Created: 27 August 2012
South Asian Feminist Alliance for Economic, Social Cultural Rights (SAFA) was formed at the PWESCR’s South Asian Regional Feminist Forum, in Negombo, Sri Lanka on August 26th, 2012.
SAFA, a coalition of feminists from South Asian countries that are actively pursuing the realization of women’s human rights in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, brings together leaders trained by PWESCRs 2011 and 2012 Leadership Institutes along with experts from the region with established feminist voices for a collective regional stance and efforts to promote and protect women’s economic, social and cultural rights. In recognition of the diversity of the South Asian region, SAFA members belong to multiple ethnic, religious, and social realities and bring with them professional expertise and insights as human rights advocates, lawyers, activists, researchers, policymakers, practitioners, journalists, and academics.
SAFA recognizes that the concerns of South Asian women have failed to be adequately represented in national, regional, and international economic growth policies and development agendas. Furthermore, it acknowledges that mainstream development as well as the feminist discourse have not integrated the living realities of South Asian women.
SAFA reclaims the space for dialogue on the South Asian perspective by South Asian women themselves. It provides a much-needed platform for the sharing of information and resources to foster the creation of knowledge, tools, and learning to further a regional discussion on the advancement of a collective discourse and agenda, especially in the context of economic, social, and cultural rights.
The South Asian feminists gathered in Negombo also developed the Negombo Declaration.
