AWID 2018-2022

During the year, AWID wrapped up Beijing Unfettered, a project that engaged young feminists, parallel to the Generation Equality Forum (GEF), to explore bold feminist propositional agendas, free from the restrictions endemic to an intergovernmental process. AWIDs aspiration was for outcomes of Beijing Unfettered to influence, creatively disrupt, and push the boundaries of the discussions and outcomes of the formal GEF process. According to AWID the BU project has been an important space for young feminists to convene and in which discussions around the ability to disrupt, to not play by the rules of diplomacy and to stand firm in voicing their positions were highly appreciated by participants. The Generation Equality Forum (GEF) is a strategic priority for AWIDs resourcing advocacy, in light of the attention that so many bilateral, multilateral, and philanthropic funders put into that process. AWID was a member of GEFs Civil Society Advisory Group (CSAG), and part of the leadership of the Action Coalition on Feminist Movements and Leadership where they represent the Count Me In! (CMI!) consortium. In Action Coalition 6, and in AWIDs conversations with leads of the other Action Coalitions, their priority was to put forward concrete resourcing proposals that centre the needs of feminist movements, including creating an enabling environment for women, trans and intersex human rights defenders. According to AWID they succeeded in ensuring that resourcing feminist movements was a key message of the Generation Equality Forum in Mexico and France along with recognition of womens rights and feminist organizations as key drivers of change. In 2021 AWID also launched their Feminist Journalist Project with a call for participants. The aim is to support and build relationships with journalists who are interested in reporting on feminist and social justice issues, and disrupt mainstream global media that has tended to provide narratives from the perspective of the outsider. According to AWID they received over a thousand applications from across the globe for 15 positions. The final 15 feminist journalists live and work in the Global South and have a potential to enrich media representation for marginalized people from diverse backgrounds. AWID are merely at the start of this project but are hopeful that they can produce strong and compelling reporting that highlights the perspectives and propositions of feminist activists who can contribute to changing public perception, and in turn influence policy makers.

The new plan is the result of a yearlong participatory process that included internal reflection and analysis as well as extensive input from partners, members, and feminist movements. The plan presents AWIDs core outcomes and impacts for 2018-2022. Outcomes and objectives are found in the Strategic Plan under the heading "What we aim to achieve". There are three principal strategies (or objectives 1-3) at the centre of AWID's vision to work for the period 2018-2022. These are: 1. Supporting feminist movements to thrive; 2. challenging anti-rights agendas; and; 3. co-creating feminist realities and narratives. Three overarching outcomes follow. Outcome 1. "Feminist women's rights and gender justice movements are thriving, with stronger collective power to challenge patriarchy and advance feminist agendas. Three objectives are attached: 1. Strengthened connectivity and collaboration across and within feminist women's rights and gender justice moments. 2. Feminist women's rights and gender justice movements have more and better access to diverse resources for their work, and: 3. Feminist women's rights and gender justice activities and movements are better equipped and networked to maintain and enhance their holistic protection, security,safety and well-being. These objectives are also reflected in the Result Framework (RF). Outcome 2. "Feminist, women's rights and gender justice movements are better able to challenge, disrupt and delegitimize the consensus and influence of actors promoting patriarchy in connection with corporate power, fascism and fundamentalism within international spaces and systems.  Three objectives are attached: Objective 1: Increased understanding among feminist, womens rights and gender justice movements of the ways in which different actors uphold patriarchy in connection with corporate  power, fascism and fundamentalism Objective 2: Increased understanding among, and sharing between, feminist, womens rights and gender justice movements of strategies to effectively challenge, disrupt,delegitimize and dismantle the systems, actors and institutions upholding patriarchy in connection with corporate power, fascism and fundamentalism. Objective 3: Feminist, women's rights and gender justice movements develop and deploy joint strategies to challenge, disrupt, delegitimize and dismantle the consensus and influence of actors promoting patriarchy in connection with corporate power, fascism and fundamentalism Outcome 3. Feminist realities, proposals and narratives flourish, are amplified and become increasingly influential.Three objectives are attached: Objective 1: Knowledge that puts forward feminist realities and narratives is co-created,shared and built among feminist, women's rights and gender justice movements. Objective 2: Increased visibility of feminist realities, proposals and norms in intergovernmental spaces and as well as within and across feminist and other movements, and in society as a whole. Objective 3: Re imagined existing and new joint agendas that reflect feminist realities, proposals, and narratives are collectively and successfully advocated for by feminist movements and allies. AWID's programmatic work is organised into initiatives to achieve their goals. One of the important initiatives relates to the International Forum. Held every four years (the most recent held in 2016 in Brazil), the Forum draws up to 2,000 feminists from around the world. This initiative contributes to making visible feminism in practice, inspiring exchange and joint action and the process is co-created with members and partners. Some other examples of activities include the development and dissemination of knowledge and communication products, sharing feminist knowledge, practices and agendas. The plan also puts an emphasis on maintaining and building organisational sustainability and resilience as well as sharing lessons and experiences with other organisations. Their work in this area includes, for example financial management, IT, human resources and organisational development, monitoring and evaluation; financial sustainability and governance In our previous support to AWID, AWID has managed to support feminist movements to thrive. It is believed that the objectives set forth in the current plan will continue toward achieving this goal, by challenging anti-rights agendas, and co-create feminist realities and narratives as explained in the Strategic Plan under the heading "what we aim to achieve". Furthermore they underline their commitment to continuing to build a bold and resilient feminist organization that can deliver on their ambitions to serve as a resource for others.  In summary,  what is expected to be achieved by the end of this support is to strengthen the power of feminist movements, as a critical force in challenging the causes of the problems.