Srilatha Batliwala's presentation 'Feminist Theory in Context: Then and Now' traces changes in feminist theory from the 70's to the present day and looks at G@W's framework for assessing change in the roots of gender inequality.

1. Feminist(theory(in(context(–(then(
and(now!(
Srilatha(Batliwala(
Scholar(Associate(
Bridging(Knowledge(&(Prac<ce(
AWID((
(Associa<on(for(Women’s(Rights(in(Development)(
20/09/13(SBatliwala(1(

2. Feminist(Theory(of(Change(–((
preOBeijing((late(70s(t0(early(90s)(
• Patriarchy(and(the(social(construc<on(of(gender(as(the(
root$cause$of$gender$inequality$
• Consciousness$raising,(and(moving(from(women(as(
vic<ms(or(beneficiaries(to(women$as$agents$of$change,(
architects(and(leaders(of(social(transforma<on((i.e.,(from(
WID,(WAD(&(GAD(to(women’s(empowerment)(
• BECAUSE(we(knew(that(systems(can(easily(isolate,(
neutralize,(coopt,(or(expel(individual(or(small(groups(of(
women(who(try(to(push(for(change,(we(believed(it(was(
vital(to$mobilize$large$masses$of$women,(to(build(
collec<ve(power(and(organize$strong$movements$to(
frame(new(agendas(and(lead(the(change(process(
20/09/13(SBatliwala(2(

3. What(did(we(mean((
by((movement?(
An$organized$set$of$people$vested$
in$making$a$change$in$their$
situa<on$(“the$cons<tuents”)$$
pursuing$a$common$poli<cal$
agenda$through$collec<ve$ac<on.((
SBatliwala
320/09/13(

4. Feminist(preOBeijing(TOC(–(cont’d(
• Advocacy(and(mobiliza<ons(to(advance$formal$
equality,(crea<ng(enabling(policy(and(legal(
frameworks(at(the(na<onal(and(global(levels(
• Increasing(representa<on$of$women$in$decisionB
making,(especially(poli<cal(bodies(at(local(and(
na<onal(levels((
• Challenging(and(engendering$other$social$
movements(–(human(rights,(economic(jus<ce,(
environment,(labor,(peace,(health,(educa<on(
• Demanding(the(mainstreaming$of$gender$in(
na<onal(and(interna<onal(development(and(aid(
machinery(
(
20/09/13(SBatliwala(4(

5. This(TOC(was(based(on(a(
par<cular(understanding(of(the(
construc<on(of(gender(power(
that(evolved…((
20/09/13(SBatliwala(5(

6. Human(
Resources(
Material(
Resources(
Intangible(
Resources(
Knowledge(
Resources(
Ideologies(Social(Rules(Ins<tu<ons(
Gender&/&
Social&Power&
Structure&
Violence(
Threat(of(Violence(
Access(/(
control(over(
Access(/(
control(over(
The(Dynamic(of((
Social(Power(
20/09/13(SBatliwala(6(

7. The(G@W(framework(for(assessing(change(in((
the(roots(of(gender(inequality((
Individual&
Systemic&&
Informal&Formal&&
Consciousness(/(
(Internalized(
agtudes,(selfO
esteem)(
Individual(access(
to(rights(&,(
resources(
Cultural(/(social((
norm(structures(
Laws,(policies,(
resource(
alloca<ons(
Community&
7(20/09/13(SBatliwala(

8. What’s(changed(in(the(new(context(
Internal:(
• Deepening(understanding(of(
power(–(hidden,(invisible(
“agenda(segng”(power(
• Disrup<on(of(our(binary(
concept(of(gender,(other(
gender(iden<<es(
• Greater(understanding(
“Intersec<onality”((
• “NGOOiza<on”(
• Emergence(of(new(
movements,(new(ways(of(
organizing,(challenges(from(
other(movements(
• External:(
• Magic(bullets(extrac<ng(
pieces(of(our(transforma<ve(
strategies(
• Defunding(of(women’s(
empowerment(/(
transforma<ve(approaches,(
“results(orienta<on”(
• Fa<gue(with(gender(
• New(nonOstate(actors(in(
development((
• Backlash,(where(disrup<on(
means(holding(the(line(
(20/09/13(SBatliwala(8(

9. Donella(Meadows,(in(“Leverage(
Points”(said:((
• “(Folks(who(do(systems(analysis(have(a(great((belief(in(
‘leverage(points.’(These(are(places(within(a(complex(system(
(a(corpora<on,(an(economy,(a(living(body,(a(city,(an(
ecosystem)(where(a(small(shio(in(one(thing(can(produce(big(
changes(in(everything.(
• “This(idea(is(not(unique(to(systems(analysis—it’s(embedded(
in(legend.(The(silver(bullet,(the(trimtab,(the(miracle(cure,(
the(secret(passage,(the(magic(password,(the(single(hero(or(
villain(who(turns(the(<de(of(history.(The(nearly(effortless(
way(to(cut(through(or(leap(over(huge(obstacles.(We(not(
only(want(to(believe(that(there(are(leverage(points,(we(
want(to(know(where(they(are(and(how(to(get(our(hands(on(
them.(Leverage(points(are(points(of(power.”(
Donella(Meadows,(“Leverage(Points(–(Places(to(Intervene(in(a(System”,((The(
Sustainability(Ins<tute,(1998(
20/09/13(SBatliwala(9(

10. How(valid(is(the(feminist(
movement(approach(today?(
Does(it(s<ll(“disrupt”?(
Some(evidence(from(AWID’s(analysis(
of(the(aggregate(impact(of(the(MDG3(
Fund(grants…(
20/09/13(SBatliwala(10(

11. The(collec<ve(impact(of(the(MDG3(
Fund(grants(
• Almost(225$million$people$reached(with(new(
awareness(of(women’s(rights(
• Over(65.5$million$grassroots$women$reached(with(
awareness(of(their(rights(
• Over(230,000$ac<vists$were(provided(tools(and(skills(to(
support(women’s(asser<on(of(their(rights(
• Over(105,000$women’s$organiza<ons$were(
strengthened(/(provided(greater(capacity(and(tools(
• Nearly(3,700$women’s$organiza<ons$were(provided(
new(or(more(resources(to(strengthen(or(expand(their(
work,(especially(at(grassroots(level(
11(20/09/13(SBatliwala(

12. • 38$Local$governments$and$45$na<onal$governments$were(
influenced(and(to(reOassess,(strengthen,(and(improve(
their(gender(equality(policies,(programs(and(outcomes(
• 14$other$interna<onal$and$regional$human$rights$/$
women’s$rights$ins<tu<ons$and$mechanisms(were(
influenced(to(beser(advance(women’s(rights(
(Interna<onal(Criminal(Court,(Inter(American(Court(of(
Human(Rights(,(CEDAW(Commisee,(OECD(DAC,(
Organiza<on(of(Arab(States,(SADEC,(etc.,etc.),(including(a(
new(interna<onal(rights(instrument(O(the(ILO(Conven<on(
189(on(Domes<c(Work(O(was(approved(
• 45$groundbreaking$new$tools$and$innova<ons$developed(
for(building(awareness,(assessing(and(improving(
government(policies,(programs(and(services,((12(20/09/13(SBatliwala(

13. 13(
Karama:(prevented(the(
passage(of(a(more(
restric<ve(personal(status(
law(in(Syria,(supported(by(
the(survey(of(public(
agtudes(showing(support(
for(a(more(liberal(personal(
status(code(
Disrup<on:(dealing(with(backlash,((
holding(the(line(
JASS/AWID/OTHERS:(
Strengthened(visibility(of(
growing(violence(against(
WHRDs,(built(a(regional(
coali<on,(and(contributed(
to(greater(visibility(/(
more(effec<ve(protec<on(
AWDF:(Mobilised(to(
resist(nega<ve(legisla<on(
and(policy(O(such(as(the(
An<(Homosexuality(Bill(
in(Uganda,(the(Indecent(
Dressing(Bill(in(Nigeria(
FCAM&/&PARTNERS:(held(
back(an(ini<a<ve(to(
penalize(emergency(
contracep<ve(pills(in(
Guatemala.((
20/09/13(SBatliwala(

14. How(gender(power(was(impacted((N=34)(
14(
Individual(
Systemic((
Informal(Formal((
Consciousness(/(
Internalized(
agtudes,(selfO
esteem(
Access(to(&(
control(over(
resources(/(
services(
Cultural(/(social(
norms,(beliefs,(
prac<ces(
Laws,(policies,(
resource(
alloca<ons(
Community(
20/09/13(SBatliwala(

15. Natureofshiftsinindividualconsciousness/
self-confidence/awarenessofrights(N=32)(
15(0(10(20(30(40(50(60(70(80(90(100(
Women's(greater(decision(making(
ability(
Change(in(agtudes(towards(
women(/(women's(issues(
Increased(confidence,(selfOesteem,(
selfOcare,(healing(
Women's(increased(voice(and(
par<cipa<on(
Increased(par<cipa<on(in(
leadership(&(advocacy(
Increased(awareness(/(knowledge(
of(gender(discrimina<on(
9&
17&
18&
21&
21&
22&
28&
53&
56&
66&
66&
69&
No.(
%(
20/09/13(SBatliwala(

16. Nature(of(shios(in(socioOcultural(norms(
and(prac<ces((N=30)(
16(
0(10(20(30(40(50(60(70(80(90(
Other(social(/(cultural(shios(
Space(created(for(discussing(and(
challenging(gender(stereotypes(
Media(sensi<vity(and(use(of(media(to(
discuss(gender(issues(
Posi<ve(shios(in(community(agtudes(and(
ac<on(on(women's(issues(
Increased(public((awareness,(empathy,(&(
support(for(women's(rights(
6&
8&
10&
19&
20&
20&
27&
33&
63&
67&
No.(
%(
20/09/13(SBatliwala(

17. Nature(of(shios(in(individual(access(to(
resources(&(rights((N=29)(
17(0(20(40(60(80(100(
Other(shios(in(the(individual(domain(
Increased(awareness(of(available(
services/resources(
Increased(access(to(resources,(secure(
livelihoods(&(economic(opportuni<es((
Greater(voice/poli<cal(par<cipa<on/(
role(in(decision(making(
Stronger(manifesta<ons(of(leadership(
Visible(increase(in(access(to/asser<on(
of(rights(
6(
10(
11(
12(
15(
19(
21&
34&
38&
41&
52&
66&
No(
%(
20/09/13(SBatliwala(

18. Nature(of(shios(in(formal(laws,(policies(
&(resource(alloca<ons((N=26)(
18(
0(20(40(60(80(100(
Beser(evidence(generated(to(inform(
future(advocacy(
Improved(implementa<on(of(laws,(
policies(&(services(
Increased(resource(alloca<ons(for(
women(
Recogni<on(by(governments(/(
mul<laterals(ins<tu<ons(of(importance(
of(women's(rights((
Stronger(laws/policies/quotas/
ins<tu<ons(for(women(
6(
7(
7(
8(
18(
23&
27&
27&
31&
69&
No.(
%(
20/09/13(SBatliwala(

19. In(“”The(age(of(endings,(Paul(
Kingsnorth(says:((
(
• “If(I(were(a(scien<st,(I(might(say(we(were(living(in(an(age(of(
entropy…..(Wherever(you(choose(to(look,(old(certain<es(and(
old(reali<es(appear(to(be(dissolving…(Human(endings(too…((
• “All(of(these(changes(are(caused(by(one(phenomenon:(a(
burgeoning(human(economy(that(serves(a(global(consumer(
society(in(which(desire(poses(as(need(and(all(needs(are(there(
to(be(met.(Blame(who(you(like(for(this(situa<on:(…(it(doesn’t(
really(maser.(The(age(of(endings,(the(age(of(accelera<on,(is(at(
hand,(and(each(of(us(is(strung(out(in(its(web.(
Paul(Kingsnorth,(“The(Age(of(Endings”,(Transforma<on,(openDemocracy,(
hsp://www.opendemocracy.net/transforma<on/paulOkingsnorth/ageOofOendings,(August(2013(
20/09/13(SBatliwala(19(

20. Kingsnorth(concludes:(
• “The(myth(of(progress(is(encircled(by(a(set(of(….(subOmyths:(
the(ability(to(access(truth(through(objec<ve(science;(a(faith(
in(advanced(technology;(the(assump<on(of(reason’s(
superiority(over(intui<on;(and(a(belief(in(the(supremacy(of(
the(human(species(over(the(rest(of(life(….(
• “These(are(our(stories.(Now(they(are(killing(us(–(and(not(
just(us.(The(age(of(endings(is(a(product(of(misplaced(beliefs,(
of(myths(gone(bad….(the(work(of(change(is(too(important(
to(be(leo(to(scien<sts,(poli<cal(ac<vists,(poli<cians(and(
economists.((
• Rewri<ng(stories(is(the(task(of(the(crea<ve(imagina<on,(….(
Perhaps(only(our(poets(can(save(us.”(
20/09/13(SBatliwala(20(

21. Social(/(Gender(Jus<ce((
Movement(Building:(
• Processes'that'build'the'collective'power'of'
an'organized'constituency'of'excluded,'
marginalized,'oppressed'or'invisible'people,'
around'a'change'agenda'that'enables''them'
to'access'rights'and'resources,'challenge'
dominant'ideologies,'and'transform'social'
power'relations'in'their'favor…''.'
21'20/09/13(SBatliwala(