Taipei, Taiwan - Fifteen young feminists from Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia and the Philippines gathered together from 26-29 August 2008 in Taipei, Taiwan to discuss issues and opportunities confronting young women who commit themselves to feminist and social movements. Organised by Unninetwork, “Let’s Talk, Difference and Solidarity Between You and Me,” sought to explore the possibilities of defining “Asian feminism” and solidarities despite varying political, economic and social contexts.

In three days, the participants shared creative communication strategies in developing personal agency; strengthening commitment to feminist movements; and fostering critical collaborations between women’s and social movements.

Moreover, the participants demonstrated the partiality of the younger generation of feminists towards cultural movements as a platform to initiate social change. Such tendency is probably what distinguishes them from otherwise older and traditional feminism which has been engaging formal governance processes such as legislative reforms.

Creative communications
Unninetwork tapped the emergence of new information, communications and technologies (ICTs) in developing a space where young Korean women could articulate their thoughts about themselves, their bodies and desires, as well as their vision of a humane society. Established in 2004, Unninetwork is an online feminist network, whose website features a newsletter, personal journals, fora, and calendar. A blogging space dubbed as “A Room of One’s Own” was said to be a pioneering service long before blogging became popular in Korea, allowing women to talk about personal and sensitive while protecting the privacy of users.

Unninetwork has also institutionalised the “Mouths We Want to Sew Up Awards,” which is given to leaders and celebrities who have made degrading comments on women and gender.

Meanwhile, the Women Coalition of Hong Kong (WCHK) has created an award to resist the tactics done by Christian fundamentalist forces. The coalition has shamed personalities who have discriminated and maligned sexual minorities especially transgenders. WCHK have handed brown paper bags with messages that condemn “conversion therapy” as a form of intolerance .

Creating critical spaces
Unninetwork has been organising festivals for “bihon,” or women who are not married, including single mothers. “We have made it clear that ‘bihon’ means ‘not married’ and not ‘not yet married’ as it is meant to empower women outside the marriage system which generally signifies that a woman is not ‘normal’ when she fails to marry,” explained Jeong-yeon Han.

Festivals have also been an effective venue for alternative articulation among Malaysian feminists, LGBT communities, academe and social movements. Aside from raising public awareness and understanding of feminism, Fiesta Feminista was likewise an opportunity for leadership building. “We had a conscious decision to involve more young women into the feminist movement,” Visla Kumaresan shared. Fiesta Feminista also encouraged dialogue with men who could be allies in forwarding women’s and gender rights.

Similarly, the WCHK has consistently led the celebration of the International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO). Through IDAHO, WCHK has organised the only LGBT parade in China. “Chinese LGBTs in the mainland still have to work underground. Even then, we choose to hold the parade in the mainland since most LGBTs there could not travel to Hong Kong or Taipei,” Connie Chan of WCHK said.

Isis International likewise co-organised the 3^rd International Lesbian and Gay Association conference in Asia last January in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The conference gave spaces for a caucus among young LGBT and explored new ways of working particularly in the area of intermovement dialogues or collective work between feminist and LGBT movements in the Asian region. The conference also supported the very first LGBT pride march in the province.

“Let’s Talk, Difference and Solidarity Between You and Me” was attended by participants from the Awakening Foundation, Fiesta Feminista, Women Coalition – Hong Kong, Isis International and Unninetwork.