In order to select core feminist texts within their country each FRAGEN partner identified at least three to five prominent national experts on the feminist movement, which are knowledgeable of various strands of feminism. These experts can be academics and activists, but also feminist collectives and assemblies that are representative of the feminist movement in their country. Each expert nominated five to ten important ‘feminist texts’ and gave arguments for the proposed texts connected to the selection criteria. The texts could be books, articles, periodicals, pamphlets, posters or pictures.

All nominated texts together form a so-called ‘longlist’. Out of this list the experts chose a ‘shortlist’ of a maximum of ten texts. The selected texts are made available via FRAmed on GENder (FRAGEN).

Selection criteria

• the nature of the texts: the database will include feminist manifestos and texts that have functioned as a feminist manifesto and/or got the status of a manifesto afterwards.
• time period: the selected texts must originate from the late sixties of the twentieth century till the present.
• location: the first focus should be on texts that originate in each country, but ‘imported’ and translated texts are not completely excluded.
• historical relevance: the degree to which a text had an impact on the nature and success of feminist movements in a certain country, and the impact on changing gender relations. The selected texts must be among the most relevant ones in their context.
• diversity of approaches: this criterion covers the various strands of feminism as they exist or have existed. The database should include a variety of positions, including the most radical ones. Both popular and marginal ideas should be taken into account. The selection should be made keeping in mind, that there might have been strong ‘struggles’ between different voices, and processes of exclusion.

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