The Isis International Feminist Activist School, launched in 2010, provides training for women from countries across the global south in using communications for their advocacy work. The School aims to strengthen social movements and advocacies through the strategic use of media and information and communication technologies (ICTs) and to further enhance women's skills and knowledge in communication technologies. They focus particularly on developing and sharpening skills in community radio, journalism and publication, film, video, theatre, and convergent media technology for networking.

Conducting in-house and on-site training workshops, the Activist School brings together women activists and development practitioners to share and learn from each other on the theory and practice of development communications to strengthen cause-oriented advocacies on issues such as peacebuilding, gender-based violence, building leadership, migration, disaster mitigation and climate justice, LBT (lesbian, bisexual and transgender) issues, and human rights, among many others. 

Individuals or organizations interested in having an Isis International Feminist Activist School training can request one on any of the previous workshop themes or have one specific to their advocacy area and interests. Isis International develops the Activist School workshops in partnership with the requesting groups and organizations to meet their specific needs and incorporate their ideas. For more information contact isis@isiswomen.org.

Announcements and calls for applications for each Isis International Activist School will be available on the Isis
International website and Facebook page.

Background

Ever since its creation in 1974, Isis International has been committed to achieving women's human rights and empowerment by increasing their participation and access to media and information and communication technologies (ICTs). Hand in hand with this, Isis facilitates networking and information sharing of women's movements in the Global South, in recognition of the fact that the development of new media and information and communication technologies has drastically changed the way of social mobilization and organizing, as well as movement building and advocacy.

In 2008, Isis concluded a three-year five-country (India, Thailand, Philippines, Fiji and Papua New Guinea) research project called “People's Communications for Development” (PC4D) in the Asia-Pacific region. The purpose of the research project was (a) to uncover how intermediary groups used new ICTs and traditional communication tools in interacting with grassroots women; and, (b) to determine the most effective communication tools for grassroots women's empowerment. Results from PC4D show that the most effective communication tools to reach grassroots women are radio, followed by theatre, film and face-to-face communication. The research also brought to light demands from women's groups on the convergence of traditional and new media and communications technologies. It was this research that underscored the role of Isis to further develop a programmatic approach towards the need for capacity building in gender, media and communications. Isis gave birth to the Isis International Feminist Activist School to systematize and institutionalize feminist development communications.