What are religious fundamentalisms? How do they impact

women’s rights?

YFA Wire & Resisting and Challenging Religious Fundamentalisms e-learning

2 Dec. 2011, 10 am – 12 pm EST

Session Outline

1.Introduction (Background, Terminology,

Concepts)- 25 mins

2.Questions and Clarifications - 20 mins

3. Rise and Impacts of Religious Fundamentalisms

- 25 mins

4. Questions and Discussion - 50 mins

Started in 2007, goals of the initiative are to:

• Create new, strategic knowledge and share information

on religious fundamentalisms (RFs)

• Increasing spaces for dialogue and exchange

• Engage in advocacy and support strategies of resistance

against RFs

Resisting and Challenging Religious Fundamentalisms initiative

Research Sources & AWID’s Resources• Survey (1,600+ responses) & young feminists’ survey from

over 100 countries

• 65+ in-depth interviews

• Strategic dialogues & consultations, Young Women’s Institute

• 18 case studies on feminist strategies from around the world

What do you think of when you think of “Religious Fundamentalisms”?

Type in a few words.

remember: no right or wrong &

no judgements; just the first

thoughts, words or images that come to

mind...

Religious Fundamentalisms Exist:

across regions and in major & minor religions:

Christian fundamentalismsJewish fundamentalismsMuslim fundamentalismsHindu fundamentalismsBuddhist fundamentalismsetc., etc.

Religious fundamentalisms Religion

A Definition Shared Characteristics

Absolutist & Intolerant

Anti-women & Patriarchal

About the Fundamentals of Religion

About Politics & Power

Anti-HR & Freedom

Literalist & Outmoded

Violent

About Culture & Tradition

42%

24%

18%

17%

17%

11%

6%

2%

survey question: “How would you define ‘RFs’?”

• “Dogmatic thinking and action that defends certain religious positions as unique, true and unchangeable.” - Roxana Vazquez Sotelo, Peru

• “RFs are institutions, ideas and cultural practices that, from a single and dogmatic vision of reality, attempt to impose values, behaviours and forms of social organizations and hierarchies, violently excluding and persecuting any differing perspective and practice.” - Daptnhe Cuevas and Marusia López Cruz, Mexico

Some Examples of Definitions - Absolutist and Intolerant

• “... the use of religion (and often, ethnicity and culture as well) to gain and mobilize political power.” Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML)

• "‘fundamentalisms’ is  the strategic deployment of monolithic cultural, religious, ethnic or nationalist discourses for the purpose of securing hegemonic political power” - Madhu Mehra, Asia Pacific Forum on Women Law and Development (APWLD)

Some Examples of Definitions - About Power and Politics

• “RFs include any set of norms or dictates that restrict the freedom of thought, movement, work, marital status, sexual orientation, political participation and education and the basis of ‘divine law’.” - survey respondent, Israel

Some Examples of Definitions - Opposing Women’s Rights and Human Rights

From the Survey: Usefulness of the Term

2 survey questions: “Do you find the term ‘RFs’ useful in your work?”

Yes 51%

No 25%

Not Sure 24%

“If not, why isn’t the term useful?”Stresses / Reinforces negative stereotypes 28%

Not relevant to my work 15%

Validates RFs’ claims of religious authenticity 10%

Too jargonistic / not clear / not understood 7%

Targets Muslims or Islam 6%

Our strategy is, don’t discuss religion 5%

Religious Fundamentalisms

also relate to “identity politics”:

• Tradition• Culture• Nationalism• Ethnicity

and Power and Politics

• Resources• Neoliberal Capitalism

Questions and Clarifications

Discussion questions:

Does this terminology work for you in your activism?

How do people understand religious fundamentalisms in your context?

Impacts of RFs on Women’s

Rights

In the context of your work

Globally

30%

51%

30%

25%

6%

4%

10%

7%

12%

9%

Increased a lot

Increased somewhat

Cyclic

Decreased

Not sure/Other

Are RFs on the Rise?

survey question: “Over the last 10 years, how has the strength of RFs changed in each of the following contexts?”

Relative Influence of RF Forces

survey question:“Compared to other

political forces in the context of your work, how

much do RFs obstruct women’s rights?”

Much more than other forces Somewhat more

than other forces

About the same as other forces Not sure & Not

applicable (combined)

Somewhat less than other

forcesMuch less than

other forces

44%

25%

15%

8%5%

4%

combined: 69%

Religious leaders

Local / National religious institutions, organizations, groups

International religious institutions, organizations, groups

Militant parties / groups with religious discourse

Religious political parties

Secular political parties whose leaders have fundamentalist links

NGOs / charities with fundamentalist tendencies or links

45%

41%

26%

25%

24%

23%

23%

35%

40%

39%

31%

31%

36%

39% Very influen-tialSomewhat in-fluential

Influence of Diverse RF Actors

survey question: “In your work, how influential are the following fundamentalist actors or forces?”

Most Frequent Targets of RF Violence

survey question: “Thinking about your work over the past 10 years, which of the following groups have been targeted by RFs

for verbal or physical attack?”

% of survey respondents Targets of RF verbal or physical attack

77% Human rights activists

77% Women in general

75% LGBTQI people and groups

75% People who do not match the RFs’ expected norms

Somewhat negative impact

42%

Very negative impact

37%

Not sure8%

Somewhat positive impact

7%

No impact4%

Very positive impact2%

survey question: “In the last 10 years, what would you say has been the overall impact of RFs on women’s rights in the context of your work?”

37% + 42% = 79% Negative

Impacts of RFs on Women’s Rights

Findings: Impacts of RFs Reproductive rights & health LGBTQI rights / Sexual rights Rights for women in family laws Rights for women in the public sphere Rights for women in property & economic sphere Pluralism & tolerance in society

Control of individual, community and public policy choices – in e.g., education, family life & sexuality

Physical & psychological violence against women, individual, family + community/state

Violence and intimidation vs. opponents & dissidents

Leads to Negative impact on pluralism, democracy, human rights, development

Questions and Discussion

Discussion questions:

Do you sense that there is a rise in RFs in your context?

What examples of impacts of RFs have you noticed in your own activism or contexts?

Do you think there is difference in the way that different generations experience RFs?

Keep in Touch!

For any comments, questions or delayed reactions,

or if you want to be added to our e-list so you can receive the

monthly Facing Fundamentalisms newsletter,

please write to: cf@awid.org