Feminist organising in Portuguese speaking African countries has historically operated on the periphery of global and regional feminist discourse constrained by linguistic isolation post colonial authoritarianism and systemic funding inequities .

The African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) recently commissioned a mapping study to understand  the state of feminist and women’s rights movements across Portuguese- speaking African countries including

Angola

Cape Verde

Equitorial Guinea

Guinea Bissau

Mozambique

São Tomé and Principe

The report offers rich analysis of how feminist actors, formal and informal, young and intergenerational rural and urban organism under conditions of restrictions, linguistic marginalisation and economic fragility. Despite these constraints feminist organising in Portuguese- speaking Africa is dynamic and deeply rooted in community resilience creativity and care.

To push forward the agenda on gender justice,  feminist and women’s rights activists in the region  are focusing on fighting GBV , organizing and advocating for bodily autonomy access to safe abortion menstrual dignity  comprehensive sexuality education

They are also focusing on economic freedom  as they increasingly raise their voices about women’s exclusion from formal financial systems and social protection . They are pushing for reforms  on women’s leadership and political participation as they remain significantly underrepresented  in key decision making spaces

With gender diverse people highly marginalized across the region and often criminalised or culturally stigmatised , a fe feminist groups are beginning to openly include gender diverse people in their advocacy .

Finally climate feminism is on the rise especially in climate vulnerable areas like Cape Verde and Northern Mozambique . feminist actors are connecting environmental justice with creating work , displacement and food security  highlighting the gender impact of the climate criss and need for community led adaptation strategies .

Look out for the Mapping report launch in 2026