Navigating Our Missing Love – Feminism and Queer Feminism

At the Queer Film Festival Kathmandu - QFFK 2024 campaigned by Documentary Open School - Docskool, a keynote discussion titled "Navigating Our Missing Love: Feminism and Queer Feminism" was successfully organized jointly by Loom Nepal, the Federation of Sexual and Gender Minorities (FSGMN), WOFOWON, SWASA Nepal, and Inclusive Steps Nepal, as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign 2024.

The program saw the participation of over 100 women with different gender identities including young women, members of sexual and gender minority groups, women with disabilities, female sex workers, and female laborers from the construction sector.

In the current context of Nepal's women's movement, which has progressed through various perspectives, the fear of weakening arises if we fail to advance women's issues in an integrated manner collectively. To strengthen feminist movements to maintain momentum, it is essential to unite intersectional feminist movements. Such collective efforts can spotlight women and queer’s lived experiences and challenges in public discourse, paving the way for solutions. This dialogue was organized to foster collective strength to address fragmented issues and fortify Nepal's feminist movement. The discussion emphasized the need for uniting all women's rights movements and campaigns as a non-negotiable step toward strengthening the broader feminist movement.

During the event:

• Sarita Dahal, Executive Director of Loom Nepal, presented the history as well as gaps or challenges and also the ways forward for the intersectional feminist movement in Nepal.
  
  
• Suhana Thapa Magar, from the Federation of Sexual and Gender Minorities, spoke on the inception, current status, and integration of the queer feminist movement into the broader feminist discourse in Nepal.
  
  
• Prof. Dr. Bindu Pokharel, a gender studies scholar, offered insights on why it is vital to integrate issues from Nepal's feminist, queer feminist, and other intersectional feminist movements into mainstream discourse. She also outlined the way forward for bringing women's collective issues into the mainstream.

At the end of the program, feedback from participants was synthesized into the following key points regarding the future of Nepal's feminist and intersectional feminist movements:

• Inclusion in the Mainstream: The women's movement must address the concerns of marginalized communities, including those defined by caste, religion, class, gender, and sexual identity.
  
  
• Unity Across Feminist Movements: It is essential to create an environment where all feminist movements can come together to realize the collective goal of women's rights and gender equality.
  
  
• A Common Platform: Nepal’s feminist movement must unite diverse feminist movements to progress collectively as a shared movement.
  
  
• Incorporating Intersectional Issues: The core concerns of feminist, queer feminist, and intersectional feminist movements should be addressed with positivity and unity.
  
  
• Diversity and Collaboration: Effective coordination and collaboration are necessary to embrace diversity and differences in the movement.
  
  
• Human Rights Perspective: Equality and respect are universal issues that should not be limited to the rights of men and women alone. It is crucial to recognize intersectional issues as human rights and work collectively to ensure rights for all.