WIDE+ participated in the Feminist Forum “Systems of Control and Practices of Resistances,” organised by the Left at the European Parliament for International Women’s Day. At a moment of growing militarisation and far-right backlash, the forum brought together feminist scholars, activists and elected representatives for two days of grounded analysis.
The speakers shared a common conviction: patriarchy, capitalism, colonialism and racism are interlocking systems – and feminist resistance must be equally intersectional, decolonial and collective. We must also reject the co-optation of feminist language by the far right through femo-nationalism and homo-nationalism.
The first panel exposed the ongoing war against women’s bodies through militarisation and rape culture. Françoise Vergès introduced the notion of the “banality of denial” – the systematic refusal to document disappeared bodies or name gender-based massacres as such. The speakers drew direct lines between colonial, imperial, capitalist structures and gendered violence.
The second panel explored feminist resistance in practice. Mizgin Ibin described how women in Rojava built their own councils and political structures without waiting for an invitation. Claudia Poblete connected Argentina’s history of dictatorship-era abductions to today’s far-right narratives, insisting feminist resistance must be rooted in just historical memory.
The final panel highlighted the issue of online violence. The speakers stressed that cyberviolence silences women and drives them from public spaces – demanding stronger platform accountability and action from public authorities. Lisa Gauvin-Drillaud from StopFisha presented stark figures on the scale of the problem:
Key figures on cyberviolence against women
85% of victims of cyberviolence are women
27× more exposed to online violence than men
90% of deepfake content produced targets women
Source: Lisa Gauvin-Drillaud, StopFisha – Feminist Forum 2026
The Feminist Forum, held in March 2026, was a powerful reminder that feminist organising sits at the heart of every struggle for justice, peace and democracy!
Credits: Laura Cargnello, 2026
See the full event page, where you can also watch video recordings: left.eu/events/feminist_forum_2026/
By Laura Cargnello, WIDE+ Intern and Allis Millegård, WIDE+ secretary / March 2026