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Description
In this project, we are setting up the Solidarity Feminist Centre (SFC). This is an open, safe, libertarian and equality space, primarily aimed at women, LGBTQ+ people, human rights activists from different countries, migrant and refugee women. We will launch the SFC after a pilot stage, taking into account findings and evaluations from the pilot. The centre will be run by people from Poland, Belarus and Ukraine, among others. Due to the difficult situation of equality organisations in Poland and the repression of women activists in Belarus, there is the need to create a place that will help them continue their activities as well as enable networking and cooperation. The aim of the Centre is to broadly educate about human rights and to increase the availability of an offer through which people in need will receive support and gain useful knowledge about, among other things, violence prevention, assertiveness, supportive spaces and other issues related to empowerment and anti-discrimination. Our partners: Stelpur Rokka! from Iceland and Karioka GRC Beskidy support us in the organisation of a rock camp and a final concert, the idea of which is to support women in decision-making and self-confidence through music and equality education tools.
Summary of project results
The project was a response to the situation of women, of different origins (PL, RU, BY, UA, etc.), different levels of ability, sexual orientation, with or without migration and refugee experience, living in Krakow. To the situation of people who try to work
for human rights, including women''s rights or are interested in such involvement.
The perspectives we share are: feminism, empowerment as a tool to counteract gender-based violence (GBV) and anti-militarism.
Problems identified for the project:
- GBV pandemic - in totalitarian states and during wars, the scale of GBV is growing - including sexual violence, human trafficking,
- the effects of totalitarian, militaristic and anti-feminist political systems on women''s rights - forced migration and refugee status (F* and LBTQ+ people from Poland, e.g. to Germany, England; from Belarus and Ukraine to Poland and others), harassment and violations of the law against activists and organizations by the authorities, institutionalized violence and deprivation of liberty;
- discrimination on various grounds: sexism, ageism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia - in the education system, on the labor market, in relations with the administration.
- integration activities that do not sufficiently take into account the perspective of gender and diversity (apart from origin) and to a small extent use the empowerment strategy: empowerment, agency and participation in decision-making processes.
- the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of various anti-covid solutions - in the area of violence
against LBTQ+ people - populism and antagonizing groups and people due to differences between them (the currently very visible growth of anti-Russian and anti-Belarusian climates) - and thus
depriving groups of people exposed to discrimination and oppression of the power that they could have if they acted together.
Support group for people from Belarus, Ukraine, speaking Russian. The meetings were attended from 5.07.2023 to 29.04.2024 - 142 people in 21 meetings.
4 Wen-Do workshops in Polish and Ukrainian/Russian for adults and youth - number of participants - 41 people.
Meetings on the activities of feminist groups - 09.03.23 on the occasion of March 8, "Women''s Rights Day in Autonomy" under the name - Solidarity and sisterhood beyond borders.
27.11.23 - second meeting. It concerned labor law, obligations and rights of both employers and employees.
Third - 04.03.2024 Building your own space. Activism of Syrian women with refugee experience. Participation: 33 people.
Technical workshops - 8 workshops - 84 people. Wooden lamp, bicycle workshops, candle making, stained glass, florarium.
Meetings with shared cooking - 41 people.
Meeting ''''history of women* in music'''' - 06.04.2023 - 12 people.
Women''s Rock Camp - 14-19.08.2023 - 16 participants, 10 staff members. Two concerts.
As part of the project, 45 workshops, thematic meetings, support groups were carried out at the Solidarity Feminist Center, in which a total of 362 people took part.
We organized a Rock Camp - in which 16 participants, 8 music teachers, volunteers and people running additional workshops took part.
After the camp, there was a final concert with 115 people and a second concert six months after the end of the camp with about 80 people.
All activities carried out in the project were aimed at supporting women in decision-making, assertiveness, and the ability to defend their borders. The project also aimed to integrate people from Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, and other countries. To create a Solidarity Feminist Center, a place free from discrimination, full of support and understanding, where a person feels good, can pursue their passions, learn new things, meet new people, cooperate, and support each other. SCF has become a permanent fixture on the map of Krakow. It is open every day from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Every day we have some events, workshops, meetings, sometimes two or even three at the same time. People participating in our events receive support, information in the event of experiencing violence, where they can get help. They increase their knowledge of assertiveness, defending their borders.
Rock Camp - people taking part in it told us that it changed their lives. Some of them dreamed of playing, but they did not have the acceptance of their parents, and in adulthood they did not fulfill their dream. Participation in the camp is an opportunity to do something for yourself, among other women. It''s an opportunity to overcome your fear, leave your comfort zone, and perform on stage.
Summary of bilateral results
Our partner organization was Rock Camp in Iceland - the Stelpur Rokka! organization from Reykjavik. We had a study visit on 25-30.05.2023 and took part as participants in their 3-day Rock Camp. Cooperation with the partner organization went very well, already at the stage of writing the application. During the project we could count on the support of the partners because they have extensive knowledge about organizing camps.