The Mediterranean Feminist Forum (Paris, 3 May 2024)

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The first Mediterranean Feminist Forum took place in Paris on 3 May 2024, organized by the EuroMed Feminist Initiative in partnership with the Interministerial Delegation for the Mediterranean (DIMED). The event brought together around 50 Euro Mediterranean civil society organizations committed to defending the rights of women and girls, and ended with a public conference on “Women as actors of change in the Mediterranean region”.

Fifty feminist associations from both sides of the Mediterranean met in Paris for the first ever Mediterranean Feminist Forum

At a time when the rights of women and girls in the Mediterranean are at risk of regressing due to persistent armed conflicts, socio-economic inequality and the rise of conservatism, 50 civil society actors met in Paris as part of the first Mediterranean Feminist Forum, which aimed to:

  • Facilitate networking between civil society organizations from both sides of the Mediterranean and strengthen their cooperation
  • Promote actions initiated and implemented by these feminist organizations
  • Support the diversification of their sources of financing
  • Underline France’s commitment to implementing an ambitious feminist diplomacy

This Mediterranean Feminist Forum was organized by the EuroMed Feminist Initiative (IFE EFI) in partnership with the Interministerial Delegation for the Mediterranean and with support from the Arab World Institute, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the companies Campusna and Wimbeetech.

Discussions were held regarding priority themes for the future of women and girls in the region:

  1. The combat against gender-based violence
  2. Women’s participation in social, economic and political life
  3. Sexual and reproductive rights
  4. The working environment of feminist civil society organizations and action against anti-rights movements

The Mediterranean Feminist Forum ended with a public conference that included a number of inspiring figures

The “Women as actors of change in the Mediterranean region” conference was moderated by Samira Ibrahim, journalist at France Médias Monde. It brought together four high-level figures from the Mediterranean region, who shared their views of power and change based on their experiences in politics, sport, the justice system and culture:

  • Rima Abdul-Malak, former French Minister of Culture
  • Rima Ayadi, boxing champion
  • Neila Benzina, business leader, co-founder of Wimbeetech and Campusna in Tunisia
  • Nehad Abul Komsan, President of the Egyptian Centre for Women’s Rights

Participants also highlighted the essential role that women in the Mediterranean basin play in the implementation of peaceful and lasting development in the region, despite the various political, economic and social challenges that they face.

The conference was followed by a concert by the Bagnolet Berber women’s choir.

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