Power is about who controls the self, ideology, access, and resources. Power imbalances lead to structural inequities and gender-based norms that perpetuate threats to women’s wellbeing and violate women’s rights. FEMNET will thus through this focus area aim to innovatively re-politicize, feminize, and disrupt orthodox power and oppressive systems, structures or processes, as a basis of creating equal gender power relations.

Overview

Gender inequities are often rooted in uneven dynamics that give disproportionate power to one group over another. Out of the three key drivers of women’s discrimination – limited economic autonomy, bodily autonomy, and political decisionmaking power – evidence shows that limited economic autonomy has had the least traction in the past two decades, especially at national levels. Macroeconomic policies and frameworks have also on their part largely remained blind to this reality, hence not adequately creating equal social and economic opportunities for women. As a result, women continue to be disproportionately affected by poverty, unemployment and inequality. FEMNET will in this regard work towards greater conscientization of women and girls; enhancing women’s political participation; besides unpacking which boundaries to push, structures or norms to disrupt, and open invited or co-created spaces to engage on women’s economic justice.

Strategic Objective

Innovatively re-politicize, feminize, and disrupt orthodox power and oppressive systems, structures or processes, as a basis of creating equal gender power relations.

Expected Outcomes

1. Members initiate and use disruptive approaches or methods in promoting women’s and girls’ rights.
2. Women’s rights organizations/ actors affiliated to FEMNET effectively shift narratives and ideologies that ‘hijack’ the women’s rights agenda.
3. Duty bearers act on (policy, legal, institutional) issues raised and or initiatives created by members.
4. Increase in the number of men and boys taking actions to influence gender equality policies and feminist practices.
5. Increased inclusion of women in critical political, social, and economic decision-making spaces.
6. Increased access to and control over opportunities and productive resources by women and girls.

Click here to download/ read FEMNET’s Strategic Plan (2020 – 2029) Abridged Version