We must band together to defend feminism, gender equality and democracy, demands Lisa Paus, Member of the German Bundestag and Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.
Dear Imme Scholz,
Dear Jan Philipp Albrecht,
Dear representatives of the Heinrich Böll Foundation,
Dear Barbara Binek,
Dear Jury,
Ladies and gentlemen,
– and, from the bottom of my heart, dear Darya Afanasyeva, dear Irina Alkhovka, dear Julia Mickiewicz,
It is an absolute honour to be with you on this occasion! In times like these - when everyone with good antennae senses what is at stake. We must defend feminism, equality and democracy: our basis of existence and our political model.
Against this backdrop, communities like this one are infinitely good; they are exceptionally important.
A community
- within which all of us know what we have to fight for!
- each and everyone of us in their respective space!
- with the certainty that we are many and strong!
Today, we are honouring Darya Afanasyeva, Irina Alkhovka and Julia Mickiewicz!
Women I admire for their courage, for their determination!
For their resistance against electoral fraud and oppression, against trafficking in human beings and women, against violence and sexism.
You do this from exile. Always concerned about your family and friends. Far from your home country of Belarus, because you were persecuted there. And with an attentive eye on Europe - on an alarming anti-feminist backlash: when reproductive rights are restricted, feminist voices are defamed, gender equality goals are rolled back, including in Germany, right-wing extremists incite against women, and sexualised violence and femicides increase.
Because all of this follows the same authoritarian logic: restricting women's freedom weakens democracy and cohesion - it weakens society as a whole!
That is aso why we are here today!
That is also why we don't remain silent!
And even more so when female politicians and activists are threatened, disenfranchised or murdered: our solidarity with you, dear award winners, is more than just words: it is our common duty.
Thank you.
» Speech in Belarusian (PDF)
