Feminist communities bore the brunt of the first year of the pandemic, which in some ways felt like a trek through a barren desert. However, in 2021, even as the pandemic turned more brutal across majority nations, young feminist activists embodied adaptability and continued to persevere. Their activism stood the test of time and found creative ways to connect, interact and solidify relationships despite physical barriers to connection.
Reflecting on young feminists’ ability to thrive in the extremest of conditions, adapting as they move, made us look to the metaphor of water and propelled us to explore this theme of water across FRIDA’s 2021 Annual Report; a theme which is a deliberate contrast to and progression from the 2020 Annual Report theme of the desert.
Water runs deep and stands still, emblematic of 2021 being a year of pausing, learning, reflecting, and retrospection for FRIDA.
Coincidentally, 2021 was also the year when we released our pivotal study ‘What the Water Brings’ that explored and was introspective of our own role as funders in the climate and environmental justice landscape. Water also nourishes and helps in internal and deep growth. This was true in FRIDA’s case as we worked to strengthen the organization internally. For the first time, FRIDA decided to pause collectively and enter Core Operations Mode (COM).Our co-leadership executive search also saw a new path and direction, as we continued to build and sustain young feminist organizing, worldwide. We embarked upon an organizational development (OD) process, redistributed resources where they felt needed in a time of crisis, and enacted a proactive COVID Contingency Plan.
We are thrilled to invite you to move through the multiple textures, hues, colors, patterns and tones of the FRIDA 2021 Annual Report: ‘Traversing Diverse Bodies of water together; Connected by Turbulent and Calm Currents’ which was beautifully illustrated and designed by Vidushi Yadav.
In journeying through this report, we hope that you appreciate how young feminist organizing remains rooted in interconnections, interconnectedness, and intersectionality, similarly to the nature of water and its great significance in the ecofeminist consciousness of playing a key role in planetary and human well-being.
Care has always been at the center of everything we do at FRIDA and 2021 was no exception. In fact, it taught us to cling to a care-centered approach even more as we slowed down, and prioritized holding room for both spaciousness and gratitude in an increasingly apocalyptic world. As FRIDA makes strides to strengthen our commitment to language justice, this is the first time that an Annual Report has been produced in all FRIDA languages. You can find all of the translated executive summaries below:
We seek a lot of inspiration from the kind of symbolic meaning water holds for us, our movements, and the funding ecosystem. Its rich metaphysical existence is an example of what perseverance, resilience and flexibility really look like in practice, key characteristics we have witnessed in young feminist movements that we feel so privileged to support. FRIDA’s journey remains incomplete without the consistent support of its resource allies. Water the movement by making a donation today.
Acknowledgments
Design Lead: Vidushi Yadav
Content Lead: Zazi Dlamini, Deepa Ranganathan
Editing & dissemination: Ro-Ann Mohammed, Maame Akua Kyerewaa Marfo
