It can be easy to forget, faced with struggles at home, from women hit by the cuts to topless models in a tabloid, that British feminism exists within a wealth of inspiring global female activism. Activism Without Borders, a talk hosted at the Women of the World festival in London on 6 March, aims to address that: what can UK activists learn from women campaiging abroad?
Many can inspire bravery – think of Najia Nasim, country director of Women for Afghan Women, who receives death threats for supporting women escaping domestic violence and forced marriages; or the Gulabi Gang, the pink-sari activists fighting for victims of abuse in India, led by Sampat Pal. And we can learn not only from successes, but failures. “UK feminists can study the multiple histories of exclusion in US feminism and learn from them to ensure marginalised women’s needs are being met,” says Hannah Giorgis, a US-based writer. “Critical race theory has done a lot to shine a bright light on the dangers of white-centred feminism and white-saviourism,” adds the writer and activist Ijeoma Oluo.
While the opportunities for global movements increase, some activists stress the importance of local work. “Laws and policies which protect and promote the rights of women are far less likely to meet resistance when created and influenced by those who are affected most on the ground,” says Faiza Mohamed, Nairobi office director of Equality Now. Nimco Ali, co-founder of Daughters of Eve, the anti-FGM campaign organisation, who is speaking at the event says, “my lesson would be speak from the heart and while acting locally to think globally. The issue of FGM is something I was only able to really speak about because of the great work being done by African women – on their shoulders I was able to stand and raise my voice.”
• Activism Without Borders is at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London SE1, 6 March, 1pm
