Women's Learning Partnership

This International Women’s Day, we recognize women not as symbols of hope, but as architects of durable, systemic change.

The question is not whether a better future is possible.
The question is whether the world is ready to follow their lead.

#InternationalWomensDay #LeadingTheChange

Meaningful progress requires sustained action & commitment to challenge discriminatory attitudes, strengthen women’s leadership, & accelerate concrete actions that advance women’s full realisation of their rights across political, economic, & social spheres. #LeadingTheChange

Unfortunately, closing gender gaps remains slow and far from being reality; and continues to limit opportunities and silence women’s voices. Amid ongoing challenges to women’s rights, AWAM continues to champion equal rights, equal representation, & more inclusive spaces for women

Throughout its 40-year history, WLP Malaysia AWAM has been at the frontlines of advancing gender equality through its work in advocacy, public education & training, as well as grassroots community programmes. AWAM also provides essential services including counselling & legal aid.

This month, we honor the women who are on the frontlines of building a better world, including those in Mauritania reshaping religious discourse to build peace that lasts.

Amidst a rise in religious anti-rights narratives and extremist ideologies, AFCF Mauritanie shows how faith can also be a powerful force for nonviolence, dignity, and protection. 

#LeadingTheChange #PeaceAndSecurity

Leading the Change means preventing violence before it takes root.

Through inclusive and progressive religious leadership, women are dismantling extremist narratives, supporting rehabilitation, strengthening families, and building pathways to peace in their communities.

This Women’s History Month, we’re launching Leading the Change — a global campaign showcasing how women across the world are leading transformative change in their communities.

Follow along as we highlight what women’s leadership looks like in action. #LeadingTheChange

This is a valuable resource for all working toward women’s rights and justice. We invite you to read it, share it, and join the conversation as we head into #CSW70 this March.

www.unwomen.org/sites/defaul...

#FreeOurFamilyLaws

Drawing on case studies from various regions and contexts, Hyshyama examines how family laws impact women's SRHR, economic rights, and access to justice, among other issues. We are proud to have contributed to the Expert Papers which will inform conversations during #CSW70.

Ahead of #CSW70, Hyshyama Hamin, Campaign Manager of @equalfamilylaws, authored an expert paper titled “From Discrimination to Justice: Reforming Family Laws to Achieve Gender Equality,” making a compelling case: equality in the family is fundamental to equality in society.

Family laws are NOT neutral.

They shape whether women can own property, secure rights in marriage & divorce, maintain custody of their children, & inherit what is rightfully theirs. They determine economic participation, safety during conflict, & ability to build secure futures.

From Youth Diplomacy to Feminism My childhood in Brazil was steeped in French culture. I studied at Catholic French schools, and in my home, we listened to French music and read French poetry. My mother loved to sing La Marseillaise....

In this personal reflection, Jacqueline Pitanguy, Executive Director of WLP Brazil CEPIA, traces her long & complex relationship with the United States, reminding us that feminist democratic practice requires memory, honesty, & solidarity across borders.

revista.drclas.harvard.edu/from-youth-d...

Youth Leadership & Family Code Advocacy in Morocco YouTube video by Women's Learning Partnership - WLP

In a moment of global democratic backsliding, this kind of cross-border exchange is an example of how feminist movements learn, adapt, and sustain political pressure.

Watch the full conversation on YouTube to hear directly from youth activists shaping gender justice today: youtu.be/T7ZJ1FqvfSk

Young feminists shared their experiences advocating for reform of Morocco’s Family Code, reflecting on the challenges of organizing within restrictive legal and political environments and the strategies they use to push for change.

#YouthLeaders #GlobalSolidarity #FeministAdvocacy

At Bir Duino’s International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival in Kyrgyzstan, youth activists from our Moroccan Partner, ADFM, hosted a virtual session to share how they are shaping gender justice from the ground up.

Resilience in Times of Crisis: Bir Duino Highlights Human Rights Through Documentary | Women's Learning Partnership As civic space shrinks and global crises deepen, women-led movements are increasingly turning to narrative power and artivism to defend human rights, shift culture, and sustain democratic values. Thro...

At a time when freedom of speech and association are increasingly under threat, initiatives like this demonstrate how art can sustain democratic values, defend civic space, and strengthen movements from the ground up.

Read the full story at our blog👇🏾
learningpartnership.org/blog/resilie...

⚖️Keeping Democratic Values Alive

Art sustains freedom of expression when formal civic spaces are shrinking. Film stimulated dialogue and brings important discussions and diverse perspectives into the public sphere, transmitting democratic values across borders and generations.

🎥Documenting Lived Realities

Film becomes a living archive, protecting truth when civic space is under threat. By showcasing real stories of people navigating today's crises, the festival turned abstract policy debates into human stories that demand accountability.

📖Challenging Dominant Narratives

Documentaries expose realities that are often dismissed or denied, offering the opportunity to reach wider audiences and shift perspectives. They turn difficult subjects, like inequality, repression, and violence, into engaging narratives.

This festival demonstrated that documentary film isn't just art; it's activism.

When open dialogue is limited, storytelling becomes a way to:
📖Challenge dominant narratives
🎥Document lived realities
⚖️Keep democratic values alive

In December, people from around the globe gathered for the 19th International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival in Kyrgyzstan, featuring 22 films paired with workshops, discussion labs, and roundtables that helped equip activists with skills and strategies to create change.

Storytelling can be a tool of resistance when civic space is under attack.

As the world grapples with rising threats & an erosion of human rights, WLP Kyrgyzstan Bir Duino created a space for artists and activists to come together under the theme 'Resilience in Times of Crisis.'

Hope in Action: In a Year of Crisis, Feminist Power Endured | Women's Learning Partnership As we look back on 2025, we see a year defined by deepening global crises—political instability, democratic erosion, climate emergencies, shrinking civic space, and intensifying backlash against women...

Hope isn’t passive—it’s something we build together.

As we bring 2025 to a close and celebrate 25 years of WLP, we’re honoring the diverse leaders across our Partnership who refused to cede ground, even in the face of crisis.

Read more: wlp.digital/2025

WLP stands with Bir Duino and FIDH and calls on the Kyrgyz government to cease all repressive measures.

Kyrgyzstan: FIDH Delegation Barred from Entering Kyrgyzstan Following FIDH’s Designation as “Undesirable” by Russia The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World (…)

The denial of the @fidh-official.bsky.social delegation serves as a stark reminder of the growing backlash against human rights and the shrinking civic space in Kyrgyzstan and across the world.

www.fidh.org/en/region/eu...

Now in its 19th year, the festival has grown in scope as it fuses activism & film, underscoring the urgent need to support human rights and stengthening hope for a brighter future. The festival includes documentaries, seminars, & master classes.

birduino.kg/en/press/fid...

WLP Stands in Solidarity with Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan and the International Federation for Human Rights | Women's Learning Partnership WLP calls for action as members of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) scheduled to participate in Bir Duino’s annual International Human Rights Film Festival were inexplicably denied...

WLP condemns this suppression of human rights defenders and calls on the Kyrgyz government to provide legal justification for the denial of entry and subsequent deportation of FIDH's delegation.

learningpartnership.org/press/wlp-st...

This weekend, delegates from @fidh-official.bsky.social who were scheduled to participate in WLP Kyrgyzstan Bir Duino's International Human Rights Film Festival were inexiplicably denied entry into the country. Border officials provided no explanation for their denial, blocking ability to appeal.

Racialized women, migrant women, and women from working-class sectors face multiple forms of violence for occupying spaces that have been historically denied to them.

Together, we can take concrete actions to combat racist discourse.✊🏽