The long road to adopting feminist approaches in development policy Published: 20 October 2023 Analyse In parallel to the newly-issued guidelines for Germany’s feminist foreign policy, the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has also launched a new strategy on feminist development policy. Here’s a look back at key moments in international development institutions’ back-and-forth on gender policy. By Birte Rodenberg
Plea for a feminist global health policy Published: 21 June 2023 Commentary Feminist approaches to global health policy have the potential to create more equal health systems. Considering and addressing power dynamics paves the way to tackle discrimination. More responsive health policies are expected to improve health for all. By Hannah Eger
Elections in Brazil – Democracy at stake in the era of algorithmic politics Published: 28 September 2022 Analysis Determined to stay in power, Brazil’s incumbent president Jair Bolsonaro borrows from Donald Trump’s playbook and is preparing the ground for a stolen election myth. He rose to power by learning how to mobilize voters from Barack Obama – and by flooding the internet with fake news. By Manoela Vianna
One Queer Fight for Southeast Asia amid a Pandemic of Fear and Oppression Published: 17 May 2022 Opinion As the COVID-19 pandemic draws to a close, it will leave the vulnerable, especially countless LGBTQIA+ persons, desperate for deliverance and justice. In this regard, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) has become more significant than ever. It calls us to seek those who are scared and traumatized, and lift them from the rubbles.
Locating Gender in the Disinformation Landscape Published: 28 April 2022 Commentary Digital Rights Foundation, in cooperation with the Heinrich Böll Stiftung, conducted a series of focus group discussions with researchers from across the globe in order to deconstruct ‘gendered disinformation’, understand existing work on the subject and identify areas for future interventions. By Shmyla Khan and Amna Khan
Young Filipino feminists: the personal and the sexual are political Published: 15 December 2021 Commentary Educated on diverse gender perspectives by the internet and emboldened by global feminist movements like #MeToo, Filipino youth are boldly pushing the issues of body autonomy and sexuality to the frontlines of the struggle for gender equality. With social media as a platform for convergence, alliance and advocacy, they are treading territory that previous feminist movements shied away from. By Ana P. Santos
„Addressing GBV in the workplace is a journey for many organizations“ Published: 26 November 2021 Interview Physical or sexual violence is part of women's everyday experience in many places - also in the workplace. Often it is about abuse of power. There have also been cases of gender-based violence in some non-governmental organisations in recent years. Protective measures have been taken as a result. But is that enough? An interview with Christine Ash Büchner. By Aida Fatić
Global energy transition: Inequalities could be exacerbated Published: 22 November 2021 Interview Ms. Silvia Sartori, Senior Project Manager of ENERGIA, the International Network on Gender and Sustainable Energy, speaks about why gender matters in the energy debate, how a ‘victimization narrative’ inaccurately represents women, and what can be expected from the Gender and Energy Compact launched in September 2021. By Daniel Abunales and Lea Goelnitz
Gender and climate change: Snapshots from Southeast Asia Published: 9 September 2021 Analysis Most regions in the world have been – to some extent – affected by climate change, and Southeast Asian countries are no exception. Within the group of people who are affected, recognition needs to be accentuated on the disproportionate impact of climate change along gender lines. By Tri Sulistyo Saputro
Better Mental Health for LGBTIQ+: Harnessing Awareness for Vulnerabilities in the Pandemic Published: 16 May 2021 Article More than a year after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, the virus continues to ravage the Asia-Pacific with catastrophic human, social, economic, and developmental costs. Many LGBTIQ+ persons experienced increased vulnerability on top of systemic human rights violations and social inequity many currently shoulder as the pandemic places more stress on health systems and social safety nets.
Queering Malay Identity Politics in the Malaysian Digital Space Published: 14 May 2021 Article The internet we have today has become as real as any social spaces we occupy in-person. So much of our lives are integrated digitally now and opting out of the digital space is no longer a choice for us. Today, to be online is to exist and to be seen. By Serene Lim
Not So Green, Not So Clean: Are Green Technologies Silencing Local Communities? Published: 30 January 2020 Background Norway is considered one of the ‘greenest’ countries on the planet but recently the country has come under fire for approving a copper mine in the Arctic described as the “most environmentally damaging project in the country's history”. This article aims to explore how green technology is still being recapitulated by capitalism and ‘business as usual' and uses a gender lens to explore the relationship of nature, green technologies and capitalism. By Mavra Bari
Manipulating Mother Nature: The gendered antagonism of geoengineering Published: 30 January 2020 Background Mother Nature is once again the subject of the male gaze but this time the impact may be even more oppressive. This article expands the feminist concept of ‘male gaze’ towards nature and critiques geoengineering as being an inherently male/masculine technology that is a product of and a means to further capitalistic agenda. By Mavra Bari
CEDAW in Tunisia: EnaZeda fights against sexual violence and discrimination Published: 13 January 2020 Analysis Since September, Tunisians have been reporting experiences of sexual violence online under the hashtag EnaZeda, Tunisian Arabic for "me too". In the meantime, the protest has spread to the streets. By Rachel Doelker
CEDAW and Cambodia: Men Still Benefit from Double Standards Published: 10 December 2019 Analysis Cambodia has made notable progress in constitutionalizing gender equality. However, there is still no solution for persisting gender stereotypes, discrimination of women and marginalized groups and domestic violence. By NGO CEDAW
CEDAW and Colombia: A Balance Between Lights and Shadows Published: 10 December 2019 Analysis Stereotyped gender roles continue to be reinforced from a very early age in Colombia. Traditional concepts of masculinity and femininity are very deeply rooted in the collective mentality of the macho culture. By Margarita Sarmiento and Nicolás Ospino
CEDAW and the USA: When Belief in Exceptionalism Becomes Exemptionalism Published: 10 December 2019 Analysis The United States it the only established democracy in the world failing to ratify CEDAW. While common justification lies in the realm of patriarchy and religion another lies in the notion of American exceptionalism – in fact its exemptionalism. By Liane Schalatek
CEDAW 40 Years In: What Have We Learned and What Has Improved Published: 10 December 2019 Introduction CEDAW is a key international human rights treaty aimed at the achievement of gender equality worldwide. It helps women around the world to bring about change in their daily life.
Family and gender in Orbán’s Hungary Published: 4 July 2018 Viktor Orbán`s and his government`s decisions on family tax allowance and child benefits favour middle-class traditional families and portray their conservative view on family and gender. By Balázs Pivarnyik
Violence against women in Turkey: "Looking where others look away" Published: 2 November 2017 Interview Up to five women are murdered every day in Turkey. Photographer Emine Akbaba collected evidence videos and took photos of the sites of crime. As for herself, she says that she is no longer sure how to come to terms with everything she has seen. By Valerie-Siba Rousparast