The left party of Germany, Die Linke and Rosa Luxemburg Foundation head office organised three days seminar in Essen. It was participated by almost 40 women from 24 countries. It was conducted through open space methodology, where the participants could have enough space to share their experiences, raise the issues and identify the way forward based on their local need and capacity.
The participants were compose of highly experienced as working with movement more than five decades to women are very new in movement just having two year of party work. By age as well, few women were very senior and majority of them were young as below 40 years. In short the seminar was full of enthusiasm and rich with experiences and ideas to move forward.
Second day of the seminar was experiences sharing. Die Linke started the sharing and told that in the 70 year of its work, always received big number of man as international delegate. That inspired them whether can invite women comrades and talk on feminist agendas back home in their parties and countries. Because, equality is the agenda for all, which means be part of decision making, analysing the situation, organising and networking to create broader support among political movement along with social, labour and women movement. It may not only create space to be part of public sphere, but also provide opportunity to learn, support and encourage each other to continue the journey, even in the difficult time.
Die Linke and RLF got the fund from government based on the vote they receive in the election. That money they use for student to continue study, trade union women beyond party. Since the Die Linke is the socialist feminist party, it supports internationally as well to raise the feminist agenda to make world more vibrant on the basis of equality, social justice and human respect.
People can have different ideas are valid and all information is public, listening is more difficult than speak. That is why the feminist ideology encourages people to be better listener and be strategic to response. Feminist should try to look for common ground and acknowledge differences without
Women are facing similar problem regardless of different level of development. Patriarchy is common agenda to dismantle the as social values and structure. Human values are most important to keep us in connection to keep fighting for better world. For the cause we need o have cooperation, networking and support based on similarity.
Third day of the program was more sharing and strategy setting as way forward. Most important is sharing is strength to keep fighting forever to make better future. And, solidarity through networking may make every one stronger, regardless of level of development and size of the party. That why, the step forward to keep continue the networking and bring back the issue home to translate into reality. Following points are come out in the program, based the collective and individual capacity.
Quota system is important to challenge the patriarchal structure. Die Linke has 50 percent quota in every structure and 25 percent women compulsory to enrol new members.
Based on the experiences, in the beginning, the feminist agendas were raised by educated, upper middle class women. But, later it was carried on by working class and make it part of the social change. Trade union played instrumental role to bring down to the ground..
- Networking and sharing through the social media. For the cause close group of the face-book will be created and share the activities and experiences. Relevant issue will be shared by participants based on their local situation and
- Institutionalise the process. Start e-newsletter to collect the news and views and make available to everyone interested.
- Documentation of the struggle to achieve feminist agenda.
- International and Regional conference and meeting can be conducted. And the issues identified in the process can be transfer to wider masses of women and men through local activities.
Next step
- Social media network, follow up this conference, conference in local level
- Meeting in regional level
- Facebook group, common meeting among European left, international women association,
- Network (social media, website) common feminist
- Name the network, institutionalise the platform, social feminist foundation
- Continue this meeting, continuity this kind of meeting with best practice and mentoring program
Special learning:
- In Western Sahara: Western Sahara has no Problem of domestic violence. If any man mis-handle women, can be expelled from the country. This is unique learning among us in the program.
- Similarly, in Western Sahara when mother died, only then children considered as orphan. If father died children do not consider orphan.
- In Germany: Mother name is compulsory to fill in the any bio-form, since that is fact and father name is optional. Even, Nepal ambassador told that when he was filling the form to get permanent ID card for Germany, he might have written mother name first time in the formal paper as per his memory.
The program was ended with the commitment to bring the learning back home and discuss among the different movements.
