Feminist Popular Education Manual

The Feminist Popular Education Manual by Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) is a guide for facilitators to create transformative, inclusive learning spaces. It argues that patriarchy is an interconnected system of oppression linked to capitalism, racism, and colonialism, which manifests primarily through the sexual division of labour. The document outlines a comprehensive structure for inclusive workshops—including the use of 'mística' rituals and 'sentipensares' (feel-thinking)—and provides specific educational modules. These modules use tools like the '24 hours in the life of men and women' clock and territorial mapping to analyze how extractivism and patriarchal control impact women's bodies and territories. The ultimate goal is to foster an anti-capitalist, grassroots feminism that prioritizes the sustainability of life and the reorganization of care work.

• The document defines patriarchy as a system that suppresses and exploits women, their work, and their bodies for the benefit of men as a social group, with the sexual division of labour serving as its material basis.
• FoEI advocates for an intersectional approach, recognizing that patriarchy is intertwined with and reinforced by other systemic oppressions, including capitalism, racism, class oppression, neocolonialism, and heteronormativity.
• The manual argues that the capitalist system's model of extractivist exploitation appropriates both territories and the bodies and work of women, treating both as unlimited resources for accumulation.
• Violence and the threat of violence are identified not as individual acts of brutality, but as political tools used to maintain patriarchal power relationships and control women, particularly when they challenge traditional roles.
• From an ecofeminist perspective, the document asserts that the subordination of women and the exploitation of nature are two sides of the same system of domination that prioritizes the logic of accumulation over the sustainability of life.
• The manual proposes a specific pedagogical structure for inclusive workshops, emphasizing 'sentipensares' (feel-thinking), the use of 'mística' (rituals to build trust and collective power), and the breakdown of language barriers.
• To challenge the sexual division of labour within the organization, the manual suggests that all team roles, including cleaning and childcare, be shared by both men and women.

APA

Molina, J., & Cornils, P. (2020). Feminist Popular Education Manual. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Friends-of-the-earth-international_Feminist-popular-education_Sowing-gender-justice_EN.pdf

Chicago

Molina, Johanna, and Patrícia Cornils. Feminist Popular Education Manual. Friends of the Earth International, 2020. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Friends-of-the-earth-international_Feminist-popular-education_Sowing-gender-justice_EN.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Molina |first1=Johanna |last2=Cornils |first2=Patrícia |title=Feminist Popular Education Manual |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=December 2020 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Friends-of-the-earth-international_Feminist-popular-education_Sowing-gender-justice_EN.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{molina2020feminist, author = {Molina, Johanna and Cornils, Patrícia}, title = {{Feminist Popular Education Manual}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2020}, month = dec, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Friends-of-the-earth-international_Feminist-popular-education_Sowing-gender-justice_EN.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }