Feminisms and the World Social Forum: space for dialogue and confrontation

This article, written by Virginia Vargas, presents a feminist perspective of the World Social Forum (WSF), analysing how changes in feminist strategies are expressed in the organisation's space and processes. The author explains how, as a space of both convergence and conflict between old and new structures of thought, the WSF represents a fascinating and challenging arena for the feminist movement.

The article introduces the WSF as a place of experimentation – a break from unitary ideological paradigms that, instead, seeks to facilitate a multitude of different strategies and concepts. What links the groups is opposition to neo-liberalism; how and where this struggle is conducted marks where groups differ. It is within this context that feminism often finds itself challenging, as well as engaging with, WSF practice and process, particularly with regard to the harbouring of old patriarchal and exclusionary practices.

Although women made up 54% of the participants at the first WSF, 85% of those in the most important, 'official' panels were men. Other criticisms include that the WSF runs the risk of becoming an exclusive event only attended by those who can afford it, and that questions surrounding representation in the Organising Committees and the International Committee create tensions in the vision of the WSF as an alternative or revolutionary space.

Over the course of five WSFs, feminism has made increasing gains in both visibility and recognition, contributing to a consultation-led reform of the WSF structure in 2005, from a largely top-down structure to a broader, bottom-up methodology for organising panels. The aim was to bring different networks together that work on similar issues, allowing for the expression of diverse and plural feminisms. This is vital if the nuance of cultural context is be understood; a crucial component of transitioning from unitary mindsets of universal solutions, to a view of gender as a transversal and cross-cutting dimension within a multitude of other political and cultural struggles.