What are religious fundamentalisms? How do they impact women’s rights? YFA Wire & Resisting and Challenging Religious Fundamentalisms e-learning 2 Dec. 2011, 10 am – 12 pm EST

Session Outline 1.Introduction (Background, Terminology, Concepts) - 25 mins 2.Questions and Clarifications - 20 mins 3.Rise and Impacts of Religious Fundamentalisms - 25 mins 4.Questions and Discussion - 50 mins

Started in 2007, goals of the initiative are to: Create new, strategic knowledge and share information on religious fundamentalisms (RFs) Increasing spaces for dialogue and exchange Engage in advocacy and support strategies of resistance against RFs Resisting and Challenging Religious Fundamentalisms initiative

Research Sources & AWID’s Resources Survey (1,600+ responses) & young feminists’ survey from over 100 countries 65+ in-depth interviews Strategic dialogues & consultations, Young Women’s Institute 18 case studies on feminist strategies from around the world

What do you think of when you think of “Religious Fundamentalisms”? Type in a few words. remember: no right or wrong & no judgements; just the first thoughts, words or images that come to mind...

Religious Fundamentalisms Exist: across regions and in major & minor religions: Christian fundamentalisms Jewish fundamentalisms Muslim fundamentalisms Hindu fundamentalisms Buddhist fundamentalisms etc., etc.  Religious fundamentalisms  Religion

A Definition  Shared Characteristics A Definition  Shared Characteristics Absolutist & Intolerant Anti-women & Patriarchal About the Fundamentals of Religion About Politics & Power Anti-HR & Freedom Literalist & Outmoded Violent About Culture & Tradition 42% 24% 18% 17% 11% 6% 2% survey question: “How would you define ‘RFs’?”

“Dogmatic thinking and action that defends certain religious positions as unique, true and unchangeable.” - Roxana Vazquez Sotelo, Peru “RFs are institutions, ideas and cultural practices that, from a single and dogmatic vision of reality, attempt to impose values, behaviours and forms of social organizations and hierarchies, violently excluding and persecuting any differing perspective and practice.” - Daptnhe Cuevas and Marusia López Cruz, Mexico Some Examples of Definitions - Absolutist and Intolerant

“... the use of religion (and often, ethnicity and culture as well) to gain and mobilize political power.” Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML) "‘fundamentalisms’ is the strategic deployment of monolithic cultural, religious, ethnic or nationalist discourses for the purpose of securing hegemonic political power” - Madhu Mehra, Asia Pacific Forum on Women Law and Development (APWLD) Some Examples of Definitions - About Power and Politics

“RFs include any set of norms or dictates that restrict the freedom of thought, movement, work, marital status, sexual orientation, political participation and education and the basis of ‘divine law’.” - survey respondent, Israel Some Examples of Definitions - Opposing Women’s Rights and Human Rights

From the Survey: Usefulness of the Term 2 survey questions: “Do you find the term ‘RFs’ useful in your work?” “If not, why isn’t the term useful?” Stresses / Reinforces negative stereotypes28% Not relevant to my work15% Validates RFs’ claims of religious authenticity10% Too jargonistic / not clear / not understood7% Targets Muslims or Islam6% Our strategy is, don’t discuss religion5%

Religious Fundamentalisms also relate to “identity politics”: Tradition Culture Nationalism Ethnicity and Power and Politics Resources Neoliberal Capitalism

Questions and Clarifications Discussion questions: Does this terminology work for you in your activism? How do people understand religious fundamentalisms in your context?

Impacts of RFs on Women’s Rights

Are RFs on the Rise? survey question: “Over the last 10 years, how has the strength of RFs changed in each of the following contexts?”

Relative Influence of RF Forces survey question: “Compared to other political forces in the context of your work, how much do RFs obstruct women’s rights?” combined: 69%

Influence of Diverse RF Actors survey question: “In your work, how influential are the following fundamentalist actors or forces?”

Most Frequent Targets of RF Violence survey question: “Thinking about your work over the past 10 years, which of the following groups have been targeted by RFs for verbal or physical attack?”

survey question: “In the last 10 years, what would you say has been the overall impact of RFs on women’s rights in the context of your work?” 37% + 42% = 79% Negative Impacts of RFs on Women’s Rights

Findings: Impacts of RFs  Reproductive rights & health  LGBTQI rights / Sexual rights  Rights for women in family laws  Rights for women in the public sphere  Rights for women in property & economic sphere  Pluralism & tolerance in society  Control of individual, community and public policy choices – in e.g., education, family life & sexuality  Physical & psychological violence against women, individual, family + community/state  Violence and intimidation vs. opponents & dissidents Leads to  Negative impact on pluralism, democracy, human rights, development

Questions and Discussion Discussion questions: Do you sense that there is a rise in RFs in your context? What examples of impacts of RFs have you noticed in your own activism or contexts? Do you think there is difference in the way that different generations experience RFs?

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