WOMEN WHO INSPIRE INTERVIEW WITH BISI ADELEYE-FAYEMI


Our passion is to end patriarchal injustices


Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi (right), co-founder, and until


December 2010 Executive Director, now President of the AWDF, spoke to our editor Regina Jane Jere- Malanda at the conclusion of the 10th anniversary celebrations. Here are some of her insights into a wide range of issues on the way forward for the African Women’s Movement and how far the organisation she


helped found has come.


ON WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT AND HOW IT IS AFFECTED BY AFRICAN CULTURE You know, within the women’s movement, any kind of movement for social justice and equality, there are players who are able to function at different levels based on circumstances and context. As women we are already disadvantaged by the virtual fact that systems and structures are skewed against us. We juggle norms and values all our lives and all the institutions within us, be it political, economic, social, technologi- cal and all, but we also build bridges. However, there are some of us who had more opportunity than others to manage to manoeuvre and manage through these systems. Tis is why some of us decided to establish an organisation that would be a resource for African women that will enable them to amplify their voice around issues that were important and that affect them within their communities. Tese are women who have a lot of commitment, a lot of energy and a lot of urgency, but due to the fact that we live with systems that considered them as second-class citizens regardless of their accomplishments, it is important to be able to support such women with initiatives. So we came up with an idea of an institution that can mobilise resources and place these resources in the hands of the women, to be able to support them, to drive the women’s agenda. Even though we do face certain obstacles and challenges, we do not face as many from the women on the ground – they are actually doing the work. Having said that, by virtue of enabling them to do things that they are able to and make a difference, whether it be advocating for more resources to build maternal health service, or something to help fight violence against women – these women have urgency of their own so it is question of meeting them were they are.


ON CHALLENGES FACED BY AWDF GRANTEES


We have in some of the organisations we support, women who have been so empowered that they are today able to demand certain rights that they were not able to do before; either with their partners or their leaders in their communities. Tis is very empow- ering and as far as we are con- cerned, extremely affirming. Some women have had to leave their homes to be able to continue to do the work. For ex- ample, there is a group of women


44 | NEW AFRICAN WOMAN


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