Feminism & Gender

For the Canadian women the opening match of the World Cup against Germany is – for the time being – the highlight of an unprecedented boom in women’s soccer. 

The World Cup victory of the US women’s team in 1999 triggered a virtual soccer boom among children. Today girls play soccer in the US - in the media, however, the sport has made a disappearance act.

“Gender policy, feminist analyses, and feminist discourses have held a firm place in the Heinrich Böll Foundation since its very beginning. Along with ecology and democracy, they are a key focus of our work in Germany and abroad […].”, as Barbara Unmüßig, President of the Heinrich-Böll-Foundation says.

In this publication, the Heinrich Böll Foundation presents some of its experiences, both setbacks and successes. It is just a small sample of HBS' work all over the world.  HBS is very much aware that its political and financial contributions are often only part of a larger network; yet its work does make a difference – for more gender justice.

Migration is a strategy to adapt to climate change, yet there are significant differences between men and women. Jenny Jungehülsing has conducted a case study in southern Mexico to put a gender focus on the discussion on migration and climate change.

Never will women’s rights be sacrificed in talks with the Taliban and never will the Afghan government close women shelters. These are the promises President Karzai made to his people in the middle of a heated debate on women’s rights in Afghanistan. These are two major commitments. Judging by the overall political trends in the country, it might not be easy to stick to them. The Afghan population and international community should watch about the implementation and take the president by his word.

Ten years after the adoption of UN Resolution 1325 "Women, Peace and Security", the Gunda Werner Institute (GWI) of the Heinrich Böll Foundation in cooperation with the German Women's Security Council and Peace Women Across the Globe hosted an international conference.

It is an undeniable fact that women and men are affected differently by wars and conflicts. However, the assigned stereotypes – men as fighters, women as victims – do not do justice to the complex reality. Speech for the international Conference "Coping with Crises, Ending Armed Conflict"

 International conference of the Gunda Werner Institute in cooperation with the German Women's Security Council and PeaceWomen Across the Globe. Date & venue: October 28-30, 2010 at the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Berlin.  more»

Arsham Parsi is an Iranian LGBT Human Rights activist who lives in exile in Canada. He is the founder and head of the Iranian Railroad for Queer Refugees (IRQR), an advocacy group on behalf of LGBTs fleeing Iran. We had the chance to speak to Arsham Parsi during his visit to Berlin in early May.