Women from all over the world participated in the 12th International Forum on Women’s Rights and Development in Istanbul, Turkey on April 19 – 22. The forum, organized by the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID), focused on the effects on women of recent financial and political upheavals in the world. The conclusion was that these times of crisis have not been kind to women. But forum organisers also expressed optimism that despite the challenges, the global climate is becoming more receptive to demands for gender and social justice.
Alpizar Duran, executive director of AWID, cautioned that political and economic upheaval creates a heightened risk of backlash for women activists in many parts of the world. She said, “One of the biggest challenges is increased violence and repression; those struggling for change are becoming targets of attacks.” She added that there can’t be economic rights without also considering bodily rights and political rights, “Women’s realities are determined by their ability to make decisions.”
Compiled from: Women of the World Unite for Rights, Inter Press Service (23 April 2012).