FLaMBRI Unpacking Concepts – Nepal 2019

After working in the development sector for 7 years and gathering experiences from field, I was selected as one of the participants of CREA’s Feminist Leadership and Movement Building Rights Institute (FLaMBRI). Held in Kathmandu, Nepal from 3rd to 11th August 2019, FLaMBRI is a carefully crafted course to build conceptual understanding of gender, feminism, human rights, and movement building in the South Asian context. Activists and academics from the global South teach the course using classroom instruction, group work, case studies, simulation exercises, and films.


26 Participants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka were selected to participate in the residential training and they brought with them different regional experiences and examples of women’s reform movements and struggles. The programme was successful in letting the participants think critically of the work that we are doing and how can we incorporate a holistic approach to our initiatives.


Faculties from across South Asia were invited to take sessions and help the participants in building linkages between feminist theories and concepts.

Core Faculty

• Dipta Bhog – Founder Member, Nirantar
• Paromita Chakravarti – Professor, Jadavpur University

Visiting Faculty

• Azra Talat Sayeed (Pakistan) Chairperson, IWA
• Bishakha Dutta (India) Point of View
• Nandini Ghosh (India) Professor, Institute of Development Studies
• Tooba Syed (Pakistan) Political Organizer
• Uma Chakravarti (India) Historian
• Zainab Ibrahim (Sri Lanka) Activist and Researcher

Beginning from a detailed discussion on patriarchy, how it has largely effected the role of women and the movements of empowerment, feminist leaders, sexuality, globalization, disability movements, power structures, models of empowerment to South Asia solidarity movements – FLaMBRI redefined theories. The participants discussed their work in the line of sessions and came up with thoughtful ideas of reimagining the initiatives for better outreach.

This was a great time to rethink, regenerate and critically look at feminism and the associated theories. Would like to thank CREA for this opportunity!