Gender & Sexuality Studies Women's Activism Worldwide Khatera Afghan and Folah Fletcher

ACTIVISM WORLDWIDE Afghan and Fletcher When I dare to , to me my strength in the ofmy , then it become 16 and la afraid . Your silence will not protect you . Lorde ( 1977 ) In the late and , feminist efforts called women attention to the exclusion of their experiences and voices from public arenas . As a result , women began to tion the production of social and material knowledge that centered on the perspectives and interests of men ( and Leavy 2007 ) In societies by gender , race , class , and sexuality , knowledge claimed by historically marginalized people , such as women , becomes silent or subjugated knowledge ( and Leavy 2007 ) According to feminist historian Elsa Brown , social movements and identities are not distinct from each other , as we sometimes assume in contemporary culture . She argues that we need to consider queer social movements and identities as being related to help understand how privilege and inequality are , and how social movements have traditionally linked the stories of people of color and feminists for justice ( Brown 1992 , 297 ) Feminists and historians have split the history of the movement in the United States into three waves The wave relates cally to the and early women movement , which was concerned primarily with the right of women to vote ( and Taylor 2005 ) The second wave refers to the women liberation movement of the , which advocated for women legal and social rights . The third wave refers to a continuation of feminism , starting in Civil rights march for intersecting the 19905 , and including a backlash to the second wave perceived 5003 ' inadequacies ( and Taylor 2005 , 49 ) The use of the terms wave , second wave , and third wave to describe feminist resistance is controversial , as it implies each wave of activism prioritized different concerns . The waves were not mutually exclusive or completely distinct . Rather , they influence each other not only in the sense that earlier feminist activism has in many ways made contemporary feminist work possible , but also that contemporary

420 ) activism affects the way we think about past activism ( Davis 2002 , A focus only on famous leaders and events can obscure the many people and activities engaged in daily resistance and community organization . Further , the wave metaphor is problematic because it focuses primarily on the activities of US women who were mostly white , heterosexual , and middle class . It does not acknowledge the resistance efforts of Indigenous women before , during , and after the colonization of the continent by Europeans of Black women and other people of color in the United States of women who identify as lesbian , gay , bisexual , trans , queer , or intersex plus ( nor women in most of the rest of the world . Concentrating on the most mainstream , political events , and social movements advances only one unique lens of history . Transnational activism demonstrates a toward global solidarity while centering the lived experiences of women and their priorities . Feminists have continued to challenge patriarchy by questioning exploitation , harassment , violence , and in the various areas of their lives work , home , family , and public environments . While some resistance to oppression arises in subtle or individual ways , for women , collective resistance is also a powerful way to question current power structures . Women and their allies often build major feminist movements that collectively question the systemic roots of oppression ( Brown 1992 ) Yang ( 2016 ) that the waves of social feminist movements have generated only partial changes in oppression against women and girls globally . Nevertheless , feminist social movements have several changes in laws , social norms , and of gender roles ( Yang 2016 , 13 ) The Puss by Jones The is a knitted cap with cat ears that came to symbolize the Women March in Washington , on January 21 , 2017 , the day after Donald Trump was inaugurated . Krista Suh and wanted the hats to be a symbol that reclaimed the derogatory term pussy after Trump infamous Hall remark that women should let him grab them by the Suh and chose pink , traditionally associated with femininity , because they wanted to visibly stand up for women rights . The pattern was available for free online craft stores couldn keep the color in stock as women around the country created knitting circles to make the hats .

i 421 While the hats did unite some people of all genders around women issues , for others , the sea of pink also brought up the lack of within feminist movements , becoming synonymous with white feminists , radical feminists ( and sex radical feminists ( These narratives were destructive Not everyone who doesn identify as a man has a pussy . Not every pussy is pink . protesters Wearing When marginalized communities challenged the white , narratives of the and the March , supporters called them divisive . But Black , Indigenous , and other People of Color ( don owe anyone thanks for acting as allies . They continue to bring to light how being a person is affected by racism , sexism , xenophobia , and other social justice issues . Transnational Feminist Activism Transnational feminism emerged as a response to the First World versus Third World split that is , the recognition that women experiences , priorities , and concerns are different in different parts of the world . This first came forward during the United Nations ( UN ) Decade for Women ( World Mexico City in 1975 , Copenhagen in 1980 , in 1985 , and Beijing in 1995 . It was after the Beijing conference that the term and its political agenda for global justice came to be fully realized and widely embraced ( 2005 ) Transnational feminism pursues social justice by developing alliances that challenge gender , racial , and cultural essentialist ( the idea that all also all one basic , unchangeable nature ) and Kaplan 1994 ) As an , activist movement , transnational feminism promotes a focus on the interlocking systems of oppression ( racism , classism , etc . and the ways they shape gender relations worldwide ( 2003 McLaren 2017 ) By challenging the historically rooted essentialist ways of thinking that erase differences and diversity among women , transnational feminism acknowledges and bravely embraces these differences ( 1988 and Kaplan 1994 ) Transnational feminism converts differences into alliances that promote conversations to help heal the First World split ( 2003 McLaren 2017 ) and to produce meaningful changes for women globally . Engaging with the nuanced realities of the world , transnational feminists create activism with a focus on understanding the differences in women experiences worldwide ( 2003 2005 McLaren 2017 )

422 i ) The construction of transnational and of broader ways of thinking about knowledge recognizes women do not have the same pain or needs and acknowledges our varied pasts and historical conditions ( 2003 ) We try to focus our activism toward social justice that is inclusive and attainable ( hooks 2015 ) Because it values the contributions differences make to solidarity , transnational feminism promotes alliances among diverse women who have chosen to work and together for their common interests ( 2003 ) Women with Disabilities Advocating for Inclusion by Shannon Human Rights Watch estimates that about 300 million women around the world have mental or ical disabilities . In poorer nations , women comprise 75 percent of the population with disabilities . In 2006 , 164 nations signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ( Globally , the United Nations estimates that less than percent of disabled persons have access to education . women are half as likely to employment as men . Local support of disabled persons can be challenging because of overlapping issues of gender , race , available resources , education , attitudes toward disabilities , and the disability affecting a person . But women with disabilities and their allies are increasingly advocating for equity and inclusion for themselves in all aspects of life . In east Africa , the Ethiopian Women with Disabilities National Association ( Works with women who are Deaf or Blind , or who have autism or an intellectual disability , to provide vital services such as skills training , work opportunities , and integration into the local community . In Kenya , Ability collaborates with other organizations to increase visibility and inclusion for women and girls with disabilities in everything from access to health care , to representation in websites and other media , to participation in sports . Across , the Disability Forum advocates for all people with disabilities by seeking to ensure governments honor the provisions of the . and New Guinea offer sports programs designed to include people with disabilities , especially women and girls . Women with Disabilities Australia advocates for women , girls , feminine identifying and binary people living with disabilities through leadership trainings , information on an accessible website , and advocacy with governments .

423 Under the umbrella of transnational feminism , activists and advocates mobilize transnational feminist networks ( TAPS ) to work toward resisting repressive norms and institutions worldwide . promote . feminism against , by contesting global economic systems and policies that promote economic privatization and practices that lead to greater gender inequalities . feminism against imperialism and war , by opposing imperialism , global clashes , and war practices . feminism against fundamentalism , by challenging the repercussions of religious practices that deny gender equality and women rights and . feminist humanitarianism , by addressing women basic needs and strategic interests worldwide . Lee and Shaw 2011 ) To achieve their goals , transnational feminists call for solidarity , where solidarity is a mutual and accountable relationship that bonds different people across their common interests ( Lee and Shaw 2011 ) We live in a transnational time where everything from ideas , to capital , to fear , to violence across state boundaries . This shapes women experiences internationally ( Naples 2009 ) ing transnational issues , especially gender inequalities , requires a dialogue that recognizes and respects , rather than silences or ignores , differences ( and Kaplan 1994 2003 hooks 2015 ) Transnational solidarity requires women to build effective , inclusive , and politically strategic bonds , understanding that only discussions of women differing ideologies lead to honest ( and Kaplan 1994 ) Building these bonds depends on the extent of our willingness to acknowledge and bravely confront rather than fear our differences ( and move beyond pretending to be united ) to overcome our biases , competitiveness , fears , and hostilities ( hooks 2015 ) Building transnational solidarity based on differences has emerged from active struggle ( rather than common oppression ) It is in this context that we will build on commitment , effort , and that women can have a common goal social justice ( 2003 hooks 2015 ) In sum , although women worldwide commonly experience oppression , their issues and stances differ within and across cultures ( 1998 ) which makes them more diverse than similar in their experiences , needs , and interests . Promoting social justice through a transnational alliance requires us to move beyond our assumptions of an enforced commonality of oppression ( 2003 , including by leveraging the various forms of feminist activism to dismantle the , homogenous category of woman ( 2003 ) To avoid creating new categories that are not only abstract but exclusive , transnational feminism has to be open and receptive to that this is important for the social transformation we are committed to promoting ( and Kaplan 1994 )

424 ) A New Era of Global Transnational Activism Transnational feminist activists promote social and gender justice by actively renegotiating gender power relations building engaging in and international policies , laws , and organizations on women rights issues lobbying governments to support and promote social and gender and supporting women protest movements and ( 2005 2005 ) For example , transnational African feminist activists have strengthened their ties with women worldwide by engaging in in the form of blogging , which they use to speak up , share their experiences , seek opportunities for alliance , and promote gender equality ( 2005 ) According to one blogger , the presence of women bloggers is in itself a positive step towards addressing issues of gender equality ( 2007 ) Living in a technologically connected , globalized , and constantly changing world , where things happen with the click of a mouse , these women use cyberspace to break their silence , develop collective resistance , share their experiences , participate in public spaces , explore ( and enjoy ) their changing identities , and ultimately seek social transformation ( 2005 ) Likewise , Muslim women activism is manifested in their revolutionary presence on the Internet . Muslim women activist engagement in social media not only shaped the Arab Spring ( a series of , protests in the Middle East and North Africa in the early ) but also shifted the Middle East political landscape ( 2012 ) In addition to from beyond their computer screens , most of these women combined their with activism , resulting in broader media coverage and their participation in the uprisings ( 2005 ) As one of the activists said , is not just working behind the screen , it is also smelling the tear gas and facing the security forces live ammunition ( 2012 , 19 ) Arab Muslim women agency and emerging voices for social transformation , their feminist maneuvering from within oppression , and their active participation in transnational activism .

?

I 425 Arab youth advocating for gender equality Like Arab women , the young female generation of Iran uses the Internet as a liberatory tool to resist jugation and to actively participate in ongoing transnational movements . Iranian women rely on to freely speak their minds while challenging historical politics in their society , As an substitute to the current politically manipulated and physical public sphere , ian women use cyberspace to explore and enjoy new territories of liberation , uncensored , and identities ( 2005 ) The Internet not only provides women with access to the outside world it also helps them to become voices of change that are hard to silence ( 2007 ) The blogs illustrate Iranian women , resistance in the face of social injustice , participation in feminist discourse , and commitment to social change , One of the web activists raises her voice and shares her feelings and frustrations I have not been born as subordinate sex , or as biologically inferior . I have been brought up as one with the allocation of roles and expectations . I am a product of cultural biases of a patriarchal order that talks about an inherently womanly nature so that when a girl climbs trees or jumps up and down , she is warned or that a girl is not supposed to jump from safeguard a little piece of skin ( hymen ) as proof of her honor . At 16 , I wanted to become a guerrilla , instead , I became a woman warrior ing with my powerful instrument that can not be silenced . 2005 , In addition to their , Muslim women have revolutionized the digital galaxy , They have if un to rec ace in i ita wor i rom . From the authors points of view , Muslim women digital activism is evident in the growing number of Muslim women students who have chosen to pursue careers in electronic media , journalism , and cinema .

426 I WORLDWIDE According to a student of media studies in Dubai , I noticed that there are few women in the of journalism , and since I have that kind of personality , I decided to pursue it ( and Ali 2008 ) As a voice of change , Egyptians mobilize digital space to change Arabs traditional gender perceptions , understanding of social norms , and power relations ( 2004 ) As such , some Egyptian television hosts have used digital space to facilitate conversations about topics that are not generally discussed in in the Muslim world . For example , in 2017 , the Egyptian presenter , on the network , asked viewers if they had considered premarital sex and suggested that women could temporarily get married to have children . Although statements were not well received by some people , the authorities who later sentenced her to three years in prison , broke a traditional patriarchal taboo in Egypt ( News 2017 ) and provided an example of resistance to other women . by Miranda On February 11 , 2021 , Saudi Arabian women rights activist was released from . is known for challenging the ban on women driving and the male guardianship laws that require women to receive the consent of a male relative on decisions related to issues such as tion . Under the strict gender segregation , the form of Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia , the idea ofa woman behind the Wheel was seen as sacrilegious . Saudi Arabia continued to ban women from driving until 2018 , even though demonstrations against the ban had occurred previously for example , in November 1990 , Saudi women had driven their cars in protest in . has been arrested several times , most recently on May 15 , 2018 , for her involvement in the women rights campaign . In June 2018 , even after Saudi Arabian women were granted the right to drive , remained under arrest . In 2021 , she was released by the Saudi Arabian ment in response to the administration criticisms of the country human rights violations . was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 and 2020 , and she was awarded the 2020 Havel Human Rights Prize in April 2021 . Breaking Silence Third World Feminist scholars and activists seek to produce new knowledge , discourse that ignores Third World women Indigenous feminist history and resistance . In an effort to cure the First World split , Third World scholars call for the reconstruction of feminist essentialist thought .

) 427 They also warn against falling into the trap of sentiment that may divert focus from the and feed into the production of inaccurate , homogenous knowledge ( Said 1978 1988 , 2003 and Kaplan 1994 2001 ) It is crucial to understand how the colonial power system functions in the global context in general and in the Third World in particular , and to challenge it . In her meticulous analysis Under Western Eyes Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses , criticizes western essentialist feminist discourse , which Third World women as a monolithic and universal group with identical visions , goals , needs , and interests . The author states that such binary discourse creates a paternalistic attitude towards women in the third world ( 1988 , 378 ) It also Third World women as passive and victimized objects devoid of agency and the ability to speak for themselves , needing to be saved and represented by western women ( 1988 ) Like , Uma Narayan challenges ethnocentric feminist attitudes to Third World cultures and . The author criticizes the missionary framework of western feminists , in which Third World women are presented as the victims of their own cultures , who need to be rescued by First World women . Ignoring the fact that cultural traditions arise and develop in historical , dominant parts of the West continue to perceive and treat Third World traditions as changeless , perennially in place , making Third World nations places with no history ( Narayan 1997 , In her critiques , the author also calls for the deconstruction of the term Westernization and its perceived meaning . For Narayan the term is widely used as a strategy of dismissal , where Third World feminists who against patriarchal norms are viewed as westernized and traitors to their communities ( Narayan 1997 , 31 ) Like feminists , Muslim women in the Third World , particularly feminist warriors , promote social transformation by developing actions from within As a force for change , Muslim women have been an active part of feminist movements , which have enabled them to break through their cultural , national , and regional boundaries ( 2005 ) In their quest for social transformation , Muslim women ( whether associated with Islamic or secular ) have responded to oppression that denies Muslim women a voice , agency , and intellectual and political Islamic feminists in the West use their religion to seek social transformation by actively engaging in contemporary feminist discourses about Muslim women .

428 i ) Feminist Activism in Invoking by women historically played important cultural roles such as priestesses ( and spiritual guides ( who communicated with ancestors and nature gods . But the invasion and by brought and paternalism , dividing Indigenous men and women , and reducing women roles . Today , tourism and US military presence portray as a of paradise and women as sexualized and . Even activism in has frequently embraced patriarchy , focusing on issues such as militarization over women issues ( 2006 , 2007 ) Today , Indigenous feminism invokes ( 724 ) an Indigenous Female god , to protect activists ( 2006 2016 ) Women Act Against Military Violence ( applies the concept of , stressing women and Indigenous empowerment while networking with other feminist in militarized settings ( 2015 ) References , Ayano . 2015 . Intersections of Ethnic Minority and Indigeneity in the Feminist and Independence Movements in Intersections Gender and Sexuality in Asia and the 37 , 13 . 2016 . Creating an Women Studies Confronting Colonial Modernity with the Agency of Gender Studies 21 Gender Center , 2006 . The Expansion of Groups in the Community of Protest Against Violence and Militarism in Intersections Gender , History and Culture in Context 13 , 17 . 2007 . Protest and Struggle in wu . New York . Muslim Feminists ( whether western or ) are deeply engaged in contemporary feminist discourse . Through their scholarship and activism , Muslim feminists have not only traced the roots of women and gender in Islam , but they have also taken the initiative to reread and reinterpret the an . Islamic feminists dismiss the traditional interpretations of the Islamic texts , arguing that they are produced to serve both and tribal traditions that are not supportive of women

) I 429 rights ( 2009 ) Muslim scholars like Leila Ahmed and provide a new perspective on contemporary feminist debate about women in Islam by tracing the roots of women exploration of Islamic texts within historical and social . Islamic feminists such as and offer a more liberatory interpretation of the an and ( prophets sayings ) For example , critically examines the gender notions of the an to address the sexist and bigoted image of Islam that has been produced by the traditional interpretation of Islamic texts ( 1989 Majid 1998 2006 ) The reinterpretation of the an from a woman perspective can create gender reform in the Muslim world , but only if such perspective is not secondary or supplementary to male social privilege or traditional ways of understanding knowledge ( 2006 ) Whether through a theoretical or interpretative tradition , Muslim feminists have not only challenged the Orientalist and fundamentalist views of Muslim women , but they have also contributed to contemporary feminist discourses and movements by developing a new form of political scholarship , feminism in Islam ( 2009 ) Like Islamic feminists , Muslim women have been engaged in seeking social change from within subjugation through various and multiple means ( 2009 ) The Black feminist movement emerged from the formation of the Black liberation movement and the women movement . The objective of the Black feminist movement was to establish ideas that could resolve the of race , gender , and class . Many feminists affirm that Black women often faced prejudice in the feminist movement during the ( Springer 2002 ) The Black feminist movement was founded in response to the discrimination and racism facing Black women in their , and it aimed to educate Black men and white women about the of racism on the lives of Black women ( Smith 1985 , What Is Culture ?

by Rebecca Lambert What does it mean to be woke ?

The term has recently gained popularity , but where did it originate , and what does it really mean ?

As expressions gain mainstream popularity , their deep political roots are often erased from narrative and even and used in ways that do not relate to their original intent . The term wales has a long history based in African American Vernacular English ( Author William Melvin used the term in his 1962 essay in the New Time titled IfYou re Woke You Dig It , which talked about the of by white people .

430 Since then , the term has appeared in numerous outlets , from songs ( such as , recorded by ) to social movements . The term arose in Black culture and a way of being in the world , a way of staying aware of the struggles and systems of oppression that the Black community has faced and continues to challenge . As woke became more mainstream , it started to be used more broadly , leading to an idea of a woke culture a society that keeps the important political issues at the forefront of the public consciousness . As terms are rediscovered and incorporated into mainstream , it is im to remember the cultural basis of Ian ua and eak . The most noteworthy of the Black feminist movement are Alice Walker description and the collective statement of River Collective . Alice Walker coined the term and explained , Womanist is to feminist as purple is to lavender ( Walker 2005 , The River Collective statement of 1974 was more politically focused and claimed that Black women liberation would mean equality for all people , as it would birth the end of racism , sexism , and class oppression . The development of integrated study and practice based on the intersections of the major structures of oppression is their unique mission ( River Collective 2014 ) Crenshaw , a popular feminist law professor , termed the A theory when presenting identity politics ( shaw 1991 , 43 ) According to Barbara Smith , the Black feminist movement since its emergence has focused on reproductive rights , discriminatory use of sterilization , fair access to abortion , health care , child abuse , rights of the disabled , women abuse , rape , abuse , battering , welfare rights , lesbian and homosexual rights , aging , police brutality , labor organizing , the battle against , organizing , nuclear disarmament , and global warming ( Smith 1985 , 12 ) Overlapping identities social Black feminism claims an inextricable connection between sexism , movements class inequality , racism , and all other forms of oppression ( Davis 2011 ) Hence feminist theory now includes an analysis of how race , class , sexuality , and gender women lives ( Smith 1985 , 13 ) Historically , in analyses of the contributions of African revolutionaries , the narrative has had a focus , showcasing male personalities such as Nelson and a host of other African social movement activists , which has led to the of women in social and political conceptual

) I 431 . Therefore the role of revolutionary African women in social movements for women ation , especially in countering mainstream narratives , must be discussed . African women played cant roles as revolutionaries before colonialism , after colonialism , and after independence . Lady , for example , founded the Women Party in , in 1944 to campaign for women rights . Displeased with without political representation , Lady and the leaders of the party were crucial in campaigning for more educational and economic opportunities for women ( 2004 ) A rising percentage of women is coming together across Africa and making their voices heard , mobilizing across causes such as democracy , equality , reproductive health rights , and violence against women and girls . African feminists , scholars , and activists have made strides in their for equal political rights in their diverse countries , and women have been at the forefront of attempts to foster peace and reconciliation in other parts of Africa , such as Sierra Leone and . As most of these campaigns have been by transnational feminism and transnational alliances , the contemporary global battle for women rights and liberation is increasingly being driven by female activists in Africa . In 1951 , activists Mabel Dove and Hannah were pivotal in leading ten thousand people in a demonstration against rising food prices in , Sierra Leone . In 1954 , Dove became the woman to be elected to the legislature in West Africa . In the decades to follow , many women continued , as women across the African continent played crucial roles in ical and social movements . In 1992 , for example , the Social Democratic Front ( of of elderly women played a key role in catalyzing peace after the onslaught of violence . founded the AIDS Support Organization ( known as ) in 1997 , which was the premier organization in to the epidemic . In her quest to break down perceptions that science , technology , engineering , and mathematics ( STEM ) research on the African continent as inferior , ian scientist Tolu Oni is developing the Research Initiative for Cities Health and Equity ( RICHE ) an research program that will tackle urban health disparities to creative solutions and address complex public health issues .

432 WOMEN ) While women activists such as , Winnie dela , Ellen Johnson , and are ally renowned in their own right , and while scholars have done excellent work on the activism of African women , further work needs to be done to highlight the important contributions of African women to the building of social movements ( Swift 2017 ) African women activism is not limited to carrying placards in street protests . Female activists , scholars , and feminists have begun to engage public and private institutions , using digital media promoting African rights sources to challenge systemic oppression and other forms of against women and girls . In , sociocultural and colonial problems have continued to dominate the views of on who a woman is and her sense of being . Women rights are still a big issue facing . affirms that African culture is replete with language that enables the community to diminish the ity of women . She believes that African culture has along history of discrimination and injustice toward women , as there has not been equity in opportunity , dignity , and power between men and women . She further states that various aspects of African culture prevent women from attaining equal status with men , such as limited access to education , rape culture , child marriage , female genital mutilation , sexual ment at work , and all instances when a woman is restricted because of her gender , whether she is explicitly discriminated against under the law or simply unfairly treated or looked down upon ( 1997 ) The system of patriarchy , violence against women , the feminization of poverty and migration , tion and the capitalist market system , and the practices of consumerism and are still major issues for Nigerian feminists and activists . The general notion in that women are inferior to men was recently reinforced when President , at a press conference in Germany , said the role of his wife , who is the First Lady of the Republic of , did not extend beyond the kitchen and the other room ( News 2016 ) It was an unfortunate gaffe , especially given that women in have made their mark in the political , educational , and economic . Nigerian women are thus subjected to various inequalities that have often led to women in politics , making , and . An excerpt from Be by further most Africans perception about feminism Why the word feminist ?

Why not just say you are a believer in human rights , or something like that ?

Because that would be dishonest . Feminism is , of course , part of human rights in to choose to use the vague expression human rights is to deny the and particular problem of gender . It would be a Way of pretending that it was not women who have , for centuries , been excluded . It would be a Way of denying that the problem of gender targets women . That the problem was not about being human , but

) 433 about being a female human . For centuries , the world divided human beings into two groups and then proceeded to exclude and oppress one group . 2014 ) Two recent international cases have generated much hashtag activism the in 2014 and the 2020 movements . Both movements were led by Aisha Yusuf , a Nigerian social and political activist who came to prominence for her role in speaking up for the 276 schoolgirls abducted by terrorists in 2014 . She was also the of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign , which tirelessly held protests demanding the girls rescue . Although the hashtag started primarily to advocate for release of the girls , the emerging digital advocacy platform has also been used to challenge normative courses on women and and violence within . The movement was thus noted to be at the forefront of advocating social reform for women and girls by developing a that aims to foster gender equality and social justice for women and girls ( 2020 ) was not just a protest of police brutality ( in the form of the Special Squad , or SARS ) but also , as stated in Pulse News , a tone of rebellion , a note of valid belligerence , and a chant of in the Nigerian struggle against police brutality and terrible ( 2020 ) The movement was the tipping point after years of ongoing social trauma caused by inadequate health care systems and educational institutions , systemic corruption , electoral fraud , poverty , and more . As an engaged feminist scholar , born and bred in , I that the complaints about SARS are not new . Nigerian citizens have been speaking out online since 2017 and raising awareness about police brutality , with no successful attempts by activists to hold the accountable . The catalyst for the recent nationwide protests came in early October 2020 , when reports surfaced in social media that police had attacked and killed a young man and driven off in his luxury vehicle . The movement to end police brutality was led by a couple of female activists and other young social media , with initial demands for the notorious SARS police unit to be and disbanded .

434 I Demonstrators at an End SARS protest The protest has since morphed into a campaign for police reform and an end to bad governance in the country . Sara , meaning speak up in the language of the region , was one of the mon chants used during the protests . The of the chosen language was to be able to cate and associate with the general masses and victims of institutionalized oppression . According to News , movement was much like the protests of police brutality in the United States by the Black Lives Matter movement . Nigerians in ( those living in other countries ) and other allies globally have stood in solidarity with the movement , which has attracted massive global support , shining a global spotlight on the hashtag ( Khalid 2020 ) Women played a leading role in powering the marches , and nearly was raised by a large feminist coalition to fund the widespread marches that sprang up around the country and other countries where Nigerians reside . Several took to social media as a tool to engage bad governance in . Switch , an in Canada , one of the young feminists present , played a significant role in leading the march and the protests on her Instagram . On Black Tuesday , October 20 , 2020 , young protesters who sat and sang the national anthem were barricaded on either side of the toll gate in State , and were brutally massacred by Nigerian security forces ( 2020 ) Switch was the protests on her Instagram page when the shooting happened . She told I heartbroken . There was no warning . We just heard gunshots and the soldiers came in guns blazing , It the worst thing I have seen in my life . They were just shooting like we were goats and chickens . 2020 ) Despite the brutal massacre used to shut down the movement , feminists , activists , and ian youths have continued to use all forms of media to challenge the patriarchal system of governance and

WORLDWIDE i 435 build digital spaces for voices , interactions , and advocacy for social change . For the sake of those who died , leading to the protests and during the protests , the labor of our heroes past shall not be in vain . The struggle must continue , says Switch . This challenge of systematic oppression by brave feminists and activists in and elsewhere resulted in the disbanding of the SARS unit and led to the creation of judicial commissions by many jurisdictions around the country to investigate complaints against police officers . In addition , this social change movement has been instrumental in forming a strong coalition among several organizations systemic oppression in and across borders . Feminist Organizing in by Shannon In the wake of international criticism by human rights organizations on how peaceful protestors are attacked by police to disperse the crowds , feminists in are their voice and ing a reprieve . On March , 2021 , a Women Day march was observed by officials but allowed to unhindered . About five hundred people attended , walking through the historic city of and listening to speakers address not only human rights issues that affect women but also those that address the needs of the handicapped and lesbian , gay , bisexual , trans , queer , and intersex plus ( Domestic violence and disparity in access to economic resources have long plagued the able populations of the former Soviet Republic . Veronica is a web designer who recently became a feminist activist and organized the country feminist rally . Organizers hoped to highlight chronic and systemic issues of discrimination and violence . The United Nations supports the work of local activists like and recently lighted her work on its 25 Equality news page . Perspectives on the role of women and the level of patriarchy acceptable in a home and village vary greatly from the urban centers to the rural mountainous areas . is a country in immense transition , as it has moved from an isolated Soviet Republic to an nation selling its resources to the world in only years . Veronica wants the future to be as rich and safe for its women and vulnerable people as it is for its men . Listening to Our Activist Selves The emergence of information and communication technologies , including the Internet , cell phones , and to some degree , radio and television , has facilitated the How of information and created more regular and sustained communication between activists around the world ( 2012 ) These factors led to the potential of activists worldwide to transcend borders and to establish new platforms for discourse and

436 i ) ACTiViSM ) mobilization across differences . Women have long organized across borders several contemporary women groups evolved from the middle to late nineteenth century in the form of suffragist , and movements ( 2015 , Globalization has created unprecedented opportunities for women and other oppressed groups to mobilize . Some scholars have argued that and women advocacy groups were among the first to form transnational networks and have been some of the most effective ( 2007 ) Transnational feminism is an approach to solving the limitations of global sisterhood by addressing between women struggles ( 2003 ) Transnational feminism is committed to an intersectional approach to scholarship and activism , which includes critically addressing the ways in which connections between gender , race , class , sexuality , physical and mental capacity , and nationality are formed through locations and identities . argues that transnational feminists focus on the to form strategic ( 2003 , Uniting to mobilize The UN world conferences for women have been repeatedly highlighted by scholars as crucial to feminist organizing . The conferences created a shared forum for women of various races , cultures , classes , and occupations from around the world to meet , both formally and informally ( 2012 , These conferences were mostly renowned for fostering debates and dialogue between activists who challenged western women supremacy in framing the international women agenda . Scholars refer to the early conferences as contentious in nature ( and Hamel 2015 ) 2015 ) considered the 1985 conference a turning point in these debates , when started making alliances and consensus on several key issues of concern . Young feminist

) 437 activists are moving away from old mass media narratives of cultural and politics and toward creating their own alternative narratives ( Keller 2012 ) Harris , Wyn , and ( 2010 ) argue that to date there has been insufficient feminist attention to women high of web technologies . Evidently , young activists share their experiences on digital platforms globally , build new ideas , and engage locally and globally to challenge everyday sexism , systemic oppression , and violence against women within and outside their geographical areas ( Harris , Wyn , and 2010 ) It is important to engage and encourage the emergence and proliferation of transnational feminist works , which provide fertile ground for activists across borders to create formal and informal networks around issues of interest . Furthermore , it is important that transnational feminist organizations , which exist at the intersections of various systems , actively discuss issues of privilege and exclusion while building new transnational alliances to create a better future for feminist activism globally ( 2018 ) Conclusion Transnational feminism pursues social justice by encouraging solidarity , edge , honoring difference and diversity , and promoting equity transformations . Change commences with a process of and criticism , in which differences are used to form an effective alliance around a common vision ( and Kaplan , 1994 2003 McLaren 2017 ) As a process of , transnational feminism brings together First World and Third World feminists for politically informed , wider acceptance , critical , greater impact , continued sustainability , and meaningful change for women worldwide . Recognizing that there are differences among women varied visions , needs , priorities , interests , and historical , transnational feminism challenges essentialist such as , and ( 2003 Lee and Shaw , 2011 hooks 2015 ) Creating and building on transnational activist , transnational feminists engage in renegotiating gender power relations building alliances and supporting women protests , movements , and activism to influence international laws and policies that affect women rights and status worldwide .

438 ) ACTIVISM WORLDWIDE Women Who Rankle by Janet Lockhart In Stacy review of In Di cult she says the author , Karen , describes the ways a woman can rankle others She can be independent , exacting , impatient , persistent , opinionated , angry , unaccommodating , ambitious , restless , brilliant , articulate , or just plain ( To rankle means to annoy , irritate , or cause resentment . Six women respond to this description You can be yourself instead of who someone else wants or expects you to be . You rankle if you don meet the expectations others impose on you . Fuck that ! That on them . Andi Oh ! These words don just describe women but also the girls that they were ! My parents worked very hard to raise an independent woman and were extremely pissed off ( though also proud ) by their cess . To truly rankle , the woman simply has to be comfortable being themselves . I have compared sharing my world as similar to learning to water ski . Initially , the boat is way too fast . A person must hold on for dear life and hope that the driver knows how to navigate the waters but ifthey hang in there , eventually it becomes fun . Although , some people just don like the waters . Niki The quote not wrong women are perceived as difficult if they do any of those things . I don agree with it ! I irritated that women are perceived that way , because they shouldn be . You take a woman who voices her opinion , she a bitch but you take a man who has the same opinion , he to . Being a woman is often imbued with connotations . Black , Jewish , Latina , and Indigenous women who speak out about injustice within institutions must navigate cultural stereotypes that intersect with their gender about being angry and uncooperative . Dawn These qualities were systematically driven out during my ve spent my adult life trying to embrace them without guilt . Olivia I love seeing women unapologetically acting as men traditionally would and claiming words such as ambitious and Sometimes just their existence can cause others to be uncertain how to handle them . There something so beautiful about a woman that takes up space in an environment that doesn want her to . Are you a woman who rankles ?

How do you feel about it ?

Ifyou choose , how can you rankle more ?

439 In the transnational and world , and in the face of on oin lobal ender in , transnational feminists skillfully use the Internet to build upon their resistance and foster their individual and collective for social transformation . Thus doin , these feminists translate their silence into a language for social change . Lorde highlights the importance of speaking up as for social transformation . to Lorde 1977 , it is our silence , not our differences , that immobilizes It is noteworthy that while feminists , activists , and other women have been tirelessly for gender justice , rates of violence against women and girls are persisting or increasing globally . Feminists and women worldwide have been multiple , concurrent the household , community , try , and transnational backlash as they make gains toward gender justice , the need for transnational feminism and activism more than ever .

440 I WORLDWIDE Learning Activities . Why is the waves model of feminist history problematic ?

What is transnational feminist activism ?

What strategies do transnational feminists use to create and enact change across borders ?

Review Afghan and Fletcher discussion of the protest of police brutality in . Then take a few minutes to review online . What do you learn about from these sources ?

What can we learn about and the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States by considering them in relationship to one another ?

What can we learn about these movements by examining them through a transnational feminist lens ?

Take some time to review the UN Women website . In what way does the organization UN Women participate in transnational feminist activism ?

in your own words . Compare your answer to the answer to question in chapter in this volume . Working in a group , add these key terms to your glossary feminist consciousness raising , activism .

) WORLDWIDE 441 References , Lila . 2001 . Orientalism and Middle East Feminist In Reader Local and Global , edited by Carole , Kim , and , New York . 2014 . Excerpt from We Should All Be . Accessed November . 1998 . and An Iranian . New York Martin Press . 2020 . I Won Be Silent Anymore Hashtag Activism in Communication South African journal for Communication Theory and 45 , no . Margot . 2009 . Feminism in Secular and . Oxford . News . 2016 . President My Wife Belongs in October 14 , 2017 . Egyptian Presenter Sentenced over Pregnancy November , Brown , Elsa . 1992 . What Has Happened Here The Politics of Difference in Women History and Feminist 18 , no . Stephanie . 2020 . Youth Finds Its Voice with the Protest World News . October 25 , River Collective . 2014 . A Black Feminist Studies Quarterly 42 , no . Crenshaw , 1991 . Mapping the Margins , Identity Politics , and Violence against Women Stanford Law Review 43 , no . 1229039 . Davis , Angela . 2002 . Working Women , Black Women and the History of the Suffrage In A Introduction to Studies , edited by Arlene , and , IA Hunt .

442 ) 2011 . Women , Race and Clary . New York Vintage . 2005 . The Face of Feminist Politics International Social Science journal 57 , no . 184 , 2007 . The Messy Relationship between and Gender and Society 21 , no . and Kaplan , 1994 . Scattered and Transnational Practices . University of Minnesota Press . Amin . A and Dreams . Women Press . Donna . 1989 . Primate Visions Gender , Race , and Nature in the Science . New York . Harris , Anita , Johanna Wyn , and Salem . 2010 . Beyond Apathetic or Activist Youth Ordinary Young People and Contemporary Forms of Young Nordic journal of Youth Research 181 , no . Mary 2018 . Globalization and . and Patricia Lina Leavy . 2007 . Feminist Primer . sand Oaks , CA SAGE . hooks , bell . 2015 . From Margin to Center . New York . Manal , and Ali . 2008 . Women Enter the World of . March , Keller , Marie . 2012 . Virtual Girls Blogging Communities , Feminist Activism , and Participatory Information , Communication and Society 15 , no .

WORLDWIDE 443 Khalid , 2020 . No Justice for End Sars Protest News . October 20 , Lee , Janet , and Susan Shaw . 2011 . Women Transnational Feminist Perspectives on . New York . Jasmine , and Stephanie Hamel . 2015 . At the Heart of Feminist Transnational ing Exploring Postcolonial in Organizational Practice at World journal national and Intercultural Communication , no . Lorde , 1977 . The Transformation of Silence into Language and In Sister Outsider Essays and Speeches , Berkeley , CA Crossing Press , 2007 . Majid , 1998 . The Politics of Feminism in Signs 23 , no . McLaren , Margaret A . 2017 . Feminism Transnational Feminism and Globalization . don International . 2004 . The Satellite , the Prince , and The Rise of Women as in Digital Transnational Broadcasting Studies 12 , 12 . Valentine 2005 . Transnational Feminist . Baltimore Johns Hopkins University Press . 2012 . Global Social Movements and Transnational In The to Political Sociology , edited by Edwin , Kate Nash , and Alan Scott , MA . 2015 . Transnational Feminist Activism and Movement In The Oxford of Transnational Feminist Movements , edited by and Wendy , Oxford Oxford University Press . Chandra . 1988 . Under Western Eyes Feminist Scholarship and Colonial 30 , no . 2003 . Feminism without Borders Theory , Practicing Solidarity . Duke University Press .

444 WORLDWIDE Naples , Nancy . 2009 . Crossing Borders Community Activism , Globalization , and Social Social Problems 56 , no . Narayan , Uma . 1997 . Cultures Identities , and Feminism . New York . 2005 . On Ground in tbe Global Era . New York Feminist Press at the City University of New York . 1997 . The of an African Sense of Gender courses . University of Minnesota Press . 2004 . Gender Foundations of Feminist Concepts and the of African In African Gender ) Concepts , and . Courtney . 2012 . Unveiling the Revolutionaries and the Role of Women in the Arab James Baker 111 Institute for Public Policy of Rice University . May 17 , 91 9185 . Said , Edward 1978 . New York Pantheon Books . Smith , Barbara . 1985 . Some Home Truths on the Contemporary Black Feminist Blade 16 , no . 2007 . Telling Our Own Stories African Women Blogging for Social der and Development 15 , no . Springer , Kimberly . 2002 . Third Wave Black Feminism ?

of Women in Culture and 27 , no . Suzanne , and Taylor . 2005 . Whatever Happened to the Women Movement ?

An 10 , no . Swift , A . 2017 . African Women and Social Movements in Black Perspectives . July 18 , 2006 . Inside the Gender Women Reform in Islam . Oxford . Walker , Alice . 2005 1983 . In Search Gardens Prose . London Phoenix .

445 , William . 2020 . A Struggle against Brutality Concrete . March 11 , Yang , 2016 . Narrative Agency in Hashtag Activism The Case of and , no . 692 . Image Public Domain 1963 March on Washington photographer 1963 ) by is in the public domain I wish Vou admit that vou harass I wish I could feel safe in the by UN Women Arab States is available under by is licensed under BY at a 16 October women empowerment rally in by Africa Renewal is licensed under File . Oct 12 2020 by is licensed under SA File Women March 4244 ( 24948017197 ) by is licensed under by is licensed under Notes . Secular and Islamic are two schools of thought . While secular feminism centers on promoting gender equality in both private and public arenas , Islamic feminism seeks social change through using religion , especially by the an , to demand gender equality . Despite their different approaches , both schools together constitute feminism in Islam ( see 2009 )