To facilitate the sharing of experiences and expertise between West African feminists and their counterparts in France, and to strengthen the mobilization for gender equality on an international scale, Equipop is organizing a feminist exchange trip during the Brisons le Silence festival organized by our partner Filactions. Kadiatou Konaté, Chanceline Mevowanou, and Amandine Yao, feminist activists from Guinea, Benin, and Côte d'Ivoire, will be in Lyon from November 18 to 24, 2024.
On the agenda:
- Take part in festival activities Let's break the silence organized by the Filactions association: film screening and discussion, stand-up training on street harassment, open stage, round table, etc.
- Promote exchanges and sharing of expertise and experiences between associations and activists in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and West Africa.
- Meet feminist institutional actors and politicians from the region
A few words about the project “Feminist Generations: Lyon and its metropolitan area, a territory of equality” At the crossroads of gender equality and international solidarity, this project aims to raise awareness among young people and those around them, as well as encourage their involvement in these major political and social issues. Through cultural tools and popular education, the project aims to support pilot middle schools, support projects led by universities and their students, raise awareness among the general public through meetings, exhibitions, and debates, and thus contribute to the consolidation of a true culture of equality and a feminist generation. The project also aims to strengthen the mobilization of local actors with complementary profiles, while promoting the sharing of knowledge and connecting them with international actors and networks.
Kadiatou Konaté, 23, co-founder of the Club des Jeunes Filles Leaders de Guinée (Guinea Young Women Leaders Club), has been campaigning for nine years for girls' rights, education, and against gender-based violence and female genital mutilation. Winner of awards such as the All Africa Women's Leadership Award, she advocates for feminism among world leaders such as Michelle Obama, Melinda Gates, and Sahle-Work Zewde.
Amandine Yao is an Ivorian feminist and communications expert. In 2020, she founded Gouttes rouges, a feminist organization that fights against period poverty and illiteracy surrounding menstruation. She also co-created the "Mes Menstrues Libres" festival to talk openly about periods.
Chanceline Mevowanou is a Beninese feminist activist and founder of Jeunes Filles Actrices de Développement (Young Women Actors for Development), a feminist organization based in Benin. A specialist in communication and project management, she is committed to the fight to eliminate gender-based violence and promote gender justice.
Faced with socio-cultural resistance, and with conservative movements gaining ground in both the media and politics in Europe, West Africa, and internationally, how can we change our discourse and practices to respond effectively? This is the question we will attempt to answer collectively during this workshop, drawing on the expertise and experiences of West African feminist activists. Registration and program here.
How can we help children and young adults identify violence? How can we talk about gender and sexuality in hostile environments? In Benin, Ivory Coast, Guinea, and France, activists and prevention professionals fight stereotypes on a daily basis and empower young people. Come and hear them share their experiences and expertise! Register here.
A more informal moment of sharing and inspiration, bringing together feminists from West Africa and student associations in Lyon committed to the fight against gender-based and sexual violence. Dialogue, listening, and storytelling to create bonds, new perspectives, and nurture a transnational feminist sisterhood. To participate, please email: marion.lambert@equipop.org
Would you like to learn more about the Feminist Exchange Trip or the project?
- You are a media, please contact: louise.pluyaud@equipop.org
- Are you a political or institutional actor, please contact: clara.dereudre@equipop.org
- Are you a feminist organization or activist, contact: marion.lambert@equipop.org
- If you would like to support the project financially, please contact: marion.lambert@equipop.org
