The Feminist Economic Transformation or FET Project is a participatory discussion series bringing together feminist leaders in global conversations to look at key elements of feminist economic transformation - laying the groundwork for advocacy for a more equal, inclusive and sustainable economic model. Ideas and recommendations ranged from the care economy and collective approaches to a care-centered economic model, to economic justice, corporate accountability and moving away from extractive forms of resource governance. The event featured FET organizers and participants discussing policy conditions for feminist economic alternatives. The event concluded with a facilitated visioning journey, entering an imaginary time capsule and envisioning a feminist future.
We started by taking a few deep breaths to center ourselves. Then,
Close your eyes. Imagine the world you want to live in, your children to grow up in. Place fears and doubts aside, and give yourself permission to dream. Imagine you are stepping into a time machine, going to the year 2042. Step out of the time machine into a different world. Take a walk through your community. Notice what has changed. How are people relating to each other? What do you see in the markets, parks, on the streets? Where are people living? Imagine every adult earns a good living doing meaningful work. What kinds of work are people doing? How are everyone’s needs provided for? What support systems are there in the community? Notice the quality of the air, the water. How is energy produced? What made a healthy environment possible? What changed? Now zoom out: what kinds of relationships exist? Who is making decisions? How are stakeholders engaged? What kinds of relationships exist between neighboring communities? How are these relationships rooted in care and cooperation?
If we can envision a new future, imagine the possibilities, we will have more capacity to make the changes we want to see happen.
Co-sponsors of the FET Project and this NGO CSW66 Forum event were Action Aid, Oxfam, and the International Center for Research on Women.
ICRW https://www.icrw.org/weprosper-global-coalition-for-womens-economic-empowerment/
Action Aid https://actionaid.org/womens-rights
Oxfam Canada https://www.oxfam.ca/publication/imaginings-of-a-feminist-economic-transformation/