RANT BOX: Following Clara's take on Gordon Brown's invitation to Pope Benedict XVI to visit Britain, Eva reacts to the use of communal space at her university for religious purposes.

NEW!! STRUGGLE NOT SUBMISSION: 20 YEARS OF WOMEN AGAINST FUNDAMENTALISM
WAF meeting to be held on 28 NOVEMBER, 3-6pm at University of London Union.
This meeting will look back over the past 20 years since WAF was founded and assess the challenges we face now and in the future. More details and leaflet to download

WATCH THE VIDEOS FROM THE PREVIOUS PUBLIC MEETING – 'FAITH, EQUALITY AND COHESION, ARE THEY COMPATIBLE?'



WOMEN AGAINST FUNDAMENTALISM (WAF)

WAF CAMPAIGNS


high court victory photo

WAF members join SBS and supporters in celebrating Southall Black Sisters' legal victory in the High Court. Read more at the SBS website.

Women Against Fundamentalism is currently focusing its campaigning on:

  • the role of religion in the British education system today
  • the British Government's community cohesion and faith agendas

If you would like more information, please send an email to: info@womenagainstfundamentalism.org.uk

WHO WE ARE

Women Against Fundamentalism (WAF) was formed in 1989 to challenge the rise of fundamentalism in all religions. Its members include women from a wide range of backgrounds and from across the world.

By fundamentalism we mean a modern political movement which is using religion to gain or consolidate power. We do not mean religious observance, which we see as a matter of individual choice.

FUNDAMENTALISM AND THE ROLE OF WOMEN

Fundamentalism is found in all religions throughout the world, sometimes holding state power, sometimes in opposition to it. But whatever their relationship to the state, all fundamentalists see women’s role as crucial in representing and transmitting the supposedly unchanging morals and traditions of the whole community.

Women who fail to conform to so-called traditional family values are portrayed as placing the wellbeing and future of the whole society or community at risk. The control of women’s minds and bodies is, therefore, at the heart of fundamentalist agendas everywhere.


RELIGION AND PUBLIC SERVICES
IN BRITAIN TODAY

In Britain, as elsewhere, there has been a rise in fundamentalism in all religions which has been encouraged by a growing move to define complex and diverse communities solely according to 'faith'.

Public funds are increasingly being handed out to religious bodies to provide services to 'their' communities on behalf of local and central government. WAF believes that this increases the power of religious leaders - often self-appointed - to discriminate against women and other groups and to exclude or silence dissidents within their own communities.

Women Against Fundamentalism believes that public funds must be administered by accountable, democratically elected representatives and not by religious leaders, self-appointed or otherwise.

JOIN US IN BUILDING A SECULAR MOVEMENT

Women Against Fundamentalism believes that only secular institutions – which have no religious agenda – can begin to bring about equality for people of all religions or none. We oppose the delegation of public funds and responsibilities to religious leaders and institutions.
Join us in building a secular movement to challenge the rise of fundamentalism in all religions worldwide.

REPORT ON INTEGRATION AND COHESION

In January 2007, Women Against Fundamentalism and Southall Black Sisters made a joint submission to the Government's Commission on Integration and Cohesion. The report is available to download (in Word document format) for anyone interested generally in the history of WAF and the issues we have taken up over the years. It also gives an indication of the new challenges facing us. We would be pleased to receive any feedback on the issues or on the report itself.

Contact: info@womenagainstfundamentalism.org.uk

Download the report