women's movements and disruption by lisa venklasen of just associates (jass)
DESCRIPTION
Justice movements organize and mobilize collective action to disrupt the status quo and demand social change. This was one of the presentations at the Global Gender Program panel discussion, co-sponsored by the Gender and Development Journal, Gender at Work and Oxfam. The seminar aimed to retrace the feminist vision that drove gender mainstreaming; discuss stories of transforming gender relations in organizations and communities as well as stories of resistance to change; and explore ruptural ideas and actions that move us beyond gender mainstreaming to influence and transform development and change. It took place on September 20, 2013 at The Elliott School of International Affairs, Washington, DC.TRANSCRIPT
FROM INTEGRATION TO DISRUPTION – HOW TO TRANSFORM GENDER RELATIONS?
Women’s movements and disruption LISA VENEKLASEN, JASS (Just Associates)
September 20, 2013
Movements=Disruption
Justice movements organize + mobilize collective action to disrupt the status quo to demand social change
Outside strategies to push inside agendasFormal + informal linkages Broad constituency – most effected #1 Big vision of alternative, clear values
Interrupt + Make noise“Withdrawing cooperation” (Piven)• RESIST/PROTEST –boycotts, demos, occupations block routines
• CREATE NOISE, PRESSURE to surface + expose problems
• USE SYMBOLISM to re‐interpret reality + give new meaning
Getting on the Agenda
Disruptive new tools + spaces
Globalizing symbols, uniting, multiplying scale of disparate demands
Disrupting Private ‐‐ Public “Our political revolutions will not succeed unless they are accompanied by revolutions of thought –social, sexual, and cultural revolutions that topple the Mubareks of our minds as well as our bedrooms.” Mona Eltahawy, 2012 “Why do they hate us?”
Disrupting norms, roles, “morals” ‐bodies, sex, sexuality
Disrupting Taboos, Mobilizing Sex
All about power
• Relational, dynamic• Socialized, internalized, institutionalized • Good v bad? depends on purpose • Think “physics” • Power over vs. to, with, within, for • 3 faces of power over: visible‐shadow‐invisible
Power over & transformative power Power Overwealth, exploitation; dominance + control via violence or threat of violence; accumulate MORE power with systemic exclusion, discriminationSeen as win‐lose, zero sum game
Power Withinhope + belief in what’s possible; self‐esteem; respect for difference/ dignity; hope; passion for change; empathy
Power WithCommon ground across differences; unity + collective strength; shared struggle; mutual support, solidarity & collaboration
Power Tounique potential of every; agencyperson to shape her life + world;to question, resist, make a difference
Individual: realms of power
• Public (roles + relationships in public life, social structures)
• Private (roles + relationships in family, friends, marriage)
• Intimate (relationship to self, self‐esteem + sense of one’s own body)
Often contradictory + confusing – women’s movement‐building must work at all levels
Power over & Change strategiesVisible – formal structures of decision‐making
Hidden (shadow) behind the scenes
Invisible –beliefs norms, desires, ideologies
“Inside” strategies: Lobbying, advocacy + reforming political institutions
Mass‐based mobilization, campaigns + “outside” strategies using media to disrupt + shift discourse, name & shame, reveal truths, alternative agendas
Hearts + minds: critical consciousness, education to question power, dominant ideas + norms, resist + create alternative forms of power; communicate alternatives to appeal to human connection; gender‐race‐ class‐ability‐sexuality
Empowerment assume conflict
Disrupt internalized beliefs
• Power to… (agency, capacity to act)
• Power within…(dignity, self‐esteem)
Disrupt shame = demand respect
Disrupt victimhood – joy as action
Power with… (collective, solidarity, safety)
Democracy as demand + practice
Women disrupt the frontlines
Disrupt fear + silence
Disrupt sexism in movements
Disrupt feminist myths
Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read
history, is woman’s virtue. It is through disobedience
that progress has been made, through
disobedience and through rebellion.
– Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)