Tag: afrifem
Faith, Feminisms and Fundamentalisms: A Search for Balance.
Faith, Feminisms and Fundamentalisms: A Search for Balance.
International Women’s Day at AWDF has often been a day to reflect on the larger themes of the feminist movement, and promote conversations and engagement around topics that feminists around the continent are grappling with. This year, our conversation focused on Faith, Feminisms and Fundamentalisms, and examined their various points of convergence and divergence. The panelists and audience members discussed what it means to be a woman of faith, a feminist and how to deal with the growing wave of fundamentalism on the continent.
The panelists were a varied group of women, with differing faith backgrounds and varying fields of endeavour. Professor Mercy Oduyoye is Africa’s first female theologian, Angela Dwamena-Aboage is the founder of the Ark Foundation, Roslyn Mould is a Humanist and President of the Humanist Society of Ghana and Ms Kauthar Khamis is an Assistant Lecturer at the Islamic University College.
One of the most interesting topics for discussion was the growing wave of Fundamentalism which Professor Mercy Oduyoye defined as “Being unable to have a conversation with other people who think differently simply because they do not follow your own interpretation” According to Prof. Oduyoye, religious fundamentalists believe and insist that their practices remain unchanged.
The conversation generated a considerable amount of interest, both from the venue and live on Twitter and Facebook, and it was clear that it was a discussion that desperately needs to be continued throughout feminist spaces on the continent.
The African Feminist Charter
The African Feminist Charter
The African Feminist Charter has a new look and is now available in different languages including Wolof, Arabic and Kiswahili. Find them below.
More will be posted here when they come available!
AFF Feminist Charter: Português
Fourth African Feminist Forum:VOICE POWER AND SOUL, Harare, Zimbabwe 9-12 April, 2016
Fourth African Feminist Forum:VOICE POWER AND SOUL, Harare, Zimbabwe 9-12 April, 2016
4th AFRICAN FEMINIST FORUM
Harare, Zimbabwe April 9-12, 2016
It’s finally here! AWDF is honored to be hosting the fourth regional African Feminist Forum (AFF) in Harare, Zimbabwe from 10-12 April 2016 under the theme: African Feminism: Voice, Power and Soul.
The forum will be preceded by a pre-forum of feminists from Francophone Africa, who will meet on April 9. This year, AFF is being organized in partnership with the Zimbabwe Feminist Forum and coordinated by the Zimbabwe Women’s Resource Centre and Network (ZWRCN).
Over 170 feminists from all over Africa will be attending this power charged programme which will include:
- Plenaries- to set the context, take stock and identify areas of strategic concern around politics, economics and society.
- Breakout sessions- for more in-depth strategizing on the key themes
- Skills sharing– sessions where feminists specialists train participants
- The Great Debate- a highly participatory debate on a contentious issue within feminism
- Wellness space– one-on-one and group sessions focused on physical and emotional health and wellbeing.
- Arts programming– showcasing African feminist art-activism
Each of the three days of the forum will be dedicated to Zimbabwean feminists ancestors Day 1: Chiwoniso Maraire singer, mbira player and advocate of social justice. Day 2: Award-winning writer Yvonne Vera, and Day 3: Freedom Nyamubaya, freedom-fighter, poet, dancer and farmer.
The African Feminist Forum (AFF) regional gathering brings together African feminist activists to discuss strategy, refine approaches and develop stronger networks to advance women’s rights in Africa.
For more information, please check out the relaunched African Feminist Forum website at: www.africanfeministforum.com