European Network of Migrant Women at FiLiA 2025
Celebrating ten years of feminist organising, solidarity and resistance.
For over five years, the European Network of Migrant Women (ENoMW) has collaborated with FiLiA, the largest annual grassroots feminist conference in Europe. Every year, this inspiring gathering brings together thousands of women and allies committed to advancing women’s rights, dignity, liberation and social justice.
This year’s FiLiA took place in Brighton from 10 to 12 October 2025, celebrating ten years of feminist organising, solidarity and resistance. The conference gathered over 2,500 women from 75 countries, reflecting the global strength and diversity of the women’s movement.
ENoMW had an active presence throughout the conference, with a stall that served as a meeting point for solidarity, dialogue and connection among migrant and refugee women, allies and supporters. Alongside this, the Network contributed to several key panels and hosted its annual Courage and Persistence Award ceremony.
The Case of Radical Girlsss: Young Migrant Women Organising in Hostile Times
Moderated by Sodfa Daaji, ENoMW’s Capacity Building and Representation Officer, and one of the founders of Radical Girlsss, this panel featured Natasha Noreen (Pakistani feminist and founding member of Radical Girlsss), Hadia Ibrahim Khel (Afghan feminist), and Kenji Sario (Filipina feminist and ENoMW Policy and Communications Officer). The panellists shared their experiences of organising as young migrant women in increasingly hostile social and political environments. They spoke about the legacy of Radical Girlsss, the realities of life under the Taliban and collective care as a radical act of solidarity. Together, they explored the question “What does the personal is political mean?”, grounding it in their lived realities as migrant, sex-based and abolitionist feminists.
Women’s Platform for Action International (WoPAI) Panel
For decades, feminists have fought to codify women’s rights in international law. From a time when women had no legal rights, to being treated as auxiliary to men, to the eventual adoption of the CEDAW Convention in 1978, this has been a long and arduous journey shaped by generations of global feminists.
Today, in 2025, many of those hard-won rights remain unfulfilled and are being rolled back.
Attacked by religious fundamentalists on the right and queer activists on the left, women’s human rights — including protection from discrimination, violence, commodification and stereotyping — are being eroded with the active participation of powerful industries, UN bodies, governments and philanthropic corporations.
The WoPAI panel addressed how these intersecting systems of patriarchal power undermine women’s human dignity and fundamental freedoms, and the urgent need for strategic feminist organising on a global scale to confront this backlash against women’s rights.
Moderated by Anna Zobnina, ENoMW’s Strategic and Executive Director and WoPAI Board Member, the discussion brought together:
- Blessing Okoedion – WoPAI Board Member, founder of Weavers of Hope, survivor of trafficking, on global solidarity and survivor-led organising.
- Susan Smith – Co-Director of For Women Scotland, discussed the importance of the Supreme Court ruling and defending sex-based law.
- Tatyana Kotlyarenko – Former OSCE-ODIHR Advisor, on policy responses to trafficking and sexual exploitation.
- Maria Dmytrieva – Founder of the Democracy Development Centre, on Ukrainian women’s organising amid war and systemic violence.
The State as a Perpetrator of Violence Against Women
Frohar Poya, ENoMW Project Coordinator and Afghan feminist, joined this powerful global discussion alongside Maryam Aldossari (Saudi Arabia), Clarice Saadi (Brazil), Ninotchka Rosca (Philippines) and Atena Daemi (Iran). Frohar highlighted how Afghan women face layered oppression within their families, communities and under Taliban state violence. The panel exposed how state institutions act as enforcers of patriarchy and systemic violence against women, reaffirming the need for transnational feminist resistance rooted in women’s liberation
Courage and Persistence Award
During FiLiA, ENoMW presented its Courage and Persistence Award to honour the fearless commitment of women within our network. The award celebrates those who continue to speak publicly and defend feminist principles despite backlash and isolation.
This year’s recipients were Blessing Okoedion (survivor-leader, founder of Weavers of Hope) and Frohar Poya (Afghan feminist and ENoMW Project Coordinator). Their courage and persistence embody the spirit of feminist resistance, community care and collective power that define ENoMW’s work.
Collective Presence and Solidarity
Representing the network were Anna Zobnina, Sodfa Daaji, Frohar Poya and Kenji Sario, together with Natasha Noreen, Blessing Okoedion, Esohe Aghatisefrom IroKo, and Salome Mbugua.
FiLiA 2025 was a powerful reminder of the strength and persistence of women across borders who continue to resist patriarchal, racist and capitalist systems. Through our panels, awards and collective presence, ENoMW reaffirmed its commitment to a sex-based, feminist movement.
