Art+Feminism User Group/Equity Statement 2022
February 2022
From August to December 2021, the Art+Feminism leadership team, composed of lead co-organizers and staff, took an organizational pause on all programmatic activities to prioritize the work of improving and creating internal anti-oppression policies and mechanisms. We specifically focused on developing an anti-racism policy that should be implemented across the organization and inform new work culture practices. This deeply reflective work remained our focus for the rest of 2021 and continues in 2022. As Art+Feminism resumes programming, we are being intentional in how we live up to our values that will ultimately better situate us to serve our community and carry out the mission and vision of Art+Feminism.
What is Art+Feminism’s definition of equity?
[edit]Equity is the ongoing reflection and progressive action to redistribute resources; this redistribution of resources is done so in a way that makes survival within our current social and economic systems more possible for historically oppressed groups of people. Practicing equity means focusing on the experiences, needs, and narratives of these groups.
Art+Feminism recognizes that:
[edit]- Working equitably is in direct conflict with everything that’s been entrenched in all of us living in a patriarchal, racist, classist, imperialist, colonist, ableist, herteronormative, oppressive society.
- This work never ends and is something we will continually seek with intention.
- This work can be messy because it requires much unlearning. We will not always get it right.
- This work requires taking risks that we are willing to take.
Art+Feminism commits to creating and nurturing a community that is intentional about equity, both internally and externally. The leadership team specifically commits to:
[edit]- Decentralizing the United States as the standard example and dominant narrative.
- Compensating people for their labor.
- Making funds available to organizers with a lens for equity.
- Translating our website and communications to languages other than English.
- Creating space for pauses and rest.
- The ongoing process of (un)learning by dedicating time and resources to training, workshops, reflection and conversations.
- Encouraging transparent and open communication within our organization; where people feel comfortable to speak about inequity.
- Engaging with our community and not just simply serving as an administrative body of our community.
- Listening to our wider community and their specific needs.
Although Art+Feminism originated with a focus on gender inequality, all of the other means of identity oppression, especially racism, are interconnected and cannot be tackled as distinct problems. We see equity as a responsibility to ourselves and our community and are specifically beginning with addressing racial and ethnic equity. We invite you to join us.