World Social Forum -2024

Global Feminist Forum, 15-19 February, 2024

Square of Statement

Kathmandu Declaration

The Global Feminist Forum under the theme “Resisting Systemic Biases” convened ten thematic spaces and concluded that patriarchal structures driven by market led Neo-liberal policies, increasing Fundamentalism, militarization, and global corporate capture are primarily responsible for women’s and queer’s subjugation, control over bodies, violence and all areas affecting their lives. The politics of imperialist, fundamentalist and fascist regimes is proved to be the biggest cause of inequalities and wars which the world is witnessing now. War on West Bank of GAZA, UKRAINE, situation in MYANMAR, MANIPUR, AFGANISTHAN are some of the examples. In all kind of war, armed struggles, and military dictatorship, women suffer the most. We commit to strengthen community-led peace movements globally and demand a transformative feminist political system to encounter imperialist, fundamentalist and fascist regimes for a just world. More than 3000 Feminists from different movements all over the world demanded immediate ceasefire in Gaza and other countries and assert that these inequities can solely be rectified through autonomous feminist movements aimed at reshaping the power hierarchy.

We hereby declare the following statements.

• Global Feminist solidarity against structural inequalities is urgent. We commit ourselves to lead, participate and collaborate with different social movements and urge everyone’s solidarity.

• The union of capitalism, neo-liberalism, and patriarchy exploits women's labor at all levels in formal and informal sectors. Women’s and queer’s body has been part of global biopolitics which must end. This has affected sex workers, migrants, women working in different entertainment sectors the most. This can’t be addressed without reforming current exploitative neo liberal policies which have converted women’s work to care work and women’s bodies to a consumer profit making entity. The only path to replace this exploitative economic system is through transformative economic policies and redistributive justice system. This requires a social movement guided by feminist values. We commit ourselves to lead, participate and collaborate with different social movements and urge everyone’s solidarity for it.

• Food sovereignty is a right for global citizens. This can’t be fulfilled unless the present market led and for-profit food systems/mechanisms of production are dismantled; and restored by people centric food production and distribution mechanisms. We commit to build feminist food systems from community level and appeal for solidarity from all social movements.

• The global environmental degradation and ecological injustice is greatly impacting marginalized communities. We acknowledge the interconnectedness of gender, power, and environmental injustices. We demand for the urgent redesign of ecological justice to priorities feminist leadership, policy reform endorsing indigenous rights, addressing environmental racism and re-distribution of resources.

• Feminist knowledge is advanced through the analysis of intersecting issues, fostering the development of intergenerational leadership. To develop such leadership, young women and queer must scrutinize the intersections of capitalism, colonialism, and patriarchy, recognizing their impact on lives. We express our solidarity for building youth agency and movements to challenge and change oppressive systems through transformative feminist politics.

• Conflicts, intensified by militarization and capitalism, result in resource exploitation, violence, and inequality, with disproportionate impacts on women and children. Embracing a feminist peace perspective, we confront this nexus, prioritizing justice, equality, and human rights and demand for urgent ceasefire of the wars going around the world and a cap on arms production. We extend our global solidarity for dismantling oppression and cultivating a just, peaceful world. We demand proper reparation of all those who has been affected by all forms of violence during conflict, and war.

• Due to corporate centric economic policies and developmental paradigms, the poor, indigenous, landless and informal settlers, rural farmers are being evicted from their land and housing settlements. This is affecting women the most. We demand that this exploitation ends immediately. We commit ourselves to build the solidarity movement with women and other social movements to uphold and demand for people’s right to land and housing

• Discrimination based on caste, gender, religion, sexual orientation, language, disability, color of skin, migratory status, among others, are the worst form of Human Right Violations. Discrimination of any form should not be tolerated by anyone and anywhere. We demand that all forms of discriminatory policies, practices and values are dismantled immediately and ensured women’s and queer’s bodily autonomy. We commit ourselves to lead, be part of and extend our solidarity in all forms of anti-discrimination movements and appeal for solidarity from all movements.

• Market led economy compounded by unjust development and exportable policies, has converted people’s body into commodity leading to forced migration, refugee, trafficking and exploitation. We demand for the dignified and proper settlement of these issues and ensuring human rights of all refugees.

• In today’s digital world, as the artificial intelligence is becoming an everyday reality of humans, we recognize that different forms of crimes are being committed digitally and globally more than 92% of sexual harassment is faced by women through such crimes. We demand to end all forms of discriminatory policies, practices and values in any form of digital transmission. We commit ourselves to lobbying to promulgate laws and policies favorable to the marginalized communities, girls, women and LGBTQI community to combat digital crimes.

• We recognize that in all South Asian nation democracies are being eroded and people's basic freedoms like that of dissent, association, expression and movement are being suppressed, and media and judicial independence are being compromised. This is having a negative impact on the mobility of women, their right to meet families and other adverse impacts on family set ups. We demand to end all forms of discriminatory policies, practices and values in any form by the governments in South Asia and other regions which impact women. We commit ourselves to lobbying for favorable feminist policies in all countries.

Finally, we feminists around the globe are experiencing the Crisis of Democracy and shrinking civic space. These are thriving through manipulated electoral systems adopted by Authoritarian governments. The adherence to Human rights principles and the rule of law is no longer a priority for governments and thus Human Right Defenders are under attack (displaced, killed, humiliated, stigmatized). We acknowledge and observe that the UDHR (Universal Declaration of Human Rights) adopted 75 years ago requires an update to incorporate current challenges. We call upon every citizen to be a part of a people centered democracy movement anchored within human rights and feminist principles. We are committed to lead, be part of and in solidarity with all movements for the Democracy, human rights, Gender and ecological justice. Together we can make another world possible.

Co-Organizers

1. National Alliance of Women Human Right Defenders (NAWHRD)

2. Tarangini Foundation

3. Social Work Allies for Sustainable Approaches (SWASA) Nepal

4. Nepal Mahila Ekata Samaj (NMES)

5. Women Forum For Women in Nepal (WOFOWON)

6. Sunita Foundation

7. Loom Nepal

8. Rauta Samudayik Hit Kendra, Udayapur

9. Nari Chetana Samaj, Nepal

10. Madhesh Muman Rights Home

11. Feminist Resource Centre (FRC)

12. Jagriti Mahila Mahasangh (JMMS)

13. Opportunity Village Nepal (OVN)

14. Hami Daju Vai

15. Mukti Nepal

16. Girls Right Forum (GRF), Rupandehi

17. Girls Right Forum (GRF), Kapilbastu

18. Community Radio, Udayapur

19. Shrmjibi Mahila Sanjal

20. Mahila Adhikarko Lagi Rastriya Abhiyan

21. Jagriti Child and Youth Concern Nepal (JCYCN)

22. National Indigenous Women’s Forum (NIWF)

23. National Indigenous Women’s Federation (NIWF)

24. Change Action Nepal (CAN)

25. LWF (Lutheran World Federation Nepal)

26. OXFAM Nepal

27. IM Swedish

28. DCA (DanChurch Ain in Nepal)

29. Women's Empowerment Resource Center

30. Centre for Women’s Awareness and Development (CWAD)

31. UNCIEF

32. CARE Nepal

33. Girls Not Brides (GNB) Nepal

34. Action Aid

35. ADRA

36. Consejo de Educacion de Adultos de America Latin (CEAAL), Mexico

37. National Association of Women in Operations (NAWO), India

38. KATALIZO, Canada

39. Women International Peace Centre (WIPC), Uganda

40. WOREC Nepal

41. Asia Feminist Coalition

42. Pahichan Sanjal (cultural group)

43. Nari Chetana Samaj (NCS SWAN