Transnational feminism and the post-2015 development agenda

Abstract

Abstract:A critical reflection on the contemporary nature of transnational feminist mobilisation and organising, based on the African Women's Development and Communication Network's (FEMNET) experiences of global and African based advocacy during consultations around the creation of the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development including its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This article draws on FEMNET's experiences in three ways. One, to reexamine some of the debates that have shaped the field of women's rights, feminist activism or gender justice in Africa and the enduring legacies of these discourses in policy advocacy today. Two, to analyse the politics of movement-building, the influence of development funding and how they shape policy discourses and praxis on women's rights and gender justice. Finally, to problematise the nature of transnational feminist solidarity. Through these reflections, we intend to draw connections between scholarship on transnational feminist praxis and activism to highlight lessons that arise from a retrospective examination of what it means to engage in feminist policy advocacy across geo-political divides.