An Intergenerational Manifestx from the With and For Girls Awards Week, March 2020

Representatives from each age group take to the stage. Credit: Marcia Chandra.

Struggles for freedom, justice and liberation must be intergenerational and intersectional — yet deep tensions and divides exist within movements at the intersections of identity and age. As adolescent girls continue to step into their power and imagine worlds of safety and dignity for themselves and us all, young feminists and adult allies have an essential part to play. How are girls’ movements — and girls in justice movements more broadly — supported by and nurtured through interactions with older activists? How can we strengthen intergenerational work to ensure movements adapt, change and thrive, and genuinely represent the realities of feminist organising for all involved?

Through a series of conversations and convergences with a group of extraordinary girl activists from across the world — as part of the With and For Girls Collective annual awards week — we have documented what it looks like to organise, collectivise, produce knowledge, learn and lead in communities that are intersectional and intergenerational. These conversations have crystallised into an intergenerational manifestx; a set of promises, intentions, commitments and asks — to and of each other — across generations and across borders, co-created by 55 girls, young women and older feminist activists from 25+ countries in 5 official languages.

Sontee — Girl Activists’ Representative from Eve for Live, Jamaica. Credit: Marcia Chandra.

We are girl activists.

From Nepal, India, Pakistan, Guatemala, Malawi, Nigeria, Kenya, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, USA, St Lucia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Chechnya, Ukraine, Germany, Morocco, United Kingdom, South Africa, Palestine, Iraq, Yemen, Libya and Sierra Leone

We call on you our friends, allies, mothers, sisters and aunties in this struggle for freedom and justice. We ask you:

• To recognise the uniqueness of our struggle as girls in this moment. As we recognise the paths you have built, we continue building and creating anew.
• Guide us. Share with us your deep wisdom. And give us the space we need to find our own independence and our own ways forward.
• Listen to us. But more than just listen, we ask you to take action. In action will come change.
• Try to see from our perspective, because our perspectives are different.
• Make space at the table. For more of us. Consider when it is time to give up your seat.
• We ask you our mothers and sisters and aunties, try to break our dependency on you. Imposing decisions is different to guidance. Give us the freedom to choose.
• Stop ignoring our ill health. Our mental wellbeing. Let us talk about being well.
• Find the energy you once had. And don’t give up. Because we need you.

Fatima — Young Activists’ Representative from Project Soar, Morocco. Credit: Marcia Chandra.

We are young activists.

We commit to you our younger sisters, to the girls who come after us, to the girls who are leading us:

• We will open more doors for you.
• We will hold space that is safe enough that you feel you can always come to us.
• We will judge you less, as we wish to be judged less.
• We will pay attention, we will notice when you are quiet, we will support you to lift up your voices.
• We will encourage you to be political. We will support you to find what the political means to each of you.
• And we will give you the space we know you need to step into your own power.

And we ask of you, our sisters:

• Remember, we have only just come from where you are now. Listen to us. But also give us feedback. Share with us where we need to change and how, at the same time as you learn from our mistakes and learn from our wins.

Favour — Young Activists’ Representative from Girls Voices Initiative, Nigeria. Credit: Marcia Chandra.

We call on you our friends, allies, mothers, sisters and auntie, our mentors:

• You tell us we are the leaders of tomorrow. But to make that true we must have a chance to lead today.
• So much of our struggle is shared, but we also face new problems. We must be allowed to build new solutions.
• Our experiences are as good as any statistics. Don’t wait for evidence. Listen when we tell you what we need. Our stories are enough.
• We need to let go of some of your traditions. The freedom to change.

And we ask you:

• Please, keep holding space for us. Because you help us to feel safe and free.
• We ask you, please continue. We know that without you we would not be here.

We tell you:

• We love you. We want you to care for yourself as you care for us. We want you to rest and to heal. Because what will we do, where will we be, if you are broken? We love you and we need you.

Uzma — Older Feminists’ Representative from Forum for Dignity Initiatives, Pakistan. Credit: Marcia Chandra.

We are your friends, your allies and mentors, your aunties, sisters and mothers.

To all of the girls and young women in this struggle.

We tell you:

• Fight. But also care for yourselves. Let yourselves be whole.
• Learn from us. Our journeys. The good, the bad, the losses, the gains.
• Keep dreaming. Everything you dream can be.
• Know the risks yes, but be fearless.
• Do the good you can with the technology you have.
• Reach out to your brothers. They have a place in this struggle.
• Connect with each other. Connect across borders. Seize every opportunity that you have to build and consolidate our movements
• Document what you are doing. Now. Record the wins. For yourselves, for those who will come next.
• Vote. But more than vote, run for office. Get political
• Above all else do not stop. We love you. We need you.