FEW at a Glance

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FEW at a Glance

Welcome to the Forum for the Empowerment of Women

Written by Administrator

Mission/purpose

To ensure a world where lesbian, bisexual and transgender women know, access and enjoy their right to autonomy, dignity and equality in aspects of their lives, both in the private and the public domain.

Few at a Glance

About Us?

FEW is an acronym for Forum for the Empowerment of Women. The organisation was established in January 2002.

The Forum for the Empowerment of Women (FEW) is a national, Non- Profit Organisation based in Johannesburg, South Africa, which aims to articulate, advance, protect, promote the rights of black lesbian, bisexual and transgender women (LBT).

We are an organisation which believes in applying our values and commitment to human, women’s and LBT rights both in society and internally within the organisation. We are an activist and feminist organisation. We support and build the ability of LBT women to live and work as human rights defenders.

We view ourselves as an integral part of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTi) sector, the feminist, women’s rights and human rights sectors. Our work, energy and resources are focused and deeply rooted in, informed and shaped by our constituency - LBT women.

What we do

Few works on the following Programmes and Campaigns.

Advocacy

To advocate for the realisation of the rights of lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered women in South Africa in solidarity with LBT women and the broader LGBT community locally and internationally

Leadership and Development

To develop confidence and capability in black lesbians to lead and manage change processes locally and globally from a women's rights and feminist perspectives.

The Lesbian Health Rights Project

To promote access to services by lesbian, bisexual and transgendered women to ensure well-being.

Campaigns:

The ‘Rose Has Thorns’ (FEW’s own hate crimes campaign): Launched in 2003 on Freedom Day, the campaign was aimed at lobbying for a hate crimes legislation in South Africa;
070707 Campaign: The 070707 Campaign (triple 7) was a direct response to the brutal murder and rape of two lesbian women on July 7, 2007. Their bodies had been discarded in a dump in Soweto, Johannesburg;
1 in 9 Campaign: The One in Nine campaign was launched on 13 February 2006 in response to the infamous State vs Jacob Zuma rape trial that embodied what we as women's rights organizations and HIV activists are aware of: Reporting rapes, getting fair treatment and representation in rape trials and being respected for women's fight for their right against sexual violence is no less than an uphill battle.