Kampala, Uganda - February 2025 Femme Forte Uganda is thrilled to announce the launch of Her Virtual Museum of African Feminists, a groundbreaking digital platform dedicated to honoring the legacies of feminist icons across Africa. The museum, set to be unveiled on March 7, 2025, ahead of International Women’s Day, stands as a tribute to the sheroes who, in many ways have and continue to pave the way for gender justice and a more equitable society. Rooted in the wisdom and resilience of siblings who came before us, this museum is a space to celebrate movement wins, amplify feminist narratives, and collectively build upon the foundations of liberation laid by African feminists throughout history. Rather than merely drawing inspiration from existing frameworks, the initiative recognizes the urgent need to create alternative feminist knowledges, ones that center African art, realities, experiences, power, and radical imaginations. Initially conceived as a data bank of African feminist icons and their work, this gift has evolved into a virtual museum to provide an interactive, engaging, and immersive experience. “This museum is more than a digital archive; it is a living, breathing testament to the power of African feminist’s past, present and future,” said Penelope Sanyu, Chief Steward at Femme Forte. “By curating these stories, we not only honor our sheroes but also commit to expanding and strengthening feminist and allied movements that love and support women.” Key Features of the Virtual Museum: Interactive exhibits: Engaging storytelling through multimedia presentations on African feminists and their contributions. Educational resources: Curated materials for students, educators, and activists to deepen their understanding of African feminist movements. Accessible design: Ensuring inclusivity and seamless engagement for a global audience. Why Launch Before International Women’s Day? The timing of the launch is strategic, aligning with International Women’s Day to spotlight the importance of inclusion and feminist leadership. The museum represents Femme Forte’s offering to the broader feminist movement, a digital archive preserving the contributions of African feminists for future generations. Launching a day before International Women’s Day 2025, the museum is Femme Forte’s contribution to the global feminist movement. It serves as a digital monument to the legacies of African feminists, ensuring their contributions are preserved, celebrated, and serve as a catalyst for future generations of changemakers. The Virtual Museum of African Feminists will be accessible online at https://bit.ly/3DOCVNv . About Femme Forte Femme Forte is a feminist organization dedicated to movement building by championing body rights and integrity, economic inclusion, and transformative feminist leadership in Uganda. Through advocacy, education, and innovation, Femme Forte strengthens intergenerational pathways between young and older feminists who aspire to contribute meaningfully to the broader women’s movement in Uganda and beyond.

The global gag rule, officially known as the Mexico City Policy, is not just a policy; it is a deliberate attack on bodily autonomy, sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR), and the feminist movement at large. It is a political tool wielded to control the choices, voices, and futures of women and marginalized communities, particularly in the Global South. When the policy is in effect, it blocks international organizations from receiving U.S. global health funding if they so much as provide information about abortion even with their own, non-U.S. funds. This is not just a matter of financial restrictions; it is a suppression of knowledge, agency, and power. Power and Control: Who Holds It and Who Suffers? First implemented in 1985, the global gag rule has been a political pendulum, reinstated by Republican presidents and rescinded by Democratic ones. Over the decades, its impact has only grown more severe. The most devastating expansion came in 2017, under the Trump administration, casting an ominous shadow over global health systems. The policy was no longer just about restricting funding for abortion-related services; it cut off support for a broad spectrum of essential health services, including U.S. global HIV (under PEPFAR) and maternal and child health (MCH) assistance. As of January 25, 2025, President Donald Trump has reinstated the policy. It is, at its core, about power. Who holds it? Who enforces it? Who is stripped of it? Power is in the hands of policymakers, primarily wealthy, conservative men in the U.S. government who make decisions that shape the reproductive destinies of millions of women across the world. They dictate what can be said, what services can be provided, and who is deemed worthy of care. This is not about protecting life; it is about maintaining control over women's bodies, particularly those in the Global South, where foreign aid is often a lifeline for essential healthcare services. Power is also in resistance. Feminists, activists, healthcare workers, and grassroots organizations continue to fight back, despite the chilling effect of the gag rule. Every time this policy is reinstated, we see a rise in unsafe abortions, a surge in unintended pregnancies, and a setback in access to contraception because banning organizations from using even their own, non-U.S. funds to provide abortion services or advocate for reproductive rights doesn’t eliminate abortion; it only drives it underground. And yet, we persist. The right to decide what happens to our bodies is not up for negotiation. As we wait for a future progressive government to revoke this policy again, the damage is already being done. Delays in action are not neutral; they actively harm the feminist movement and the right to bodily autonomy that we fight for. Think about it: Comprehensive sexuality education programs are losing funding, leaving young girls without access to critical knowledge about their bodies and rights. Feminist health initiatives that provide contraception, post-abortion care, and maternal healthcare are shutting down or scaling back due to financial constraints. Advocacy organizations are being silenced, unable to speak openly about abortion rights without jeopardizing their entire operations. Community health workers, often women, are losing jobs, cutting off local access to trusted sources of reproductive healthcare. These are not just abstract losses; they are direct assaults on the feminist movement’s ability to empower, educate, and protect. Break the Gag: A Call to Action The global gag rule must not only be revoked; it must be permanently abolished. We cannot continue this cycle where every change in U.S. leadership dictates the fate of women's healthcare worldwide. Feminist organizing, advocacy, and pressure have forced reversals before, and they will again. But we must demand more than temporary fixes. What can we do? Raise our voices on social media, in our communities, and through every available platform. Silence only serves the oppressor. Support feminist organizations that continue to provide SRHR services despite financial challenges. Pressure our governments to fund SRHR independently, reducing reliance on U.S. aid that comes with strings attached. Educate and engage because knowledge is power, and power is what they fear most. We will not be gagged. We will not be silenced. We will fight for choice, for power, and for the feminist future we deserve. Article by Samantha Agasha and Hannah Stacey Baluka Reference List: Abortion. (2024, May 17). World Health Organization. Retrieved February 5, 2025, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/abortion Global gag rule: How U.S. aid is threatening health and speech worldwide. (2019, April). Open Society Foundations. Retrieved February 5, 2025, from https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/explainers/what-global-gag-rule Impact of the Trump administration’s global Gag rule on sexual and reproductive health in Uganda. (2022, December 13). Guttmacher Institute. Retrieved February 5, 2025, from https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/impact-trump-administrations-global-gag-rule-sexual-and-reproductive-health-uganda Trump administration reinstates the global gag rule in a setback for health, gender equality, and human rights. (2025, January 25). Centre for Reproductive Rights. Retrieved February 5, 2025, from https://reproductiverights.org/trump-administration-reinstates-global-gag-rule/