Fostering Care Communities Within African Women's Movements: Shifting Movement Culture Toward Liberation and Justice Through Collective Care and Healing

Feminist movements operate within highly hostile environments, often marked by violent repression and persistent threats. This relentless strain can lead to significant burnout, stress, and trauma among women’s human rights defenders (WHRDs). Without dedicated and intentional support for healing, self-care, and collective care, WHRDs risk severe health and wellbeing consequences that undermine their ability to continue their vital work. In exploring the profound challenges faced by African WHRDs, the article emphasizes how decolonial Afro-feminist practices and approaches of healing justice and collective care are not just supplementary aspects of movement building but are central to addressing the impacts of violence, repression, and trauma. The article outlines the journey of Organization X in embedding theoretical concepts of care and healing through the Feminist Republik Platform. By sharing Organization X’s experience, the article illustrates the potential for similar transformations within other feminist and women’s human rights organizations. The article invites those in solidarity with WHRDs—whether they are donors, philanthropic institutions, activist networks, and social justice movements—to join in the conversation about the importance of healing justice and to re-think traditional support models in order to build stronger and sustainable feminist movements that can drive transformative change.