But women and girls are fighting back, their anger and resilience exploding like lava in the sky across continents. This year alone, the Carnegie Endowment (a global protest tracker) notes 13 major protests around the world relating to women’s issues. Compare that to 2019 when they recorded just one.

However, it’s important to note that this is not a woman’s fight. It’s on all of us, however we may feel about the F-word, to use our voices, positions of privilege, or proximity to power to change the world and achieve gender equality for all people, everywhere. Nothing less will do.

Having reflected on what women’s movements looked like this year, here’s what I learned from the 13 feminist protests that took place in 2022, from India to El Salvador.

  1. Liberation isn’t about how much or how little skin you show; it’s the freedom to choose.
  2. The path to gender equality isn’t linear.
  3. Criminalising abortion does not stop abortions. 
  4. Sex work is work.
  5. Care work is a serious issue. 
  6. Silence speaks volumes. 

Read the full article about feminists protests by Tess Lowery at Global Citizen.