How African feminists are sustaining peace in a pandemic
Source: State of the planet
Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, African feminists have been essential in responding with care to the challenges facing their communities. COVID-19 cases are on the rise in Africa, but not at the exponential rate experienced in other parts of the world, suggesting the success of early prevention measures. Yet, grassroots feminists also point out that the pandemic has laid bare inequalities that have long been a reality – underscoring the urgent need for an approach to peace and security that is inclusive and broad in its scope.
In a series of webinars, the Women, Peace and Security program has convened grassroots women’s organizations from Lesotho, Sudan, Nigeria, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo, to discuss their work in the context of COVID-19. On a recent call, these organizations, which are participating in the Peace and Social Change Fellowship, exchanged their strategies for addressing the impacts that the ongoing pandemic has had in their communities.
In the face of layered challenges in their communities, grassroots activists are engaged in developing new strategies and practices to forward and sustain peace – from advocating for attention to the gendered impacts of the crisis, to leveraging networks of mutual aid and digital activism to respond where government efforts fall short.
Click here to read the full article published by State of the Planet on 3 June 2020.
Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, African feminists have been essential in responding with care to the challenges facing their communities. COVID-19 cases are on the rise in Africa, but not at the exponential rate experienced in other parts of the world, suggesting the success of early prevention measures. Yet, grassroots feminists also point out that the pandemic has laid bare inequalities that have long been a reality – underscoring the urgent need for an approach to peace and security that is inclusive and broad in its scope.
In a series of webinars, the Women, Peace and Security program has convened grassroots women’s organizations from Lesotho, Sudan, Nigeria, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo, to discuss their work in the context of COVID-19. On a recent call, these organizations, which are participating in the Peace and Social Change Fellowship, exchanged their strategies for addressing the impacts that the ongoing pandemic has had in their communities.
In the face of layered challenges in their communities, grassroots activists are engaged in developing new strategies and practices to forward and sustain peace – from advocating for attention to the gendered impacts of the crisis, to leveraging networks of mutual aid and digital activism to respond where government efforts fall short.
Click here to read the full article published by State of the Planet on 3 June 2020.