Registration Deadline: 30 April 2026
The African Feminist Forum (AFF) is a regional political platform that brings together African feminists from the continent and the diaspora to strategise, connect movements and advance feminist visions for justice and liberation.
The forum was created to affirm the progressive visions and strategies of African feminists, and to contribute to stemming the backlash against basic principles of equality and rights across the African region. Growing religious, ethnic and cultural fundamentalisms were and still are capturing popular and political imagination, undermining both community support for gender justice and blocking progress on positive legal and policy change.
At the time the AFF was being developed, African women’s organisations and feminist movements were also facing internal challenges in financing, leadership and growth, and clarifying positions on issues of sex work, sexuality, disability and other axes of discrimination. Responding to these realities, the AFF provides a necessary space for autonomous, inclusive African feminist thinking and organising.
What to expect from the AFF
We aim to host a gathering that is focused, inclusive and generative.
AFF 2026 will be:
- Politically grounded in the Charter of Feminist Principles for African Feminists
- Comprised of feminists who are actively engaged in grassroots feminist organising, movement-building, advocacy, research, or strategy
- Safe, respectful, and free from discrimination, harassment, or behaviour that undermines feminist values
- A space for strategising and advancing the movement, not for learning feminist politics for the first time
- Intergenerational, multilingual, and geographically diverse, while remaining politically coherent
- Rooted in African feminist histories, struggles, and futures, rather than donor-driven or institutional agendas
- A space for strategising and advancing the movement, not for learning feminist politics for the first time
Who can participate?
The AFF aims to expand access and participation beyond those who have historically attended the forums. However, with the growing anti-rights infiltration into feminist spaces, there is a deliberate effort to ensure that inclusivity is intentional and supports the political depth and safety of the space. Therefore, the AFF is open to and invites feminists in Africa and the diaspora in all their diversities.
Feminists are expected to apply in individual capacity and not as affiliates/partners of a feminist/gender justice organisation. This ensures that we guard against institutional agenda-setting or the professionalisation of feminist agendas and encourages bottom-up movement-building as a political strategy to inspire collective action.
You do not need to have attended a previous AFF or hold a formal organisational role. Young, emerging and frontline feminists, including those identifying as LBTQI+ and Indigenous, are strongly encouraged to apply.
How to apply
To commence an application to attend AFF 2026, submit your application through a form on Canapii. Your submission will be reviewed and a response provided within two weeks of submission. Submitting an application does not guarantee participation, and all participants, including sponsored participants, will be subjected to the same review process.
During this period, the application will be reviewed on the following criteria:
- Demonstrated engagement in feminist work, organising, advocacy, research, or movement building
- Involvement in broader feminist movements, networks, or initiatives, assessed through a short career summary or motivational statement
- Commitment to upholding feminist values and non-discrimination practices, including a demonstrated personal commitment to the Charter of Feminist Principles.
- Endorsement or recommendation by another feminist in the feminist ecosystem
Following the assessment process, selected applicants will receive registration instructions, payment details and will sign a feminist undertaking and code of conduct.
Registration
$300 per person
Limited availability
- Provides access to the full Forum programme and shared convening spaces
- Does not include accommodation or travel.
FAQ
- Which browser best supports Canapii? For the best viewing experience, please use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.
- Who do I contact for troubleshooting issues? If you are experiencing technical difficulties, please use the chat box below or email help@canapii.com
- What is the African Feminist Forum (AFF)? The African Feminist Forum (AFF) is a regional political platform that brings together African feminists from the continent and the diaspora to strategise, build solidarity and advance feminist agendas grounded in the Charter of Feminist Principles for African Feminists. The AFF is not a conference or training workshop. It is a political organising and movement-building space for feminists actively engaged in struggles for justice and liberation.
- Why do I have to apply instead of just registering? To ensure the Forum remains politically grounded, accountable and collectively safe, participation follows an application and verification process. This helps:
– build shared trust among participants
– protect the space from disruption or co-optation
– ensure diverse representation across movements and communities
– expand participation beyond those who historically attended AFF
Submitting an application does not automatically guarantee participation. - Who can apply? You can apply if you are an African feminist on the continent or in the diaspora who is engaged in feminist work in any of the following ways:
– organising and movement building
– advocacy and policy engagement
– research and knowledge production
– artistic or cultural feminist practice
– community based feminist work
You do NOT need:
– to belong to an organisation
– to be a professional activist
– to have attended AFF before
– to hold a leadership title
– to be a specific age
Young, emerging and frontline feminists, including those identifying as LBTQI+ and Indigenous, are strongly encouraged to apply. - Do I have to call myself a feminist to attend? AFF is grounded in the Charter of Feminist Principles for African Feminists. Participants must align with the Charter and be willing to commit to its values, even if they are at different stages of their feminist journey.
- Can organisations send representatives? Participants attend in their individual political capacity, not as institutional representatives. However, organisations may support or sponsor an individual to attend.
- What cirteria will be used to review applications? Applications will be reviewed by designated reviewers to shape a space that is diverse, intergenerational and politically grounded. The review considers:
– engagement in feminist work or struggles
– alignment with feminist values and the Charter
– participation in broader feminist networks or communities
– a short feminist journey statement
endorsement or recommendation from a feminist actor or structure - What is the difference between applying and registering?
Step 1: Apply
– You submit your expression of interest to attend by filling out the form on canapii.
Step 2: Verification
– Applications are reviewed based on the set out criteria.
Step 3: Register
– If selected, you receive a registration link and payment instructions. - What happens after I am accepted? You will:
– Receive a registration link
– Pay the registration contribution
– Sign the Feminist Undertaking and Code of Conduct
– Receive further logistical information - When is the deadline? Application deadline: 30 April 2026. Shortlisted applicants will be contacted after verification.
- What if I am not selected? Due to limited space, not all applicants will be able to attend.Not being selected does not reflect the value of your work. The selection process aims to balance diversity, safety and political coherence of the Forum.
- What languages will be used during the forum? Will interpretation be available? There will be 4 Languages used in the Forum- English, French, Portuguese and Arabic. Interpretation will be available throughout the whole forum.
- Will there be a virtual participation option? No. The Forum is designed to be an in-person experience
- Who do i contact if I have any questions? Email the AFF2026 Team on aff@awdf.org