Women’s movements and organizations are like different pieces of fabric! A patchwork quilt of threads that criss-cross stories, tracing pathways and constructing plurality. Through the metaphor of the art of sewing, women’s organizations from the Northeast connected to the Community of Practice began their first circle conversation of the year, an initiative run by CESE as part of the Giving for Change Programme.
Creating a piece of fabric stitched together online, the aim was to discuss the programme’s lines of action, listen to suggestions and talk to the groups about the plans for 2024.
Considerations for this initiative require an overview of current politics in Brazil and an analysis of the confrontations that affect the bodies and lives of these women, and the achievements and challenges to come. Among the loose knots, mismatched stitches and unwoven patches, the experiences the women shared included: limited funds to run activities; an increase in femicide, trans-femicide and lesbicide; killings of Human Rights defenders; the need to strengthen networks that combat violence; and limited participation arising from the relationship between work and activism.
Despite a context full of make do and mend, the women also talked about how to connect the coloured threads and different pieces of fabric. Examples of the strengthens of this great stitching together included strategies to strengthen networking, training and dialogue; collective efforts to demonstrate on the streets and in networks; and women’s leadership in achieving rights, bringing together leaders and resistance from the movements. The main highlights were the activities of “March the Month of Struggles,” including International Women’s Day, a moment when all the organizations called on society to take to the streets in defence of rights and democracy.
The participants discussed experiences arising from their activities, debated the content and demands they considered important and took part in an interactive explanation using the methodologies and dynamics proposed by CESE. Raimunda Oliveira, from the Collective of Women, Public Policies and Society (Coletivo Mulheres, Políticas Públicas e Sociedade: MUPPS), praised the “act of sewing” as a common thread throughout the entire process: “The methodology was really interesting. I came away from the meeting having started a “colourful quilt”. The meeting was also very vibrant, with so many women attending. The MUPPS Collective has learnt so much from this Community of Practice!”
The Community of Practice brings together reflections and lessons learnt through active participation. Since 2021, its focus has been on strengthening ties between organizations in the women’s movement. Circle conversations, debates, training, support to projects, the systematization of experiences and various other initiatives have all driven action to mobilize support for the group. To continue weaving these collective elements together, every year representatives determine how the potential of this coalition can be maximized through an open space for suggestions, questions, criticisms and by incorporating new organizations.
This year, through a process of listening, new organizations have joined the community, expanding its work and the diversity that is already a feature of the group. As well as women with disabilities, black women, female activists, female domestic workers, indigenous women, female rural workers, fisherwomen, young women, female communicators, female evangelists, female members of African-origin worship houses and LGBTQIA+ women, incarcerated women are also getting involved, in addition to more indigenous women, Christian feminists, sex workers and lesbians.
In 2024, other threads will be woven together to construct new pathways. The Call for Match Funding Applications was launched during the meeting in order to encourage more applications for support. Plans for the year were also presented, including courses, workshops, circle conversations, meetings, “exchange fairs”, and “update sessions,” both in-person and online. “These moments are very rich for our journey of struggle and to strengthen the groups,” declared Michelle Ferreira from the Pernambuco Women’s Forum.
The meeting was attended by 18 organizations and 25 combative, creative women, who continue to stitch their territories together, strengthening ties and struggles. Adding one more element to these struggles, the Community of Practice represents the connections between collective, diverse political subjects in motion.