CALL FOR PROPOSALS FROM AFRICAN WOMEN ARTISTS BASED IN KENYA
On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the UN World Conference on Women, July 1985, Nairobi
an Alliance Française de Nairobi/Goethe-Institut Nairobi initiative
supported by the French-German Cultural Cooperation Fund
The UN World Conference on Women (Nairobi, July, 1985) was the third such global conference, following previous ones in Mexico City (1975) and Copenhagen (1980). It marked the end of the United Nations Decade for Women (1976–1985) and was a pivotal moment for advancing gender equality worldwide.
Unlike previous conferences, which focused more on raising awareness, the Nairobi conference laid out concrete actions to integrate women into development and decision-making at all levels, emphasizing that women’s rights are fundamental to human rights and development.
• The conference acknowledged that women’s struggles vary based on race, class, and geography.
• It was the first major UN conference where Global South women’s voices were strongly heard, particularly from African, Latin American, and Asian women.
• It emphasized that women’s advancement requires equal access to education, healthcare, employment, and political participation.
• There was a strong push for recognizing women’s unpaid labor in economic analyses.
• The conference linked gender equality with broader development goals, recognizing that women’s progress is essential for overall economic and social growth.
• The Nairobi conference solidified the role of grassroots women’s organizations and NGOs in shaping gender policies.
• It set the stage for the Beijing Conference (1995), which became even more influential in advancing women’s rights.
Alongside the official State Conference, the Forum of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), attended by 12,000 women, was held. For ten days, on the University of Nairobi’s campus, they met to debate issues of general and feminist policy: peace, development, apartheid, Islam, lesbianism, violence and sexual mutilation, Israel/Palestine, etc. It was an expression of transnational feminism.
Among the participants were German and French filmmakers, including Claudia von Alemann, a critical figure of German feminist cinema, and Françoise Dasquet who shot the documentary film ‘La Conférence des Femmes, 1985’ that depicts the debate and exchanges on issues of politics, people’s rights, the environment and feminism. She was also part of the 1970s feminist video collective ‘Les Insoumuses’, using film and video activism to fight for women’s rights long before #metoo.
Women artists are invited to explore the conference’s legacy through the lens of today’s feminist movements and global socio-political shifts by proposing ideas for an interactive art project: Rewind, Remix, Reclaim.
➡️ Rewinds to the voices and moments of the 1985 conference
➡️ Remixes them with today’s feminist movements and activism, reimagining and critiquing the strategies set out 40 yrs ago
➡️ Reclaims the unfinished goals of 1985
Using experiential art media: video art, film, soundscapes, conceptual art that lends itself to immersive installations, the concept should bridge the past and the present asking: What progress has been made? What still needs to change? How can today’s generation reclaim the unfinished work? What new strategies can be developed that are more suitable for the East African context creating their own artistic resistance?
✅ Must be African Women Artists based in Kenya
✅ Open to single artist or a collective of artists
✅ Categories: Experiential art for immersive installations
NB: “Our notion of womanhood is inclusive. Those who define themselves as non-binary, queer, and trans are part of it.”
✔️Proposed concept
✔️ CV/biography
✔️ Portfolio or links to portfolio
✔️ Social Media handles
✔️ Email and tel contact
📅 20 March 2025
Deadline for submission of application 20.03.2025
📅 4 April 2025
Shortlisted artists notified
📅 11 April 2025
Private Screening of the documentary ‘La Conférence des Femmes, Nairobi, 1985)
📅 18 April 2025
Submission of final concept and budget
📅 25 April 2025
Finalists announced
📆 1 April – 30 June 2025
Production of artwork
15 – 26 July 2025
📌 Alliance Française and Goethe-Institut Nairobi
