upper middle class women

8. Patriarchy and stereotypes Religious and cultural fundamentalism Lack of intergenerational dialogue Insufficient financial, technical resources and infrastructure (transport, communication) to carry out activities Political repression lack of skills in understanding women’s issues War and conflict Low literacy levels and lack of feminist consciousness Low political participation and decision-making power for women High rates of HIV/AIDS Widespread unemployment and poverty Marginalization of women with disabilities Inadequate leadership skills among leaders of women’s organizations Regional Challenges to movement building: Sub-Saharan Africa

9. Under Soviet Regime the meaning of gender-equality was distorted such that women had to take over traditionally male role, while maintaining their tradition female ones (double burden). Conservativism in Catholic church Feminism is seen as the domain of well-off and educated women Right-wing feminism (no concern for sexual rights or economic independence) Insufficient resources Regional Challenges to movement building: Eastern and Central Europe

10. Patriarchy Lack of gender awareness or feminist analysis Marginalization of young people Movement led by the bourgeoisie Insufficient resources Laws that are anti-women’s rights Religion and fundamentalism Lack of information and knowledge sharing Male-dominated communication channels Regional Challenges to movement building: South Asia

11. Men hold decision-making power and resources Religion and customary law Regional Challenges to movement building:Pacific Islands

12. Women have achieved equality in law and thus women’s rights/issues are no longer seen as priority Reluctance of young women to self-identify as feminists Regional Challenges to movement building: North America and Western Europe

13. Fragmentation of social movements Lack of cohesion of women’s movement Lack of social legitimacy Poverty and unemployment Criminalisation of social activism Conservatism in church and law Attempts by leftist governments to co-opt social movements Gender mainstreaming has reinforced the status quo Questioning power relations in the private sphere Promoting intergenerational dialogues Regional Challenges to movement building:Latin America and Caribbean

14. Gaps in skills in and knowledge:movement building • ANALYSIS - Feminist and human rights analysis, Research, Participatory Approaches, Needs Assessments, Problem Solving • STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT -Strategic Planning, Organisational management and development, • COMMUNICATION/OUTREACH – Public relations, public speaking, diplomacy, using creative media (film, photography, dance/creating own media), Networking and partnership, information exchange among and between individuals and organizations i.e. working collaboratively • ADVOCACY - Advocacy and Lobbying skills, campaign-building, • GROUP MANAGEMENT – Team-building, conflict management, enhancing diversity, Motivational skills, Negotiation, Multi-generational organising (working with young, old and in-between), facilitation skills • OTHER: Training skills, event management and resource mobilization

15. Young Women and Resource Mobilisation

16. Challenges for Young Women in Resource Mobilisation • Often money set aside for “youth” does not have a gender-specific focus • Youth is loosely defined: The UN General Assembly defines ‘youth’, as 15 - 24 y/o some funders go as low as 5 y/o, others up to 30 y/o • Funds for young women and girls address issues of victimisation (poverty, prostitution, trafficking) and not mobilisation • Many donors who fund initiatives for young women, fund young women as beneficiaries or victims but less often as agents of change • Many grants are targeted at young ‘social entrepreneurs’ i.e. they fund individuals with innovative ideas and not organizations • Grants are often small 500$ to 5000$ and project-specific

17. Challenges for Young Women in Resource Mobilisation continued… • Many donors are reluctant to disburse funding to young people, youth-initiated projects and/or people they perceive to be lacking experience. • Many fundraisers are not adept at approaching funders because they are volunteers, not professional fundraisers (lack of fundraising skills and relationships with donors) • Women’s issues and rights are not top priority in general, let alone young women’s issues and rights. • Young women are not seen as a separate category from women in general, therefore their issues get overlooked • A great deal of money is being funnelled into HIV/AIDS at the expense of other issues • Many organisations are unaware of existence of women’s funds

18. Gaps in skills in and knowledge:resource mobilisation • UNDERSTANDING THE FUNDING LANDSCAPE: - General knowledge about the world of international cooperation/development - Knowledge of Donor Guidelines, Priorities and Procedures- Knowledge of Existing funding opportunities (donors who supportyoung women’s activism)- Knowledge of Alternative sources of funding (What are they, howare they accessed?) • PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION: - Project and Program Design- Skills in Monitoring and Evaluation (to ensure accountability)- Skills in Budgeting and Financial Management • FUNDRAISING SKILLS-Skills in Grant and Proposal Writing-Skills for creating, developing and maintaining positiverelationships with donors

19. How can young women support each other in building movements?

20. Strategies: Young feminists supporting one another for movement building and resource mobilisation • Promote or establish national, regional or global networks for sharing information, knowledge, strategies, ideas, successful practices and experiences (e-forums, workshops, conferences) • Developingcommon agendas,activities or campaigns where possible.Include building coalitions to address issues (research, training, campaigns) • Supporting other young women in bids towards political participation (which could ultimately lead to more government resources being spent on social services). • Capacity building of other young women on feminist analysis and movement building to expand the network. Engaging in collaborative training and educational programs which can influence capacity for movement building and resource mobilisation. • Support and solidarity - encouraging one another on a personal level

21. Strategies: Young feminists supporting one another for movement building and resource mobilisation continued… RESOURCES • Sharing resources - Complementing each other, coordinating the work to avoid duplication of effort • Provide links/ information on who is funding what on young women • Organise a roundtable with donors, invite other young women’s organisations. • Introduce others to donors who you have established strong links with or act a reference for other young women’s organization if your relationship with a particular donor is well established. • Identify young women working in donor agencies and make them allies, thus influence policies within the agencies. • Peer review and cross-mentoring in grant writing and reporting