In memory of Berta Caceres, your struggle continues in each of us. We express our support to all activists in resistance. Do not let fear paralyse us. More than ever, now, we must keep struggling together.
From Lithuania to El Salvador to Brazil to Kiribati to Mozambique to Zimbabwe to Guyana to Morocco, diverse young feminist organising is sprouting across the globe, working to dismantle power structures and stand strong in the face of violent backlash and discrimination. Creativity and occupying space are the order of the day, with young women, girls and trans* youth reclaiming their bodies and redefining their own feminisms. Coming from diverse social movements such as youth, climate justice, sex workers, LGBTQI, indigenous, sexual reproductive rights and health and disability rights, intersectionality moves between us, flowing like rivers powerfully and fiercely into each other across space and time.
Girls For Life, Morocco are passionate about challenging the enemies of women, art and diversity. Credit: Girls for LifeSince forming in 2010, FRIDA | The Young Feminist Fund has been receiving up to 1000 applications from feminist led groups in more than 120 countries almost every year. Of the 850 applications received in 7 languages last year from Asia and the Pacific, Central Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central, North Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East, North and Sub Saharan Africa, it is evident that young women human rights defenders are inventing alternatives, creating safe spaces for political activism and challenging concepts of sexism, racism, patriarchy, capitalism and consumerism. The majority of groups that applied are fairly new, with 61% having formed in the last 3 years, and 22.6% before July 2015. Many have informal structures with 57% of the groups not legally registered and 68% never having received funding before. Across all regions, groups say that their motivations for forming were personal experiences of discrimination, violence, backlash and lack of public space for their work.
