Shrinking Spaces – A Spotlight on Georgia and Ukraine

The language of the talk will be English. A translation into German will be offered to a limited extend.

• Registration (guestoo)

In recent years, a shrinking of civil society’s scope for action can be observed worldwide. Through the strengthening of right-winged movements, governmental repressions and, not least, the Covid-19 pandemic the significance of public space as a tool for political action and assembly has been increasingly restricted. Also in the digital space, anti-feminist and racist tendencies are growing, reinforcing and reproducing discrimination and exclusion.

In connection with this global development of “shrinking spaces”, we take a look at Georgia and Ukraine and how the rights of women and LGBTIQ+ as well as the possibilities for action of civil society actors stand there. What are the concrete challenges that feminist movements in these two countries are currently facing? What strategies are activists pursuing and what role does digital tools and spaces play in this? How does the ongoing war in Ukraine affect the work of feminist initiatives and organizations in these countries? And, last but not least, how can we show solidarity and what can we learn from the experiences of the activists for feminist fights for social participation and equality across international borders?

GrlzWave is a feminist multimedia platform from Tbilisi, Georgia. By using social media channels like facebook and instagram, GrlzWave is fighting against stereotypes, dogmas and inequality, which are embedded in the patriarchal society. Under the main goal to motivate and aspire young people for social change, the initiative gives young people access to education and factual information and wants to create a safe space, where everyone can speak freely, share stories/experiences, and listen to each other without hate speech. www.grlzwave.com 

Feminist workshop is a non-governmental organization, founded in 2014 to create space for the development of the feminist community in Lviv and Ukraine. Following a feminism that includes the advancement of women, as well as more profound changes in societal norms and combating discrimination and violence of various kinds, Feminist Workshop wants to implement ideas of a diverse, inclusive and gender-sensitive world via integrative methods and by offering spaces for exchange, networking and encounter. www.femwork.org

filia.die frauenstiftung supports projects by and for women, girls and LBTIQ+ that aim to bring about structural change – in Central and Eastern Europe, in the Global South and in Germany. Under the motto “Change, not Charity” – “Social Change, not Welfare” filia supports programs and initiatives that work worldwide to strengthen the rights of women and girls and for the freedom from violence, demand social participation and strengthen democratic structures. www.filia-frauenstiftung.de

The event is part of the W3_project Solidarisch Handeln Lernen and takes place in cooperation with filia.die frauenstiftung

Die Veranstalter*innen behalten sich vor, Personen mit rassistischen oder anderweitig menschenverachtenden oder diskriminierenden Äußerungen von der Veranstaltung auszuschließen.

(c) feminist kitchen