TW: Parts of this feature include real life stories and statistical descriptions of women who have experienced physical and sexual violence. Some of the stories may be triggering for people who have experienced these forms of violence. A closer analysis of IPV prevalence in West Africa requires significant unpacking of gender norms and the different ways they manifest, as well as influence IPV.   Introduction Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) affects women in many ways and for some women, it has lifelong impacts. A multi-level study conducted by the Lancet in 2018 using the World Health Org ..read more

In the face of the overwhelming challenges that echo across the world, The Coalition of Feminists for Social Change (COFEM) extends our unwavering solidarity with those in the crossfires of imperialism, militarism and settler colonialism. Our hearts are heavy with the recognition that human suffering extends far beyond the borders of the latest headlines. While the world’s gaze remains fixed on the devastating genocide in Gaza, it is also our duty to remain vigilant and acknowledge the pain and struggles of those in regions less geopolitically relevant to some, but no less significant to us. N ..read more

Humanitarian crises, climate change and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) have been demonstrated to have an uniquely adverse impact on women and girls with disabilities. While support comes in many forms, it’s clear that in most areas needs are not being met. One particular area that is rarely discussed is funding. While people are speaking more about GBV than before, the money has not always followed that talk. GBV, Women’s Rights Organizations (WROs) and feminist movements struggle to find sustainable funding in general, as highlighted in the Feminist Handbook on Grantmaking. These challenges are ..read more

The Coalition of Feminists for Social Change stands in unwavering solidarity with the people of Palestine, firmly condemning the 75-year-long illegal occupation of Palestinian territories and the 16-year blockade on Gaza. The ongoing violence gravely infringes upon the fundamental human rights of the Palestinian population. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Palestinian feminist and community-based organizations who demonstrate unwavering resilience on the front lines, providing crucial support to their communities. As Politics4Her reminds us, our unwavering commitment to the protection of wom ..read more

Following on COFEM’s article about centering women and girls with disabilities in humanitarian crisis, here writer Christine Homan provides feminist practices to integrate women and girls with disabilities in humanitarian response. Humanitarian crises come in many different forms, and have a deep impact on everyone affected, but it’s clear that women and girls with disabilities have unique needs in these situations that are not being met and make them more vulnerable to further exploitation and abuse. According to a UNFPA Report: “Persons with disabilities are three times more likely to experi ..read more

Centering women and girls with disabilities in humanitarian crisis is a crucial need in emergencies and disasters. To better center women and girls with disabilities, we need to look at intersectionality. Intersectionality is one of the most essential frameworks in feminist circles. This concept draws attention to the ways in which different aspects of our identities interact and impact the way we move through the world, specifically in relation to our gender identity. The term was coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw and was born from the discussion of how race and gender interact, but it has since ev ..read more

Note: This blog is based on a presentation given by Fatima Saeed at the SVRI Forum held in Cancún, Mexico, in September 2022. My name is Fatima Saeed, a brown-migrant, Pakistani-Muslim feminist activist representing the membership of the Coalition of Feminists for Social Change (COFEM), an advocacy collective of thought leaders, activists, practitioners, and academics working globally to end gender-based violence. I mention my intersecting identities because for many young millennial feminist activists like myself at the frontlines of the women’s rights movement; intersectionality has been a G ..read more

COFEM stands in solidarity with feminists in Iran and around the world, condemning the murder of Mahsa Amini under Iranian Police Forces. Mahsa was detained by Tehran’s morality police on September 13 2022 for allegedly violating a hijab law. She tragically died under police custody three days later. Globally, women and girls face severe risks of violence, including murder, due to patriarchal, white supremacist, ableist, heteronormative institutions, and religious rules and sanctions. Today, Iranian women protesting Mahsa’s murder faced continued threats and acts of violence, with a growing to ..read more

The Coalition of Feminists for Social Change stands in solidarity with people in Ukraine. We condemn imperialism and Russian military action, and all Russian military action within Ukraine’s borders that violates basic human rights to safety and sovereignty. We stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian feminist, LGBTQIA+, and disability justice community based organizations who are the first ones to be affected and the first ones to respond to crisis. They are working, as we write, to leverage their long standing community relationships and expertise in inclusive crisis response to evacuate commu ..read more

The policing and punitive justice systems that have been institutionalized around the world have not solely been committed to protect and serve, but rather have led to tremendous harm and different forms of brutality. Prevailing systems, laws, and societal norms have reinforced discriminatory behaviors and beliefs especially towards persons who are underserved, stigmatized, stereotyped, and whose historically excluded identities intersect–making them a vulnerable target of the criminal justice system.  Globally, police forces are the remnant of colonial rule. Policing and police systems w ..read more