Feminist movement-building

The Our Bodies, Our Lives Campaign for Better ARVs has grown from strength to strength since its inception in 2012. JASS Southern Africa gathered over 18 Malawian partners and allies to reflect on three years of organizing alongside the women activist leaders who drive the campaign within their communities by standing up and speaking out for alternative ARVs, better healthcare and the resources to sustain their lives and livelihoods. For the women, the tangible fruits of this campaign and more than a decade of HIV-AIDS organizing are a strong marker that a movement is not built by one organization but through the learning, sharing, exchange and collaboration of many.

“As a Cambodian woman, everyday is a constant negotiation for me. After endless discussions, I was able to convince my mother to give me a chance to get a higher education. It almost seemed impossible, but I was able to do it,” says Chamnorng Som, member of the JASS-inspired organization CYWEN.

How do you work in diverse locations and political contexts, with a diversity of marginalized women around different issues and interests? Informative piece by JASS Board Co-Chair, Srilatha Batliwala situates JASS' work within the "meshworks" framework by Arturo Escobar.

"I want to learn more on how to build a movement across the region as a young woman activist.”