On the 10th of this month, the Garden of Hope Foundation’s International Affairs Center hosted the NGO CSW69 parallel forum, “Strengthening Women’s Movement Through Cross-Generational Unity.” The event brought together women’s movement advocates from six different countries and generations to explore the possibilities of modern feminist movements.

From Personal Experiences to Advocacy: The Growth and Persistence of Cross-Generational Women Advocates

In the first discussion panel, Regina Ghartimagar from Nepal introduced her Girls’ Empowerment Program, which helps girls develop careers and personal growth through a mentorship system. Her fellow speaker, Matcha Phornin, founder of Thailand’s Sangsan Anakot Yawachon Foundation, shared her experiences in empowering indigenous women advocates and creating safe social spaces for the LGBTQIA+ community.

During the discussion, the speakers shared their motivations for becoming women’s rights advocates respectively. Regina mentioned that severe gender discrimination in her hometown had placed countless restrictions on her since childhood. These experiences triggered her to stand up and speak out for herself. Matcha, on the other hand, revealed that her advocacy journey stemmed from experiencing domestic violence as a child. Her unique experience strengthened her belief in the importance of empowering women to speak up for themselves.

From Individual Support to Policy Change: Expanding the Impact of Social Movements

The second discussion featured Tandin Wangmo from Bhutan and Wang Yue-Hao, CEO of the Garden of Hope Foundation, Taiwan. Tandin introduced her Ripples of Growth Program, which focuses on university students’ mental health by creating safe spaces for expression and dialogue. Wang reflected on the Garden of Hope’s 1993 anti-child prostitution movement, explaining how the campaign shifted the issue of child sexual exploitation from a public security concern to a children’s rights advocacy, successfully prompting the government to take action.

During the discussion, Tandin asked Wang what motivated her to engage in social movements. Wang shared that she had worked as a social worker for a long time.During that time, she accompanied and supported her clients directly. However, over time, she realized that no matter how hard she worked, the number of people she could help remained limited. In contrast, social movements can attract public attention and influence policies, which benefit a much larger population. This realization led her to commit herself to activism. Wang also inquired about the challenges Tandin faced while implementing her program. Tandin explained that although she is from Bhutan, her project is based in Bangladesh, where language and cultural differences are significant barriers. However, these challenges have ultimately strengthened her ability to communicate and collaborate more effectively.

From Community Action to Systemic Change: A Dialogue on Diverse Advocacy Approaches

The third discussion featured Zainab Binte Imran from Pakistan and Undariya Tumursukh, an advisory board member of Mongolia’s MONFEMNET National Network and the Mongolian Women’s Fund. Zainab introduced her Reaching the Unreached initiative, which focuses on anti-child marriage advocacy. She personally visits communities, engages in conversations with local girls, and promotes the importance of continuing education. Meanwhile, Undariya shared her experiences in advocating for women’s political participation and raising social awareness of women’s rights and democracy.

During the discussion, Zainab expressed her admiration for Undariya’s impact and hoped to become a changemaker herself in the future. Undariya then asked how Zainab manages to conduct advocacy work in rural Pakistani areas where internet access and electronic devices are scarce. Zainab responded that this very challenge is why she chooses to interact with communities in person. She believes that real-life engagement is more powerful than social media interactions.

Cross-Generational Collaboration: Merging Experience and Innovation to Advance Women’s Movements

In the final panel discussion, speakers explored ways to strengthen cross-generational collaboration among women advocates and create more effective change. The discussion highlighted that senior advocates bring rich experience, while younger generations contribute innovation and digital skills. Enhancing communication between these generations can significantly boost the impact of women’s movements and lead to greater achievements. As one of the panelists, Wang Yueh-Hao, CEO of the Garden of Hope Foundation, stated: “After this discussion, I am even more aware of the challenges faced by the new generation. They should be at the forefront, leading and advocating for change. With over 30 years of advocacy experience, the Garden of Hope Foundation should take on the role of supporting and nurturing the next generation of activists from behind the scenes.“

The Garden of Hope International Affairs Center extends our gratitude to all the speakers and guests. Through this dialogue, we have witnessed the potential for cross-generational collaboration in women’s movements, opening up new possibilities for the future of gender equality advocacy.