The Unfamiliar story – through AWESOME in the feminist movement
By Womankind Worldwide
‘’At Bar school I was told that it would be really hard because I was black, African and a woman,’’
Moreen Majiwa, Programme Manager, AWESOME led by Womankind Worldwide.
The Advancing Women’s Engagement: Strengthening Opportunities to Mobilise for Equality Programme (AWESOME) is a frontier programme that has brought together seven women’s rights organisations across Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia.
Focused on collective action to strengthen the women’s movement in East Africa, AWESOME is disrupting the status quo by championing the inclusion of women in all their diversities to participate fully in society socially, economically and politically. From pushing for equal participation of women with disabilities to representation of women facing marginalisation, the programme is at the forefront of challenging norms that press back on gender equality. AWESOME is working to advance progressive policies around women’s political participation and leadership and to end sexual gender-based violence.
AWESOME is propelling change through three active levels: promoting safe spaces where women can organise and build solidarity; working with societal actors to challenge discrimination of women; and influencing the legal and policy frameworks for the realisation of women’s rights. An example is the campaign: #SafeatWork, #SafeinSociety that advocates for decent work through the adoption of ILO 189 and ILO 190 in Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia.
Through a special series called: ‘The Unfamiliar story’, we spotlight the experiences of seven feminists within the AWESOME programme and how they’ve navigated harmful stereotypes, set societal norms and patriarchal structures that have long held back women from creating a gender equal world.
Equally the video celebrates their power, agility and fierceness as feminists and changemakers who continue to press on, build inspiration and contribute to a feminist future.
#TheUnfamiliarStory
This story is a story as old as time. A familiar story. A story that women everywhere, whether by chance or by chance have had to suffer through it, live it, endure it. A story of violence, of unequal power and privilege. A story of inequality, a story of misrepresentation. But we believe that the stories we tell shape the way we see the world. And that change comes through those stories working together, to shift the sails in a different direction. A story that is brave, bold and full of hope. Stories that champion equality, that stare down fears, that embrace identities and challenge the status quo.
A snippet of voices in the video
“Women with disabilities do not live in the dark”
– Dibabe Bacha
“Women with disabilities do not live in the dark”Dibabe is the general manager of the Ethiopian Women with Disability National Association. She’s been a voice to reckon with when it comes to championing for the inclusion of women in disability through legal frameworks such as Ethiopia’s Disability Act.
In this video she shares her thoughts on women’s rights in Ethiopia and how she’s leveraged on her power from within as a woman with disability to make space for fellow women and equally leave a heritage for others through the AWESOME programme.
– Moreen Majiwa
“Technology is a game changer in propelling women’s rights”Moreen is a Pan African feminist with over 10 years’ experience in the women’s rights movement. She’s currently the AWESOME Programme Manager and strongly believes in the power of collective feminist action to dismantle systems of oppression such as patriarchy, white supremacy, capitalism as well as colonial and neo-colonial systems.
She shares how technology has emerged as a safe space for women to express themselves- moving away from traditional media whose acts of censorship have muzzled the voices of women. In AWESOME, technology has been a game changer for collective action, organising and a platform for elevating women’s voices.
Sarah Nakintu
“Pressing for progress in women’s participation and leadership”Sarah is a Ugandan women’s rights activist with over nine years of working experience in public policy, women’s rights and gender & governance programming, evidence-based advocacy, partnership building and strengthening. She works at FOWODE as a Programme Officer for Women’s Participation and Leadership.
She shares her thoughts on how AWESOME has built the capacity of women leaders in Uganda and equipped them with skills and knowledge on how to execute their legislative roles.
About the AWESOME Programme
AWESOME – Advancing Women’s Engagement: Strengthening Opportunities to Mobilise for Equality – is a 5-year advocacy programme to support women’s movements in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda to work in partnership, and be strengthened and more representative of diverse groups of women, with a focus on the equal participation of women with disabilities in feminist movements.
AWESOME is a partnership programme made up of the following organisations: FIDA Kenya, Ethiopian Women with National Disabilities (EWDNA), Siiqee Women’s Development Association, Women Challenged to Challenge (WCC), Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE) and Womankind Worldwide as the lead. The programme is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).
