In recognition of International Women’s Day, Right Livelihood sat down to talk with Egyptian feminist activist Mozn Hassan, who received our Award in 2016. Celebrating the power of feminist movements, Hassan shared her perspective on the unique struggles and resilience of women, particularly in the Global South, while making a compelling case for why the feminist lens should be prioritised in academia, policy and society at large.
Hassan emerged as a powerful voice raising attention to rampant sexual assaults on women during the 2011 Egyptian revolution. Since then, she has built networks across the Middle East and North Africa region to raise women’s voices.
Talking to us at Right Livelihood’s Geneva office, Hassan laid out the layers of inequity women in the Global South endure. But, despite the seemingly endless obstacles Hassan shared, women remain united, bound by their shared knowledge of unjust power dynamics and collective spirit for progress.
“I think what’s different about women generally, especially in the Global South, is the pressure they face all the time, which creates lots of resilience and character,” said Hassan.
“They know that they have to do many things to create change. As a woman, you understand power dynamics well, so you’re smart and able to manoeuvre, change and see things collectively.”
One woman Hassan especially admires for her ability to do exactly that is 2020 Laureate Nasrin Sotoudeh, a human rights lawyer targeted by Iran’s repressive regime.
“As an Egyptian feminist, I have always been so inspired by Iranian women and the Iranian feminist movements, and lawyers like Nasrin,” said Hassan. ”I think about her all the time and even though I have never met her, I feel so connected to her.”
Finding strength in diversity
Recognising the beauty and power of women’s realities is central to Hassan’s advocacy. She emphasised the importance of elevating diverse voices, challenging societal norms, and debunking stereotypes that undermine feminist causes.
“Listen to women, from different classes, different places, active in the public sphere or not,” Hassan said.
She highlighted the need to invest in women’s issues to catalyse societal progress. Drawing from examples in Tunisia and Sudan, she celebrated feminist movements’ success in combating radicalisation.
“The long work of feminist movements in a country like Tunisia has been part of developing the country and making it harder for [government officials] to be in the hands of radical Islamists,” said Hassan.
“We can see it clearly in the fights historically for the Sudanese women and the feminist movement, they are still on the frontline of defending their land from radicalisation.”
However, feminist movements face significant struggles. With virtually all spheres of public life dominated by patriarchal power structures and colonial mindsets, it is difficult for feminist activists to access the resources and support their movements need to thrive, Hassan noted.
While she certainly sees the benefit of the feminist lens in all spheres, she was especially adamant that the world needs feminist foreign policies that prioritise solidarity and support for women’s rights globally.
Highlighting Mexico as an example, she argued that feminist foreign policies should not be exclusive to highly developed nations.
“Mexico is bringing a new perspective for the Global South as a country that has been facing systematic gender-based violence, gang rapes, the disappearance of women, and fighting militarisation,” said Hassan.
“You say it’s okay for Sweden to have a feminist foreign policy, but it’s not okay for a country in the Global South. Mexico is showing the hidden stories that women’s human rights movements have been building.”
Building alternative ways for funding and knowledge-sharing
Hassan noted that a more holistic funding approach for feminist causes is also needed – one that prioritises sustainability and societal change over short-term projects.
“Resources can be spaces for people to share, to learn, to tell their narratives, to exist in different places,” explained Hassan.
“I think the international community deconstructs resources more than funds them. Funding is not only about having project-based things, it’s about having the language to think about grassroots movements as… strong and capable.”
Reflecting on the lopsided flow of information in academia, Hassan drew attention to the importance of decolonising knowledge to ensure that marginalised voices are centred.
“The corruption of international academia, of our knowledge, and our narratives is really so tiring,” said Hassan.
“It’s not only about the so-called white academia, even those who have been telling us that they come to decolonise, they share their knowledge with us in a colonised way. They use us as interlocutors; they have never seen us as people who produce knowledge.”
As one of the world’s leading feminist activists, Hassan has taken it upon herself to create more resources and spaces for these grassroots movements to thrive. She recently opened a hub in Beirut with precisely this goal in mind.
“The MENA Gender Clinic is mainly about bringing alternative knowledge into action and seeing feminist actions in powerful policy, and the North as an alternative history,” said Hassan. “It’s about seeing our knowledge… and healing because many researchers have asked us to talk about our pain, our movements and our struggle against certain things without thinking twice about our mental health.”
Hassan’s advocacy emphasises the crucial need to invest in women, dismantle patriarchal structures, and foster solidarity globally. As we mark International Women’s Day, let us heed Hassan’s words and work towards a more just and equitable future for all.