Making our Magic as A Collective

The Transform Education newsletter - March 2022

28 Mar 2022

Hello, dearest Education Transformers, Friends, and Allies,

Can you believe we’re at the end of the first quarter of 2022? How have you been? What magic have you conjured for yourself and your communities?

We have so much to share with you as we welcome Quarter 2!

March is Women’s History Month and as always it welcomes both International Women’s Day (IWD) and the 66th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66). The theme for this year’s IWD was Gender Equality for a Sustainable Future. To commemorate the day, Transform Education (TE), alongside UNGEI and UNESCO hosted a webinar, ‘Smashing Stereotypes: Challenging gender bias in and through education'.

Education Transformers, Nicole Nguyen, Founder and Manager of Mirror Mirror Vietnam, and Michael Chiunda of Chalkback, led an intergenerational dialogue with Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director, General for Education at UNESCO.

“Gender in itself is a spectrum. Gender stereotypes affect us all regardless of our genders.” - Michael Chiunda

We are so happy to invite you to our first gathering call taking place on Thursday 24th February, 10 A.M (Atlantic Standard Time) and Friday 25th February at 10 A.M (Phillippine Standard Time). We created two options to best accommodate you as we aim to ensure better inclusion when we schedule events. This call aims to network, celebrate you, and to brainstorm for the year ahead with you at the center.

Are you under 30 years old, a young feminist activist or belong to a youth-led network and plan on joining us? Let us know here!

Feel free to share with a friend or your networks. We are keen on expanding the communiTE.

Transform Education in New York

The 66th Commission on the Status of Women hosted in New York brings feminist activists from all over the world for various events in the host states. Our very own Co-Chair, Shamah Bulangis, Education Transformer, and fellow activist, Sophie Sandberg, founder of Chalkback and Catcalls of NYC joined members of the UNGEI team, Antara Ganguli, Director of UNGEI, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, Jayathma Wickramanayake and Helen Grant, the UK’s Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Girls’ Education, to chalk their feminist futures on the streets of New York!

Partnerships and Solidarity Circles

We had the privilege of joining the team at Restless Development to host a webinar that sought to demand intersectional and radical changes to address inequalities in Climate Action. Education Transformer, Marinel Ubaldo, from the Philippines was part of a powerful lineup of activists and experts from Fridays for Future Uganda, WE Lead Honduras, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.

“Climate change is a complex social issue that should be addressed using an intersectional approach. Because there are so many intersections in this issue.” - Marinel Ubaldo

Circle of Love, Circle of Care, Circle of Justice

For IWD 2022, we joined our friends in the Caribbean, Feminitt and Caribbean Feminist in leading a series of Solidarity Circles which sought to bring young feminist activists together to share about their feminist journey, learn and explore the intersection of climate and gender justice and lastly, how to manage expectations as an activist.

The activation began with an in-person intimate feminist picnic followed by virtual sessions.

Building a Feminist Community of Care

At TE, we are working to build a feminist community that centers on love, care, and room to learn as we collectively work toward achieving gender equality through education. At our first CommuniTE call, we asked attendees to share what a feminist community meant to them, and here’s what they had to say:

What work are you leading in your community to center care for yourself and each other?

When we think of our activism we must remember the “Parable of the Choir”, “A choir can sing a beautiful note impossibly long because singers can individually drop out to breathe as necessary and the note goes on.”

Movements are made by many people, taking rest will only benefit you and your work in the long run. Rest is essential and not a luxury.

What can you do for yourself for this quarter of the year? How can you care for yourself in a way that you need but you have never done before?

CommuniTE Corner

Book Recommendations

Pleasure Activism by Adrienne Maree Brown

5 Activists/Organisations you should be following

1.) Alejandra Ramos Gomez

2.) The Breadfruit Collective

3.) Wadi Ben Hirki Foundation

4.) Marinel Ubaldo

5.) Fatima Alkaabi

EiE Campaign Champions

In response, World Vision has mobilized a group of EiE Campaign Champions consisting of international and local NGOs and CSOs, youth-led organizations, UN agencies, and related networks to drive targeted, coordinated advocacy to increase support for EiEPC. As part of the urgent global efforts needed, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) – the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises – is developing a new strategic plan and seeking to mobilize at least $1 billion USD for the 2023-2026 period to ensure the continued education of children and young people affected by COVID-19, climate change, conflict, and other crises. These efforts will lead to a High-Level Financing Conference for EiEPC anticipated in Spring 2023.

To better understand the global plan needed for education recovery and resilience, consultations are being offered to key stakeholder groups including youth-led organizations, teachers’ organizations, local NGOs/CSOs, international NGOs/CSOs, UN agencies, and related networks. In addition to group consultation meetings, stakeholders are invited to complete this online survey. Lead coordinators or representatives of stakeholder groups are encouraged to consult their affiliates to submit a single collective response if feasible.
Take the survey here.

Funding Opportunities

FRIDA The Young Feminist Fund has opened its 8th cycle of grant applications!

If your organisation or group is working to improve the lives of young women, girls, trans of intersex youth at local, national, regional, or international levels and engages in inclusive organising, collective action, and feminist movement building then you’re a fitting candidate to apply!

Applications close on April 19th, 2022, and can be accessed here.

Are you a young passionate feminist under the age of 30 working in the area of advancing gender equality through education? Are you looking for a network of other young passionate feminists from around the world?

If yes, we're just what you're looking for! Sign up here.