A round table to share the challenges faced by feminist associations

The difficulties encountered by the non-profit sector are not necessarily known in other spheres of society, particularly those of innovation and entrepreneurship. BATIK Int.'s participation in the Emerging Valley summit, an international summit on innovation and technology between Europe and Africa, provided an opportunity to share the concerns of non-profit organisations with other fields.

Organised with the support of Campus Groupe AFD, the training centre of the French Development Agency, the summit featured several panel discussions. Clara Di Leone, advocacy officer at BATIK Int., took part in the panel discussion ‘Re-examining gender equality in the Mediterranean: feminist narratives for a fairer Mediterranean’ on 26 November.

In her speech, she discussed cuts in Public Development Aid and the resulting weakening of civil society organisations on both sides of the Mediterranean. She emphasised the impact on feminist associations and the consequences, particularly in the fight against gender-based violence in North Africa. She cited BATIK Int.'s publications on the subject, namely its report on violence against women and its positioning note on the decline in funding for associations.

She concluded by reiterating the strategic importance of feminist diplomacy based on direct, flexible and sustainable funding for civil society organisations.