Standing Firm

Abstract

In 2016, Mama Cash and Urgent Action Fund, two feminist funders, commissioned research to increase understanding of how closing space for civil society affects feminist organisations. Fifteen women’s and trans rights organisations in China, Egypt, India, Russian Federation, Turkey and Uganda were interviewed and later met to review and validate the findings. The research clearly shows that closing space is a gendered phenomenon, with all activists reporting that their work and political voice are restricted or repressed because of their gender and/or the gender-focused nature of their work. The exclusion and repression that women and trans people experience has also built their political analysis and skills – assets that equip them to creatively resist closing space. The activists collaborated to create a series of recommendations for funders about how to support and sustain their work in challenging political contexts.

Keywords: Feminism, Women’s rights activism, Women’s human rights, Trans human rights, Women human rights defenders, Gender-based violence, Closing space for civil society, Intersectionality