Elenoa Lavetiviti
Confronting Extractivism & Corporate Power
Women human rights defenders (WHRDs) worldwide defend their lands, livelihoods and communities from extractive industries and corporate power. They stand against powerful economic and political interests driving land theft, displacement of communities, loss of livelihoods, and environmental degradation.
Why resist extractive industries?
Extractivism is an economic and political model of development that commodifies nature and prioritizes profit over human rights and the environment. Rooted in colonial history, it reinforces social and economic inequalities locally and globally. Often, Black, rural and Indigenous women are the most affected by extractivism, and are largely excluded from decision-making. Defying these patriarchal and neo-colonial forces, women rise in defense of rights, lands, people and nature.
Critical risks and gender-specific violence
WHRDs confronting extractive industries experience a range of risks, threats and violations, including criminalization, stigmatization, violence and intimidation. Their stories reveal a strong aspect of gendered and sexualized violence. Perpetrators include state and local authorities, corporations, police, military, paramilitary and private security forces, and at times their own communities.
Acting together
AWID and the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRD-IC) are pleased to announce “Women Human Rights Defenders Confronting Extractivism and Corporate Power”; a cross-regional research project documenting the lived experiences of WHRDs from Asia, Africa and Latin America.
We encourage activists, members of social movements, organized civil society, donors and policy makers to read and use these products for advocacy, education and inspiration.
-
"Women Human Rights Defenders confronting extractive industries: an overview of critical risks and Human Rights obligations" is a policy report with a gender perspective. It analyses forms of violations and types of perpetrators, quotes relevant human rights obligations and includes policy recommendations to states, corporations, civil society and donors.
-
"Weaving resistance through action: Strategies of Women Human Rights Defenders confronting extractive industries" is a practical guide outlining creative and deliberate forms of action, successful tactics and inspiring stories of resistance.
-
The video “Defending people and planet: Women confronting extractive industries” puts courageous WHRDs from Africa, Asia, and Latin America in the spotlight. They share their struggles for land and life, and speak to the risks and challenges they face in their activism.
-
Challenging corporate power: Struggles for women’s rights, economic and gender justice is a research paper outlining the impacts of corporate power and offering insights into strategies of resistance.
Share your experience and questions!
Tell us how you are using the resources on WHRDs Confronting extractivism and corporate power.
◾️ How can these resources support your activism and advocacy?
◾️ What additional information or knowledge do you need to make the best use of these resources?
◾️ How can these resources support your activism and advocacy?
◾️ What additional information or knowledge do you need to make the best use of these resources?
Thank you!
AWID acknowledges with gratitude the invaluable input of every Woman Human Rights Defender who participated in this project. This project was made possible thanks to your willingness to generously and openly share your experiences and learnings. Your courage, creativity and resilience is an inspiration for us all. Thank you!
Related Content
Clone of Snippet - Intro WITM - EN
Where is the Money for Feminist Organizing? Survey Results
Thanks to our global feminist community! From May to August 2024, nearly 1,200 organizations working for Women's rights, gender justice, and LBTQI+ equality shared their experiences in the WITM survey. The results offer a unique picture of how feminist movements are resourced and where gaps remain.
Stay tuned for the upcoming report for more analysis!
Clone of Anuncio: Foro AWID 2024
¡Es hora para el próximo Foro de AWID: en 2024!
Cuando miles de feministas se unen, creamos una fuerza arrolladora de solidaridad que tiene el poder de cambiar el mundo. El Foro de AWID será un momento para que descansemos y nos recuperemos juntas, nos conectemos más allá de las fronteras y descubramos nuevas y osadas direcciones estratégicas.
La fecha y el lugar se anunciarán el próximo año, tan pronto como podamos. Estamos emocionades y sabemos que ustedes también lo están. ¡Manténganse al tanto!
¡Asegúrate de seguirnos en las redes sociales y suscríbete a nuestra lista de correo para mantenerte al día!
Et pour les visas ?
Nous avons parfaitement conscience des obstacles pratiques et de la détresse émotionnelle générés par les voyages internationaux, en particulier pour les personnes originaires des pays du Sud mondial. L'AWID collabore avec le TCEB (Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau) afin d'aider les participant·e·s au Forum à obtenir un visa. De plus amples informations concernant l'aide à l'obtention de visas seront disponibles au moment de l'inscription, y compris les coordonnées indiquant où et comment déposer votre demande.
Deborah Holmes
Jusqu’à son décès, à la suite d’une lutte brève mais agressive contre le cancer, Deborah était la directrice de la communication et de la mobilisation au Women’s funding network (le réseau de financement des femmes), WFN.
Entre 2008 et 2017, elle avait également travaillé auprès du Fonds mondial pour les femmes. Deborah était extrêmement appréciée et respectée par le conseil d'administration, l’équipe et les partenaires du Fonds mondial pour les femmes.
Kavita Ramdas, ex-PDG a déclaré, à juste titre, que Deborah était « la combinaison unique d’un être mêlant chaleur, générosité, intelligence et style, avec un engagement passionné pour faire fusionner la beauté et la justice. Elle avait compris le pouvoir des histoires. Le pouvoir de la voix des femmes. Le pouvoir de l'expérience vécue. Le pouvoir de renaître de ses cendres et de dire aux autres que c'était possible. Et nous continuons à nous relever. »
Musimbi Kanyoro, l'actuelle PDG du Fonds mondial pour les femmes, a ajouté: « Nous avons perdu une sœur et sa vie illumine des valeurs qui nous unissent et nous inspirent tou-te-s. Alors que nous sommes tou-te-s réuni-e-s pour pleurer le décès de Deborah, souvenons-nous et célébrons sa vie remarquable, audacieuse et passionnée. »
Historieta: Superheroína feminista refuta mitos anti-derechos
Historieta: Superheroína feminista refuta mitos anti-derechos
En esta historieta de la ilustradora Sophia, se puede seguir a nuestra superheroína feminista que recupera las narrativas capturadas por lxs actores anti-derechos en distintos lugares y salva al mundo.
WITM - Refreshed DATA SNAPSHOTS - ES
Instantáneas de datos
Nuestro poder colectivo, nuestra sabiduría y nuestro compromiso no tienen límites. Pero nuestras cuentas bancarias sí.
Las instantáneas de datos están basadas en las respuestas de 1.174 organizaciones feministas, por los derechos de las mujeres, LGBTQI+ y aliadas (en adelante «organizaciones feministas y por los derechos de las mujeres») de 128 países a ¿Dónde está el dinero para las organizaciones feministas?la encuestade AWID. Estas instantáneas reflejan experiencias de 2021 a 2023, analizadas en el contexto de las tendencias de desfinanciamiento que se han verificado en 2024 y 2025.
Aquí encontrarás lo que necesitas saber sobre el estado actual de la movilización de recursos para las organizaciones feministas.
Merci
Merci de votre visite sur le site d'AWID. Pour plus d'informations sur AWID rendez-vous sur https://www.awid.org/fr
What are the Forum languages?
AWID’s working languages are English, French and Spanish. Thai will be added as the local language, as well as sign language & other accessibility measures. Other languages may be added if funding permits, so check back regularly for updates. We care about language justice and will try to include as many languages as we can and as our resources allow. We hope to create multiple opportunities for many of us to be present in our languages and to communicate with each other.
Ana Lucia Herrera Aguirre
Sue Hoya Sellars
Sue was an artist, activist and teacher born in 1936 in Maryland, USA.
Sue created art for women, about women. As a lesbian feminist, and for a time, a separatist, she was committed to creating women-only spaces. In 1976 she purchased land that is still held by women who visit to make art. Sue took a fierce stand on the protection of women and girls.
With her groundbreaking futuristic, classical and anthropological approach, she filled any room she entered with intellect, authentic eccentricity, unforgiving wit, and humor. Her ideas about consciousness and creativity continue to inspire many people.
Note des éditeurices | Des mots perdus
Note des éditeurices
Des mots perdus
Lorsque notre travail incarné devient un profit entre les mains de systèmes que nous cherchons à démanteler, il n’est pas étonnant que nos sexualités et nos plaisirs soient une fois de plus relégués à la marge – surtout lorsqu’ils ne sont pas assez rentables. À plusieurs reprises au cours de la production de ce numéro, nous nous sommes demandé ce qui se passerait si nous refusions de nous plier aux services essentiels du capitalisme. Mais pouvons-nous oser poser cette question, lorsque nous sommes épuisé·e·s par le monde? Peut-être que nos sexualités sont si facilement rejetées parce qu’elles ne sont pas considérées comme des formes de soins. Peut-être que ce dont nous avons besoin, c’est de réimaginer le plaisir comme une forme de soin radical – un soin qui est également anticapitaliste et anti-institutionnel.
Snippet - COP30 - 6th International Rights of Nature Tribunal - ES
6to Tribunal International por los Derechos de la Naturaleza: Un nuevo compromiso con la Madre Naturaleza
Donde les organizadores de la primera línea de defensa conducen y las corporaciones rinden cuentas.
📅 Martes 11 de noviembre de 2025
📍 En línea y en la Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém
Building Feminist Economies
Building Feminist Economies is about creating a world with clean air to breath and water to drink, with meaningful labour and care for ourselves and our communities, where we can all enjoy our economic, sexual and political autonomy.
In the world we live in today, the economy continues to rely on women’s unpaid and undervalued care work for the profit of others. The pursuit of “growth” only expands extractivism - a model of development based on massive extraction and exploitation of natural resources that keeps destroying people and planet while concentrating wealth in the hands of global elites. Meanwhile, access to healthcare, education, a decent wage and social security is becoming a privilege to few. This economic model sits upon white supremacy, colonialism and patriarchy.
Adopting solely a “women’s economic empowerment approach” is merely to integrate women deeper into this system. It may be a temporary means of survival. We need to plant the seeds to make another world possible while we tear down the walls of the existing one.
We believe in the ability of feminist movements to work for change with broad alliances across social movements. By amplifying feminist proposals and visions, we aim to build new paradigms of just economies.
Our approach must be interconnected and intersectional, because sexual and bodily autonomy will not be possible until each and every one of us enjoys economic rights and independence. We aim to work with those who resist and counter the global rise of the conservative right and religious fundamentalisms as no just economy is possible until we shake the foundations of the current system.
Our Actions
Our work challenges the system from within and exposes its fundamental injustices:
-
Advance feminist agendas: We counter corporate power and impunity for human rights abuses by working with allies to ensure that we put forward feminist, women’s rights and gender justice perspectives in policy spaces. For example, learn more about our work on the future international legally binding instrument on “transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights” at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
-
Mobilize solidarity actions: We work to strengthen the links between feminist and tax justice movements, including reclaiming the public resources lost through illicit financial flows (IFFs) to ensure social and gender justice.
-
Build knowledge: We provide women human rights defenders (WHRDs) with strategic information vital to challenge corporate power and extractivism. We will contribute to build the knowledge about local and global financing and investment mechanisms fuelling extractivism.
-
Create and amplify alternatives: We engage and mobilize our members and movements in visioning feminist economies and sharing feminist knowledges, practices and agendas for economic justice.
“The corporate revolution will collapse if we refuse to buy what they are selling – their ideas, their version of history, their wars, their weapons, their notion of inevitability. Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing”.
Arundhati Roy, War Talk
Related Content
ours 2021 - chapter 2 en
Chapter 2
Understanding the Context of Anti-Rights Threats
The rising power of anti-rights actors is not happening in a vacuum. Understanding the rise of ultra-nationalism, unchecked corporate power, growing repression, and diminishing civic space is key to contextualize the anti-rights threats we face today.
Flor Alba Nunez Vargas
Ottilie Abrahams
Ottilie fue una activista feminista, educadora y política de Namibia.
Fue una de las fundadoras de la Organización Popular del Sudoeste Africano (SWAPO), del Club Yu Chi Chan (un grupo armado revolucionario) y del Frente Nacional de Liberación del Sudoeste Africano (SWANLIF). También fue una de las fundadoras de la Asociación de Mujeres de Namibia y del Proyecto Niñas. A lo largo de su vida, Ottilie defendió el derecho a discutir, a pensar, a disputar y a exigir. Movilizó a las mujeres, organizó a estudiantes y docentes y criticó a otrxs camaradas por su elitismo y su corrupción.
Ottilie trabajó intensamente para desmantelar el patriarcado y para crear una democracia participativa concreta, feminista, transformadora y liberadora.
A menudo decía: «Descansaré cuando muera».
