Open Society Foundations Announce Young Feminist Leaders Fellows
NEW YORK—The Open Society Foundations announced today the 2019 cohort of the Young Feminist Leaders Fellows, a new initiative to support emerging feminist leaders between the ages of 22 and 30. The six fellows will receive grants to carry out projects that contribute to advancing open society values, women’s rights, and gender justice in Latin America.
“Around the world, feminist, queer, and youth movements are on the frontlines pushing back against patriarchal, authoritarian governments. In Latin America, some of the most audacious ideas for social change are coming from the hearts and minds of young people,” said Kavita N. Ramdas, director of the Open Society Women’s Rights Program. “These dynamic feminist fellows are just getting started, and we are proud to support their growth in the movement.”
Among this year’s fellows are an artist and domestic worker based in Mexico City who will make a podcast about labor rights for domestic workers, and a human geographer who will research the forms of violence that women with disabilities face in Guatemala. Amid an escalating climate crisis, another fellow and human ecologist based in Colombia will document the work of women who fight for environmental justice and gender rights through her podcast, Radio Cuerpa.
Reflecting an intersectional approach to the fellowship, several fellows will take on projects related to LGBTI and feminist activism. This includes an LGBTI activist who will document the stories of young lesbian women facing violence and discrimination in Latin America; a social activist in Colombia who will create a safe space for Afro-Colombian queer people; and a social advocate based in Buenos Aires who will advocate against sexual violence in marginalized communities.
The Young Feminist Leaders Fellowship also aims to foster intergenerational exchanges and alliances among feminist leaders and activists. Open Society’s Women’s Rights Program and Youth Exchange collaborated with three host organizations in Latin America—the Association for Women’s Rights in Development, Equipo Latinoamericano de Género y Justicia, and Instituto Liderazgo Simone de Beauvoir—that will host the six fellows. These organizations will provide the fellows with mentorship, additional resources, and support throughout the fellowship...