WUNRN
Association for Women's Rights in
Development - AWID
Link to Research Highlights: Challenging
Fundamentalisms Research Highlights.pdf
05/10/2009
NEW INSIGHTS ON GENDER &
RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISMS
Drawing on the results of a global survey of over 1,600 women's rights activists, as well as in-depth interviews with over 50 key experts, AWID launched a special series of publications on religious fundamentalisms and women's rights in late 2008. This brief reports on the highlights of the research, which sought to map the major trends, strategies and impacts of religious fundamentalist movements across regions and religions.
According to 76% of women's rights activists surveyed by AWID, the strength
of religious fundamentalisms has increased globally over the past ten years.
These movements are gaining the power to shape social norms, influence
international institutions and national decision makers, and define laws and
policies, especially in the areas of 'morality' and bodily autonomy. In the
experience of 8 out of 10 women's rights activists, religious fundamentalisms
have a negative impact on women's rights, and over two-thirds regard these
movements as obstructing women's rights more than other political forces.
In every region, women's rights activists are confronting fundamentalist
tendencies within the world's major and minor religions, and several key
defining characteristics of these movements appear to resonate across borders
and religious divides. The most frequently mentioned is 'absolutist and
intolerant' - fundamentalists take positions that are not open to debate, impose
a dogmatic worldview, and oppose democratic values, pluralism and freedom of
thought. According to 50% of women's rights activists, using violence to
intimidate opponents is a common fundamentalist strategy. This violence is
above all designed to create fear and isolation in order to keep society
fragmented, discourage those who resist or challenge the fundamentalist agenda,
and intimidate their potential allies.
Religious fundamentalists may operate at local or global levels; through
religious or secular institutions; as individuals or through institutions; and
as leaders or followers. There is, therefore, no 'typical fundamentalist.' By
presenting themselves as legitimate social actors and engaging in service
delivery and charitable work, religious fundamentalists are often able to gain
the support of governments and aid agencies and forge partnerships with
development organizations and even some women's rights groups. Indeed, when
asked to rate the influence of a range of fundamentalist actors in their work,
over 60% of women's rights activists name 'NGOs/charities with fundamentalist
tendencies or links'.
There is little evidence, however, to support the common fundamentalist claim
of upholding justice. Religious fundamentalisms present a threat to democracy
and pluralism, and to poor and marginalized groups. They attack human rights
defenders most frequently, specifically target the LGBTQI community, and narrow
the space for diversity and progressive thought and action. Religious
fundamentalisms thus represent not only a major obstacle for women's rights,
but also a growing global political and social force that demands a global
activist response.
Read AWID's brief report on the research highlights.
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