As part of the 16 Days of Activism campaign, Paper Crown Rwanda, a feminist Rwandan non-profit organization, on December 6, launched the Community of Feminist Practice (COPF).
The initiative aims to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among thought leaders, gender practitioners, and feminist activists towards achieving gender equality and ending Gender-Based violence (GBV) in Rwanda.
Launched in partnership with Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation, a Swedish feminist women's rights organisation, the COPF will have two main components: a learning hub (website) where gender practitioners can access resources to improve gender programming, and regular dialogues or "feminist cafés" to promote collaboration and knowledge sharing among gender practitioners and feminist activists
According to Gisele Umutoniwase, the Executive Director of Paper Crown Rwanda, COPF will play a vital role in generating evidence on the lived experiences of women and girls at the grassroots level, informing programmes and policies.
"Community of Feminist Practice will contribute to building a stronger women's movement in Rwanda by identifying passionate and capable gender practitioners and feminist activists, creating opportunities for knowledge sharing and fostering collective action," she explained.
In collaboration with existing gender equality platforms, especially advocacy groups, the initiative also seeks to share resources, expertise, and build solidarity.
Its dynamic learning hub will provide resources for gender practitioners to enhance their programming and facilitate regular feminist dialogues for collaboration and knowledge sharing, according to the pioneers.
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Fidele Rutayisire, the Executive Director of Rwanda Men Resource Center (RWAMREC) said the community of feminist practice also offers a supportive environment for men's engagement groups to collaborate with feminists, promoting healthy masculinity, challenging harmful gender norms, and advocating for gender equality.
Highlighting another critical aspect of the initiative, Bridget Rhinehart. The Head of Office at Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation stated, "Having a space to consolidate and reflect will promote new insights and innovative approaches for lasting social change in the lives of women, men, girls, and boys."
The launch event which took place at Saint Famille Hotel included panel discussions on "applying feminist practice and gender-transformative approaches in developing effective and sustainable programmes to address GBV" and "strategic investments in GBV prevention" as well as interactive workshops focusing on specific topics related to the theme and panel discussions.
