Celebrating Feminists’ Voices, Inspiring Global Peace

Madeleine Rees on the U.S. Election

9 November 2016

I didn’t think we would have to write this. I hoped I would not have to write this. It did not seem possible that a man like Donald Trump could ever be considered as a fit and proper person to hold office. He has shown himself to be a misogynist, a racist, and dismissive of all minorities. He has become President on the basis of lies and the politics of hatred. This is a tragic day for the U.S. and because of its role in the world, for us all.

That’s how I feel, but let us pause. We cannot understand exactly why this has happened. One thing for sure is the refusal of so many people – especially white men – to accept a woman as a leader, especially not one that is a self-declared feminist … (which shows we have much work to do in how we all address that, men even more so than women). The other reasons I can only speculate upon – although there are multiple theories being put forward, and which the establishment everywhere should to pay attention to. There has been a revolt against the machine, as there was in Brexit, against the failed neoliberal economic order. The feeling of having no control over government, of alienation and despair has been important in driving both elections. What is tragic is that it is the extreme right which has seized the moment to rally people in both countries, and will probably do so in Europe. The electorate have not paid attention to the policies but to the feelings and the need for an identity, narrowly constructed. The consequences of all this we can imagine – and they are not good.

Our challenge now is to persuade people of a different way of addressing the failure of the current machine. We have one. It is embodied in how WILPF has worked and analysed the world since 1915. We do not give up on that, not now, not ever as what we are offering would bring what so many people are demanding but are running to the wrong people with the wrong policies to provide it. What we now need to do is to organise. Feminists worldwide, both men and women, need to step up to the challenge.

Trump is a man without real convictions, other than his self-belief and narcissism. He is a deal maker. We have no choice than to deal with him, but on our terms. There is some hope; his position on free trade deals, his dislike of a confrontation with Russia … these are the things we must push. But first we have to push back on his misogyny and racism. On that we can build, even with the women who voted for Trump, but who are unhappy with his position on women, and see if we can get them to join in specific demands on addressing inequalities, violence and the unacceptability of his past conduct; ”guarantees of non repetition” as a condition for continued support.

We must look forward. We are in this for the long haul. We can see this as a galvanising moment which focuses us more than ever on the need to engage in the political, (much as it is unpleasant in the main), but if we do not then we leave it to others to dictate. We need to build solidarity across borders through our WILPF Sections and with the like-minded to progress our vision and strategy for achieving a peaceful world. Look to the people in government and parliament that we can work with, across the political divides. And we must avoid picking up the gauntlet of vituperative discourse, of showing contempt for those who disagree with us. It is what has happened in the UK over Brexit on both sides and it will for sure happen in the U.S. That binary has to be resisted.

The horror of the U.S. election is now over and we have to deal with the consequences. We have to show that we too are up to the challenge. female wrestling

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Melissa Torres

VICE-PRESIDENT

Prior to being elected Vice-President, Melissa Torres was the WILPF US International Board Member from 2015 to 2018. Melissa joined WILPF in 2011 when she was selected as a Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women as part of the WILPF US’ Practicum in Advocacy Programme at the United Nations, which she later led. She holds a PhD in Social Work and is a professor and Global Health Scholar at Baylor College of Medicine and research lead at BCM Anti-Human Trafficking Program. Of Mexican descent and a native of the US/Mexico border, Melissa is mostly concerned with the protection of displaced Latinxs in the Americas. Her work includes training, research, and service provision with the American Red Cross, the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Centre, and refugee resettlement programs in the U.S. Some of her goals as Vice-President are to highlight intersectionality and increase diversity by fostering inclusive spaces for mentorship and leadership. She also contributes to WILPF’s emerging work on the topic of displacement and migration.

Jamila Afghani

VICE-PRESIDENT

Jamila Afghani is the President of WILPF Afghanistan which she started in 2015. She is also an active member and founder of several organisations including the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organisation (NECDO). Elected in 2018 as South Asia Regional Representative to WILPF’s International Board, WILPF benefits from Jamila’s work experience in education, migration, gender, including gender-based violence and democratic governance in post-conflict and transitional countries.

Sylvie Jacqueline Ndongmo

PRESIDENT

Sylvie Jacqueline NDONGMO is a human rights and peace leader with over 27 years experience including ten within WILPF. She has a multi-disciplinary background with a track record of multiple socio-economic development projects implemented to improve policies, practices and peace-oriented actions. Sylvie is the founder of WILPF Cameroon and was the Section’s president until 2022. She co-coordinated the African Working Group before her election as Africa Representative to WILPF’s International Board in 2018. A teacher by profession and an African Union Trainer in peace support operations, Sylvie has extensive experience advocating for the political and social rights of women in Africa and worldwide.

WILPF Afghanistan

In response to the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban and its targeted attacks on civil society members, WILPF Afghanistan issued several statements calling on the international community to stand in solidarity with Afghan people and ensure that their rights be upheld, including access to aid. The Section also published 100 Untold Stories of War and Peace, a compilation of true stories that highlight the effects of war and militarisation on the region. 

IPB Congress Barcelona

WILPF Germany (+Young WILPF network), WILPF Spain and MENA Regional Representative

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Demilitarisation

WILPF uses feminist analysis to argue that militarisation is a counter-productive and ill-conceived response to establishing security in the world. The more society becomes militarised, the more violence and injustice are likely to grow locally and worldwide.

Sixteen states are believed to have supplied weapons to Afghanistan from 2001 to 2020 with the US supplying 74 % of weapons, followed by Russia. Much of this equipment was left behind by the US military and is being used to inflate Taliban’s arsenal. WILPF is calling for better oversight on arms movement, for compensating affected Afghan people and for an end to all militarised systems.

Militarised masculinity

Mobilising men and boys around feminist peace has been one way of deconstructing and redefining masculinities. WILPF shares a feminist analysis on the links between militarism, masculinities, peace and security. We explore opportunities for strengthening activists’ action to build equal partnerships among women and men for gender equality.

WILPF has been working on challenging the prevailing notion of masculinity based on men’s physical and social superiority to, and dominance of, women in Afghanistan. It recognizes that these notions are not representative of all Afghan men, contrary to the publicly prevailing notion.

Feminist peace​

In WILPF’s view, any process towards establishing peace that has not been partly designed by women remains deficient. Beyond bringing perspectives that encapsulate the views of half of the society and unlike the men only designed processes, women’s true and meaningful participation allows the situation to improve.

In Afghanistan, WILPF has been demanding that women occupy the front seats at the negotiating tables. The experience of the past 20 has shown that women’s presence produces more sustainable solutions when they are empowered and enabled to play a role.

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