Key Learnings from Feminists Summaries of Case Studies on the on Resisting and Challenging Frontline: Fundamentalisms Key Learnings from Feminists on the Frontline: Summaries of Case Studies on Resisting and Challenging Fundamentalisms Publications from AWID's Resisting and Challenging Religious Fundamentalisms Initiative The full-length versions of the Feminists on the Frontline case studies are available to view or download on the AWID website, www.awid.org. The brief summaries of the case studies—compiled by AWID and drawn from the full- length case studies—are included in this document. Virginija Aleksejune, Margarita Confronting Catholic Fundamentalisms Elizabeth Placido, Católicas por el Challenging Religious Fundamentalisms in Jankauskaite and Vilana Pilinkaite- in the Former Soviet Union: The Case of Derecho a Decidir-México Mexico: The Separation of Church and State Sotirovic, Center for Equality Lithuania and Reaffirmation of Women’s Sexual and Advancement Reproductive Rights Carmen Hein de Campos, Themis Mass Prosecution for Abortion: Violation of Lucila Puyol and Paula Condrac, with The Death of Ana Maria Acevedo: Rallying - Assessoria Jurídica e Estudos de the Reproductive Rights of Women in Mato Mirtha Manzur, Multisectorial de Cry for the Women’s Movement Gênero Grosso do Sul, Brazil Mujeres de Santa Fe Guadalupe Elizalde Molina and Martha Religious Fundamentalisms in Indigenous Kauara Rodrigues, Juliano Alessander, Religious and Political Fundamentalisms Guadalupe Figueroa Mier, edited by Luz Contexts in Chiapas and the Violation of Natalia Mori and Soraya Fleischer, as a Threat to Women’s Rights: Challenges Maceira Ochoa, COLEM - Colectivo de Women’s Rights CFEMEA - Centro Feminista de Estudos in the Legislature in Brazil Mujeres de San Cristóbal de las Casas e Assessoria Leona English, Lucille Harper and Rural Feminist Activism and Religious Ydalid Rojas Salinas, Foro Regional de Religious Fundamentalisms and the Betsy MacDonald, Antigonish Women’s Fundamentalism in Nova Scotia, Canada Arequipa por los Derechos Sexuales Therapeutic Abortion Protocol in Resource Centre y Reproductivos Arequipa, Peru Haven Herrin, Soulforce Q Sexuality, Gender and the Religious Right: Shadi Sadr, Stop Stoning Forever Stones Aimed at Us: An Overview of the Youth Advocacy on LGBT Rights in the Campaign Discourse and Strategies of the Stop Stoning United States Forever Campaign Jessica Horn Christian Fundamentalisms and Women’s Trupti Shah, Sahiyar (Stree Sanghthan) Religious Fundamentalisms and Rights in the African Context: Mapping the Communalism: The Case of Sahiyar Terrain Carmen Sorrentino, Associazione Luca Associazione Luca Coscioni and the World Teresa Lanza Monje, Católicas por Challenging Religious Fundamentalisms Coscioni Congress for Freedom of Scientific Research: el Derecho a Decidir-Bolivia in Bolivia: The Inclusion of Sexual and An Italian Experience of Resisting Religious Reproductive Rights in the Constitution Fundamentalisms Nadine M., Meem Arab Queer Women and Transgenders Nathanael G. Sumaktoyo and Yuyun Religious Fundamentalisms and Student Confronting Diverse Religious Rindiastuti Life: A View from Indonesia Fundamentalisms: The Case of Meem in Lebanon Stasa Zajovic and Katie Mahuron, Challenging the Growing Power of the Women in Black-Serbia Serbian Orthodox Church in Public Life: Jaris Mujica and Mauricio Rivera, An Overview of Fundamentalist Groups The Case of Women in Black-Serbia PROMSEX Centro de Promoción y in Peru Defensa de los Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos Key Learnings from Feminists on the Frontline Key Learnings from Feminists on the Frontline: Summaries of Case Studies on Resisting and Challenging Fundamentalisms Series: Feminists on the Frontline Shareen Gokal, Rosanna Barbero, Cassandra Balchin Toronto, Mexico City, Cape Town www.awid.org Table of Contents viii Preface xi Acknowledgements 1 Key Learnings from Feminists on the Frontline: Case Studies of Resisting and Challenging Fundamentalisms1 Case Study Summaries of Feminists on the Frontline 29 Confronting Catholic Fundamentalisms in the Former Soviet Union: The Case of Lithuania 32 Mass Prosecution for Abortion: Violation of the Reproductive Rights of Women in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil 35 Religious Fundamentalisms in Indigenous Contexts in Chiapas and the Violation of Women’s Rights 40 Rural Feminist Activism and Religious Fundamentalism in Nova Scotia, Canada 43 Sexuality, Gender and the Religious Right: Youth Advocacy on LGBT Rights in Authors: Shareen Gokal, Rosanna Barbero, Cassandra Balchin the United States Managing Editor: Saira Zuberi 46 Christian Fundamentalisms and Women’s Rights in the African Context: Proofreader: Saira Zuberi Mapping the Terrain Design & Layout: Nuria Gonzalez Layout in Spanish: Gris Ojeda Cover photographers from left to right: Guadalupe Elizalde Molina and 49 Challenging Religious Fundamentalisms in Bolivia: The Inclusion of Sexual and Martha Guadalupe Figueroa Mier; Virginija Aleksejune, Margarita Jankauskaite and Reproductive Rights in the Constitution Vilana Pilinkaite-Sotirovic; Trupti Shah; Bareed Mista3jil website; Soulforce website; Stasa Zajovic ISBN 978-0-9868372-2-7 52 Arab Queer Women and Transgenders Confronting Diverse Religious Fundamentalisms: The Case of Meem in Lebanon © 2011 Association of Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) All rights reserved. For permission to reprint any content please write to [email protected] 55 An Overview of Fundamentalist Groups in Peru Published by Association of Women’s Rights in Development (AWID), Toronto, Mexico City, Cape Town. 58 Challenging Religious Fundamentalisms in Mexico: The Separation of Church and State and Reaffirmation of Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Rights Toronto Office Mexico City Office Cape Town Office 215 Spadina Ave, Suite 150 Salina Cruz 34, A6 Waverley Court 61 The Death of Ana Maria Acevedo: Rallying Cry for the Women’s Movement Toronto, Ontario Colonia Roma Sur, 7 Kotzee Road M5T 2C7 Mexico, D.F. C.P. 06760 Mowbray, Cape Town Religious and Political Fundamentalisms as a Threat to Women’s Rights: Canada Delegación Cuahtemoc 7925 64 South Africa Challenges in the Legislature in Brazil 67 Religious Fundamentalisms and the Therapeutic Abortion Protocol in The Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) is an international membership Arequipa, Peru organization committed to achieving gender equality, sustainable development and women’s human rights. AWID’s mission is to strengthen the voice, impact and influence of women’s rights advocates, Stones Aimed at Us: An Overview of the Discourse and Strategies of the Stop organizations and movements internationally to effectively advance the rights of women. 70 Stoning Forever Campaign 73 Religious Fundamentalisms and Communalism: The Case of Sahiyar 76 Associazione Luca Coscioni and the World Congress for Freedom of Scientific Research: An Italian Experience of Resisting Religious Fundamentalisms 79 Religious Fundamentalisms and Student Life: A View from Indonesia 82 Challenging the Growing Power of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Public Life: The Case of Women in Black-Serbia Preface This collection of 18 case studies produced by AWID’s Resisting and In the following months, a six-member selection committee from Challenging Religious Fundamentalisms Initiative aims to contribute to different continents and fields of work selected 18 cases from an greater strategic thinking, dialogue and impressive pool of 180 proposals. In some instances, the committee advocacy on religious fundamentalisms went beyond the prioritized criteria to include studies that provided by women’s rights organizations and Our research base particularly important concrete illustrations of the way religious movements. fundamentalisms operate. The case study authors then worked with a Launched in 2007, the diverse group of reviewers and with AWID’s editorial assistance to draft initiative has developed a In their efforts to confront religious their final case studies. fundamentalisms, women’s rights number of resources based activists signal a need for more on a survey of over 1,600 This collection covers a diversity of contexts: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, information about women’s strategies women’s rights activists Canada, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, of resistance and challenge in other from 160 countries, 51 Peru, Serbia and the United States, as well as an overview of Christian countries. AWID’s 2007 survey of women’s in depth interviews with fundamentalisms in sub-Saharan Africa. Some case study authors rights activists found that... found that activists, and additional are activists working with specific groups such as LGBTQI people, 84% of activists see this as a major need. consultations and research. Indigenous communities, or youth; others work more generally on (see “Our research base” box to the right). women’s rights or government policy. Some case studies are situated in rural contexts and others in urban ones. Some authors work within This collection of case studies aims a religious framework as a strategy, and some do not. Some of the to deepen the analysis of strategies contained in the initiative’s other activists represented particularly focus on religious fundamentalisms, publications by providing contextual illustrations of strategies in while others have confronted the phenomenon as part of their broader practice and making more visible the inspiring scope of women’s rights advocacy. creativity and determination. The case studies also provide detailed