Nasawiya is a collective of feminist activists. What does that mean? Well, two things:
By feminists, we mean individuals who are committed to gender justice and equality. There is no one-size-fits-all feminism, but our collective has come up with a set of basic values that we all agree upon. Some people identify with the term “feminist” very strongly politically or personally. Others refuse to call themselves feminist and still have a lot of passion and commitment for women’s issues and struggles. Nasawiyas apply feminist analysis to their social justice work, meaning that they always have an eye on gender dynamics and oppression within social and political struggle, address the systematic structural problems rather than the symptoms, and place women’s experiences and voices as central to any solutions and activist work. Feminism is a learning process for all of us and we are continuously figuring things out by listening to each other, challenging our opinions, and reflecting critically on our work and our theories of social change.
By activists, we mean individuals actively involved in gender justice work. Some Nasawiyas work full-time in women’s rights; others volunteer a few hours a month. Some are students and some are professionals in different fields. All of us are activists in different capacities, whether by leading our own feminist projects or by discussing gender with our friends and communities. In our jobs, classes, homes, and daily lives, we advocate for equality and social change.
At Nasawiya, we do not have a traditional NGO structure of boards, staff, and volunteers. We are a member-driven collective where everyone is equal and in support of each other’s activism. We believe that we are stronger together.
