Producing knowledge that strengthens feminist activism in Africa
The Coalition of African Lesbians’ (CAL) strategy (2019-2023) is focused, as a culmination of past years of work, on three pillars of work, ‘Think’, ‘Build’ and ‘Influence’. These pillars succinctly encapsulate CAL’s focus on feminist activism through a sexual politics lens. CAL’s thinking work, which involves consciousness-raising and producing knowledge in and of different forms, is primarily done by and within the organisation’s research and knowledge management portfolio.
Analysing intersectionalities, power & autonomy
Our core research objectives at CAL are to produce knowledge that strengthens feminist advocacy and activism on the continent, and to contribute to increasing feminist research output in Africa. Our research focus is on exploring and examining cross-cutting themes and issues within gender and sexuality with a feminist lens. Specifically, we have worked and continue to work on such topics as, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), violence against women and girls, women’s political participation, feminist leadership and movement building, intersectionality, economic justice, and feminist analyses and perspectives of care and well-being. Our research analysis is underscored by a commitment to an analysis of intersecting forms of oppressions, and how women’s autonomy is denied or obstructed by hegemonic power.
Our methodology
CAL subscribes to the five basic principles in feminist research methodology1:
- Women and gender are the focus of analysis in our research,
- Consciousness raising is vital to our research and knowledge production,
- We value the knowledge shared by research participants as expert knowledge and reject the subject and object relationship in non-feminist research,
- We are concerned with feminist ethics throughout the research process,
- Our intention is to challenge and to change power relations and inequality.
Our research outputs include research reports, toolkits and guidelines, papers and thinkpieces, book chapters, and context overviews and analyses. In addition to producing research, CAL also conducts knowledge production workshops and training for the women and collectives with whom we work.
Principles developed by Judith Cook and Mary Margaret Fonow (1986).
Organising in a Pandemic
Reflections from 2020 2020 was a challenging year, destabilised by COVID-19. The world came to a stand still and not only were we faced with a global health crisis; but…
Politics of Money in Feminist Activism: A Pan-African Feminist, Lesbian Exploration
Part I. The Coalition of African lesbians 2019 to 2023 strategy, begins with a quote by Audre Lorde, "while we fortify ourselves with visions of the future, we must arm…
Our latest country snapshots
Sexual & Women’s Rights Country Overview: Zambia 2020
This series of country context overviews is founded in the Coalition of African Lesbians work…
Sexual & Women’s Rights Country Overview: Uganda 2020
This series of country context overviews is founded in the Coalition of African Lesbians’ (CAL)…
Sexual & Women’s Rights Country Overview: Tunisia 2020
This series of country context overviews is founded in the Coalition of African Lesbians’ (CAL)…
Sexual & Women’s Rights Country Overview: Tanzania 2020
This series of country context overviews is founded in the Coalition of African Lesbians’ (CAL)…
Our Publications
CAL at the Global Youth Summit (GYS)
On the 24th of April 2021, the Coalition of Lesbians (CAL), was invited to facilitate…
CAL At CSW65: Women’s Political Participation & Reflecting on the World YWCA Webinar on LGBTIQ Inclusion in feminist and social movements
The 2021 Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) conference which was the 65th session,…
Launching the WACA Knowledge Project Reports
Out of 444 participants (all in the LBQ community) in Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo,…
ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR LBTQ WOMEN AND OTHER VULNERABLE WOMEN AND GIRLS IN LIBERIA
In 2019, LBTQ activists met in Togo, Lome to conduct research on the access to…
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