Feminism

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.

In her laudatory speech, Viola von Cramon-Taubadel honours the different lives of the laureates and what unites them: their commitment, their convictions and their dedication to women's rights in Belarus.

For her, the new Belarus began with the Women’s Revolution in 2020, and continues to this very day. Julia Mickiewicz remembers the inspiration that the beautiful and smart women at the rallies have given her, along with the conviction that victory is achievable.

The three laureates are shaping the socio-political debates in Belarus and are enabling a counter-narrative to the Russian discourse and the deeply patriarchal view of society held by ruler Lukashenko, says Dr. Imme Scholz

Acceptance speech. Belarus is a country where women took to the streets with flowers and were thrown into prison vans. By Darya Afanasyeva

Irina Alkhovka pays tribute to earlier generations of women, such as her former university professor and founder of this award, Anne Klein. She says their resilience and courage serve as a beacon for all of us, in every era.

As human rights funding shrinks, feminist movements struggle to sustain their work while meeting donor demands. How can feminist funding literacy help organizations secure resources without compromising their mission?

The withdrawal of state and private funding threatens feminist movements worldwide. Bureaucratic hurdles make access to resources difficult. Can feminist philanthropy help build sustainable structures for lasting change?

It is impossible to imagine a just, sustainable, and diverse future that does not include women, and especially rural women, as they are the ones leading the transformation of the agrifood system in Latin America. 

ASHA workers are the backbone of India's healthcare, yet they fight for recognition and fair pay. These women are now trying to transform the narrative around labor and dignity in the healthcare system. 

What does it mean to have a feminist perspective? Feminism has many faces. From the silent resilience of my grandmother to the current challenges - how has the feminist movement  in Tunisia developed?

Women in Nepal have resisted oppression for decades, both through personal acts of defiance as well as participation in creative expressions of protest. Nirvana Bhandary in conversation with Bhawana Raut and Kailash Rai.

While the voices of women in Zambia have often been overlooked throughout history, feminist movements are fighting for social justice and equality. Is feminism a colonial construct or the key to liberation?

Can digital activism replace the power of in-person protests? In North Macedonia, dwindling protest numbers and rising anti-gender movements challenge the fight for gender equality. Activist Sara Milenkovska's insights on the urgent need for solidarity.

Julia Mickiewicz switched from journalism to politics and then to NGOs. She is the co-founder of the feminist organisation FemGroup Belarus. Today, she lives in exile – still she continues in her unwavering struggle for gender equality, diversity, and social justice.

Gender equity is Irina Alkhovka’s personal and professional passion. In 2021, the human rights campaigner had to leave her home country, Belarus, where she was being prosecuted for her political activism.

Darya Afanasyeva is a Belarusian activist and feminist blogger who campaigns for the protection of women's rights and democratic change in Belarus. After more than two years in prison, she continues to blog on feminist issues.

Irina Alkhovka is a Belarusian women's and human rights activist and founder of the NGO Gender Perspectives. She is committed to combating trafficking of women and protecting victims of gender-based violence. 

Julia Mickiewicz is a Belarusian journalist, feminist activist, politician and co-founder of the NGO FemGroup Belarus. She is committed to the political participation of women, gender equality and gender mainstreaming. 

In 2023, Germany’s Federal Foreign Office and its Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development published guidelines for a feminist foreign and development policy. Political headwinds, however, are jeopardising the implementation of the concepts.