Changing their world: concepts and practices of women's movements

How can an understanding of feminist movements in the current global context be achieved? This document presents 10 case studies from different regions of the world that have mobilized women to make a difference. Examples come from countries including India, Iran, Mexico and South Africa. Brief outlines of the case studies are provided highlighting their origins, political goals, key strategies, organisational structures, and achievements. The complete case studies are available on the Forum CD, and may also be downloaded from www.awid.org.

Some of the lessons in this document affirm what was already known about the character of women’s movements, and especially of feminist movements. Other points give evidence of aspects that were believed to be true but previously had little systematic data to assert such as the very democratic and accountable decision-making structures our movements attempt to create. The case studies also give us glimpses of new information such as the varied contexts and ways in which women’s movements are conceived and born, the complex and sophisticated way in which intersecting issues are integrated into wholly new analyses, and the enormous diversity and innovativeness of the strategies they have used to build their collective power and impact. A preliminary set of insights emerging from the information in the cases is presented and organized in eight broad areas including:

• how movements originate
• some relationship patterns between organizations and movements
• their strategies
• their structures and governance
• their influence and / or achievements so far
• factors constraining or fragmenting movements
  

[adapted from the author]