Shifting Narratives, Shifting Power: Key Lessons from AWID 2024
What does it take to reimagine a feminist future? Earlier this month, advocates from around the world gathered at the 15th AWID International Forum (AWID) to explore that question. Among them were three Emerging Leaders supported by Women Deliver: Doreen Guttabingi (she/her) from Uganda, Andy Maxwell (he/him) from Kenya, and Alice Kanyana (she/her) from Rwanda.
We caught up with them to hear their biggest takeaways. From building bold advocacy movements to reclaiming narratives, their reflections offer a glimpse into the future of youth-led feminist organizing — bold, unyielding, and deeply rooted in community. Doreen is challenging harmful anti-rights narratives in Uganda, Alice is decolonizing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) advocacy in Rwanda, and Andy is amplifying intersex, trans, and nonbinary voices in Kenya through storytelling and digital media. Their approaches differ, but their goal is the same: a more just, gender-equal world.
Read on to see how Doreen, Andy, and Alice are shifting power, reclaiming narratives, and driving bold, youth-led feminist action in Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda.
Question: Looking back on your time at AWID, what were your biggest takeaways? How do you plan to use what you learned to shift power to other young people and advance gender equality in your community?
Doreen: A lot of the conversations I was a part of during AWID centered around countering anti-rights movements. I learned that to work around this theme, it is important to understand how these movements operate and the impact they have on the work we do as advocates for social change. Who are these anti-rights actors? How do they organize? How can we work to overturn the gains they have made?
“On top of having this information, it’s important as advocates to not simply work reactively, but also create our own narratives on the issues we seek to address.”
I intend to work with LBQT persons in Uganda on this theme by identifying which narratives have been spread by these actors and how we can safely change them, given the hostile legal regime. We shall also come up with non-reactive initiatives of advocacy.
Andy: The most impactful lesson I took from AWID was the power of intersectional collaboration. Specifically, in Women Deliver’s “Daring to Dream” session, witnessing diverse feminists, especially young leaders, strategize on resisting anti-rights movements was empowering. Also, a session on storytelling for advocacy deeply resonated with me, reminding me of the transformative power of sharing lived experiences.
I plan to integrate these learnings by creating a platform for young intersex, trans, and nonbinary persons in Kenya to share their stories through art, film, and digital advocacy. By amplifying these voices, I hope to shift power to grassroots youth and foster a collective movement to challenge stigma and inequality in accessing SRHR.
Alice: My biggest takeaway from the 15th AWID International Forum is that money isn’t the only resource needed for feminist work. Connection, solidarity, and collective action are also powerful resources. I learned that political issues like genocides and climate change are feminist issues and that feminism without inclusion and intersectionality is merely performative, not real feminism.
To shift power to other young people and advance feminism in my community, I plan to use online platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok to share what I learned. I’ll also share insights in person with other feminists at an upcoming convening and during our regular discussions at work, like the Gender Café. As I work for a feminist organization, I see these spaces as vital for sparking change. Additionally, I’ll incorporate these learnings into future trainings I participate in, ensuring the knowledge spreads and inspires collective feminist action.
Question: What narratives for social change discussed at AWID stood out to you, and how do you plan to adapt them to strengthen youth-led advocacy for gender equality in your local context?
Doreen: Women Deliver, in its ideation workshops, discussed a number of narratives for social change, particularly regarding organizing to counter anti-rights movements. What stood out the most was the narrative that SRHR is not Western-imposed and not at odds with African values and culture. This is because the narrative that SRHR is here to pervert Ugandans into Westernization and take them away from their African values has been used to cut back on the rights of girls, women, and especially LGBTQ persons. It has influenced anti-homosexuality laws and other anti-SRHR policies in Uganda, such as the banning of rolling out comprehensive sexuality education in schools.
I plan to use this narrative to clear disinformation and appeal to everyday concerns of youth regarding their SRHR. I will tell a new counter-story to influence a positive outlook on SRHR.
Andy: The narrative of “hope as resistance” stood out to me. It emphasized how fostering hope within oppressed communities can counter the despair sown by anti-rights movements. This perspective aligns with my advocacy, as hope fuels resilience in the face of systemic barriers.
In Kenya, I’ll adapt this narrative by highlighting success stories of intersex and gender-diverse youth thriving despite societal challenges. Additionally, I’ll incorporate AWID’s emphasis on solidarity, ensuring our youth-led initiatives collaborate with other feminist movements across Africa. This intersectional approach will strengthen our fight for gender equality by uniting diverse struggles under a shared vision of justice.
Alice: During the Women Deliver ideation workshop on anti-rights movements, several impactful narratives emerged. First, instead of opposing religious anti-rights groups, we can collaborate with allies within religious communities. Addressing internal conflicts in our own movement is crucial before tackling external challenges.
“Decolonizing language and simplifying concepts like SRHR are vital for grassroots outreach, making these ideas relatable and understandable.”
We must shift our messaging to focus on common good and well-being, avoiding complex terminologies and polarizing phrases. Using relatable, Global South narratives can resonate with communities. Additionally, engaging governments constructively rather than aggressively is essential. These insights will help me adapt youth-led advocacy in my context by fostering inclusive language, strategic partnerships, and practical engagement.
Question: What role do you see youth-led organizations and movements playing in pushing back against anti-rights actors, especially in global spaces, and how can these movements be better centered within global collective action to create a world where all girls and women have full control over their bodies and lives?
Doreen: Youth-led organizations and movements are the future of organizing for social change. As such, they play a significant role in efforts to counter anti-rights groups and their agenda. In global spaces, these movements can share in real time how they have seen the rollback on human rights happen and how they have seen anti-rights groups actively organize to create this reality. With that in mind, they can then create and employ new tactics of organizing in their advocacy and create new narratives to counter the negative ones that anti-rights groups have formed.
“Youth organizers and movements should harness their power to change the tide from simply reacting to anti-rights actors to altogether creating new agendas and narratives focused on creating a world where women and girls are autonomous and free beings.”
Andy:
“Youth-led organizations are the heartbeat of resistance against anti-rights actors. Our energy, creativity, and ability to harness digital tools make them uniquely effective in countering regressive narratives.”
At AWID, I realized the importance of centering youth-led movements within global collective action by amplifying their voices, funding their initiatives, and integrating their leadership into decision-making spaces. To strengthen these movements, we need to create safe spaces for youth to collaborate globally, exchange strategies, and co-create solutions. AWID inspired me to advocate for more inclusive policies within feminist networks, ensuring youth voices are prioritized in global conversations about bodily autonomy and rights.
Alice: Youth-led organizations play a vital role in pushing back against anti-rights actors, especially in global spaces. These organizations are highly active on social media, a key battleground for anti-rights movements, where they effectively counter misinformation and raise awareness.
“With their ability to connect with their peers, youth-led groups are uniquely positioned to educate and mobilize young people, sharing insights about how anti-rights actors recruit youth into their agendas.”
In global spaces, youth-led movements share lived experiences and realities, offering critical perspectives on the impact of anti-rights actors. For instance, organizations in Kenya and Uganda have deep knowledge of anti-rights activities in their countries, and as a youth from Rwanda, I’ve seen similar trends here. If youth-led organizations were given more space to share their insights, propose solutions, and connect with feminist activists globally, we could collectively strengthen the fight against anti-rights actors and empower women and girls everywhere.
