The ABCs of Building Feminist Movements:

1. The ABCs of Building Feminist Movements: What, How and Why SBatliwala, ABCs Session

2. What is a Movement? “an organized set of constituents pursuing a common political agenda of change through collective action.” SBatliwala, ABCs Session

3. Movement characteristics • An organized constituency base - i.e., • individuals, groups, and/ or communities who consciously identify themselves with the movement, and who are vested in the change it seeks, and who can be mobilized quickly to demonstrate their collective power • the constituency is collectivized in formal or informal organizations (such as networks, groups, federations, unions, member collectives, etc.) who form the core of a movement • Collective power – gained through the above SBatliwala, ABCs Session

4. Movement characteristics: • A clear political agenda – a clear analysis of what’s wrong, and also of what’s right, and how to make the change! • Leadership at multiple levels, leaders from the constituency • Collective or joint actions in pursuit of common goals • Some continuity over time • Diverse strategies of political struggle SBatliwala, ABCs Session

5. Feminist movements have • Gendered political goals - they seek a change that privileges women’s interests and that transforms both gender and social power relations • Gendered strategies – that build on women’s own strategies and capacities, and involve women members at every stage of the process • an agenda built fromgendered analyses of the problem or situation they are seeking to change • Members of the movement participate in shaping all three SBatliwala, ABCs Session

6. Feminist movements have • Women as the critical mass of the movement’s membership • Feminist values and ideology (gender equality, social and economic equality, the full body of human rights, tolerance, inclusion, peace, non-violence, etc.), even if they don’t call themselves “feminist” • Women’s leadership at all levels – i.e., they do not treat women instrumentally (as good for numbers and resistance, but without real decision-making or strategic power in the movement) SBatliwala, ABCs Session

7. Elements of Effective Feminist Movement Building • Consciousness-raising / awareness-building • Organizing and building “mass” base • Clear power analysis to develop political agenda • Focus on formal and substantive change • Changing the practice of power internally and externally SBatliwala, ABCs Session

8. Elements of Effective Feminist Movement Building • Creating new knowledge and knowledge politics • Cycles of action-reflection-action-impact • Leadership from the primary constituency / “mass base” • Autonomous; at least partly self-financed (not donor-dependent) • Clear and transparent hierarchies of leadership, communication and decision-making SBatliwala, ABCs Session

9. Why Do Movements Matter? • Because they can create change at levels that other interventions can’t! • Let’s examine the dynamic of change to understand why….. SBatliwala, ABCs Session

10. The Dynamic of Change Individual Internalized attitudes, values, practices Access to & control over resources Informal Community Formal Cultural norms, beliefs, practices \ Laws, policies, resource allocations Systemic SBatliwala, ABCs Session Courtesy Rao & Kelleher, 2005

11. …..And that is“ The Power of Movements”!! SBatliwala, ABCs Session

12. The Continuum of Movement Growth Mature Movements Emerging Movements Movements in the Making SBatliwala, ABCs Session

13. Movements in the Making • Mobilization, awareness and identity building • Movements in the making • Political consciousness and issue/s identification  • Preliminary political agenda  • Tentative actions for change  • Nascent constituency-based leadership  • Higher dependence on support organization SBatliwala, ABCs Session

14. Emerging Movements • Steady membership base  • Higher political consciousness • Evolving organizational structure / layers • Longer-term political agenda / strategies  • Evolving internal leadership and decision-making structures and systems  • Greater autonomy vis-à-vis support organizations   • Increasing visible impacts on society -, policy, law, community, discourse, etc. • Facing backlash / setbacks SBatliwala, ABCs Session

15. Mature Movements • Strong / sustained membership base consciously identifying with the movement  (not organization) • Strong autonomous organizational and governance structure   • Extensive and deep layers of leadership   • Sophisticated analysis, strategies • Significant political experience / acumen  • High measurable impact on formal and informal power structures - state and non-state actors, community, larger society SBatliwala, ABCs Session

16. Batliwala, FMBLA Inst

17. Small Group Exercise: • Using a live context in which one of you works, each group makes a “perfect” plan for building a feminist movement • Identify: • the first five steps you would take • the challenges that could arise • how would you handle these • The movement’s organizational and decision-making structure SBatliwala, ABCs Session

18. Small Group Exercise 2: • Using a live context in which one of you works, identify the “stage” of a movement you know or are part of; • Make a “perfect world” plan for taking this movement to the next stage of maturity; do this by identifying: • The next three steps you would take • The challenges that could arise • How these could be handled • The changes in the movement’s organizational and decision-making structure SBatliwala, ABCs Session