Political Participation through an Intersectional Feminist Lens: Practical Tools for Building Transnational Feminist Movements

Political Participation through an Intersectional Feminist Lens: Practical Tools for Building Transnational Feminist Movements

CTDC & Dawlaty | September 2020

The CTDC Political Participation Toolkit, titled “Political Participation through an Intersectional Feminist Lens: Practical Tools for Building Transnational Feminist Movements”, is a comprehensive resource developed by the Centre for Transnational Development and Collaboration (CTDC) in partnership with the Dawlaty Foundation. Published in 2020, the toolkit seeks to reimagine political participation through the lens of intersectional feminist justice, especially in Arabic-speaking countries and broader Global South contexts.

🔍 Purpose and Scope

This toolkit challenges narrow, state-centric definitions of politics and instead recognises political action as rooted in everyday life, relationships, and resistance. It asserts that feminist political work is not confined to electoral participation or formal authority, but includes the labour of caregiving, personal agency, and grassroots organising. It aims to inspire critical engagement, collective mobilisation, and the development of inclusive feminist political movements.

🧩 Structure and Content

Organised into six core sections, the toolkit combines theory, practical tools, and discussion exercises to support movement-building:

• Redefining Politics and Political Participation: Unpacks the limits of conventional political frameworks and highlights non-institutional forms of political power.
• The Personal is Political in Practice: Demonstrates how personal experiences, positionalities, and choices carry political significance.
• Political Practice: Offers real-life examples and case studies of feminist action that challenge systemic oppression.
• Hierarchies of Power and Positionality: Encourages reflection on power dynamics shaped by class, race, gender, ability, and more.
• Power and Oppression: Applies Iris Marion Young’s “Five Faces of Oppression” to analyse structural injustices.
• Feminist Politics: Proposes intersectional, justice-oriented strategies for building inclusive, transnational feminist solidarity.

Each section includes exercises, case studies, and discussion prompts designed to stimulate reflection and action.

🌟 Strengths and Contributions

• Intersectional Feminist Framework: Recognises how overlapping systems of oppression affect individuals differently, centring lived experiences and structural analysis.
• Cultural and Political Relevance: Grounded in the lived realities of Arabic-speaking contexts and shaped by activists from the region.
• Practical Application: Offers adaptable tools for use in trainings, workshops, community organising, and political education.
• Participatory Methodology: Developed through consultation with feminist organisations and movements across the Global South, ensuring responsiveness to diverse needs.

⚠️ Considerations

• Facilitation Needs: Some concepts—particularly intersectionality and feminist governance—may require prior knowledge or guided facilitation.
• Application Resources: Successful use of the toolkit may depend on access to safe spaces, translation support, and training capacities within organisations.

✅ The CTDC Political Participation Toolkit is an essential resource for anyone committed to building feminist political power rooted in justice, care, and collective agency. It offers a much-needed alternative to formal, tokenistic approaches to participation, equipping readers with the conceptual and practical tools to imagine—and enact—more inclusive and transformative political futures.

For trainers, activists, educators, and organisers working toward intersectional feminist justice, this toolkit provides not only the language of critique, but also pathways for solidarity and change.

👉 Access the full toolkit here and start reimagining political participation through an intersectional feminist lens.