Since summer is not finished yet and you haven’t dived back into work with new energy, we suggest taking a little break to check out the new issue of FemNews. We guarantee it’ll be a pleasant read!
On May 7th, we organized a webinar on “Food and Feminism,” presenting its different and multifaceted aspects, especially from the perspective of women’s rights and environmental justice. We had 4 speakers from different countries and backgrounds, who addressed the topic from the perspective of their own experience and knowledge. Food and feminism highlights the complex ways in which gender norms, power dynamics, and social inequalities shape our relationship with food and food systems. By addressing these issues, feminists strive to create a more just and equitable world where everyone has access to nutritious food, opportunities for economic empowerment, and the freedom to make choices about their bodies and lives.
You can watch the recording of the webinar on our YouTube by following this link.
In June, we published “Collective Care Approach: On-line Study among Partners” study that aims to understand its importance in partnership relations, to identify the most existing practices, challenges and opportunities among partners for further integration of collective care approaches. You can read the report here.
In 2024, continuing our 5-year tradition, we are funding several remarkable projects planned and executed by adolescent girls. You can get acquainted with this year’s programs and the wonderful partners implementing them here.
On June 15, the first offline meeting with the new group of teenagers took place in our office. During the meeting, we discussed the implemented programs, talked about the manifestations of the feminist movement and topics that are of their interest. In the second part of the meeting, we visited the FemLibrary, got acquainted with its activities and continued our discussion about setting boundaries and protecting ourselves in a very warm environment. We are extremely happy and excited about the projects of our new partners, their enthusiasm and willingness to create a safer environment for girls in the world.
Women’s organizations and feminist groups have been pivotal in advocating for peace and ceasefires. Despite the adverse effects of war, these groups often assume significant responsibilities, addressing the social, economic, and psychological needs of women and their families.
With this link, we present the article about the humanitarian aid provided to displaced women and their families from Artsakh in 2023, about our supporters and partners.
On July 1, the third Armenian Democracy Forum was held, organized by the Armenian office of Freedom House and the Union of Informed Citizens. The theme of the forum was “Resilience of democracy and protection of human rights in crisis conditions.” One of the panel discussions, “Democracy vs Security: Challenging the False Dichotomy”, was also attended by WFA co-founder Gohar Shahnazaryan. Her speech was devoted to the manipulation of women’s issues in democracy and security narratives and the gender aspect of the topics. You can watch Gohar’s speech (in Armenian) by following this link.
Highlighting the boundaries of environmental issues and their impact on women, we announced an open call for research grants to explore climate and environmental justice challenges to respond to related topics from a feminist perspective. In the next FemNews, we will present the projects already selected, and until then you can read the details of the announcement here.
A few days ago, we had two very important meetings with colleagues from different groups.
First, about the annual gathering with colleagues who run programs for women over 40. This year, we aimed to expand the participant circle, including not only colleagues from different marzes but also women from various communities who participate in these programs. Details of the meeting is here.
We spent another memorable day with a different group of partners on July 26, during which we discussed the future plans of our initiatives and organizations. Such meetings are unique gatherings where we reconnect with reality, share our fears and boldest plans, and address the needs within working teams and activist groups. These discussions form the basis for more targeted fundraising efforts and reconnections. Details of the meeting is here.
Read about the projects that received funding during this period below:
