A website displaying potraits of 16 European women of our times -writers, politicians, activists or normal women...- unveiling their personal stories and how they struggled with issues such as equal pay or sexism but also share their vision for Europe.
An exhibition and a serie of "agoras" (public local discussion), to create a network of women, spread new ideas & possible changes.
A final “cahier of solutions” a list of recommendations will be brought to the European Parliament.
The 4 agoras, will be organized in Berlin, Athens, Paris, Warsaw.
To empower women means strengthen democracy. The gender equality is claimed to be one of the EU's founding values, written since 1957 in the Treaty of Rome (principle of equal pay for equal work). However, in 2018, men & women are still not equal within Europe. Women still earn 16,3% less for the same job and they are only 28% to be represented in national Parliament. Besides, ten year after the economical crisis of 2008, some women's rights, considered as fundamental, are throwing back: abortion right in Poland, conservatism of extreme rights party, masculinist camps, sexistic declarations of politicians...The EU certainly prides itself on having equal rights for men and women on paper but how much do the EU’s values match up with the reality? And how to improve this gap ?
A network of influential women in Europe sharing a diverse but common vision for the future.
A unique time-document through their portraits and stories showing what it does mean to be a woman in Europe in 2018, displayed online and available in English,
A civil society impact and political influence within the European Parliament through the rolling exhibition and discussions organized in the 4 “agoras”.
For the younger women, a reminder of their role as guardians of the democracy.
INSPIRE Create a website displaying portraits (interview text and close-up pictures ) of women of our times (writers, politicians, activists, artists or just 'normal' women from Germany, Lithuania, Greece or France...) unveiling their personal stories and vision for Europe.
DISCUSS : Organize four "agora of women" around a rolling exhibition of those portraits and a podium discussion with local feminists, personnalities... in four European capitals (Paris, Verlin, Varsaw and Athens to represent the four cardinal points of the continent). The idea is to discuss specific issues women are confronted geographically speaking, as well as create a network.
ACT: a transnational "cahier de solutions", as an outcome to those four events, will be elaborated and brought to the European Parliament.
In our career as journalists, the regular coverage of women issues taught us how much remain to be done to achieve the gender equality. The coulisses of our reporting also showed us how much women seem to be seen (and see themselves) in media, politics...on a negative prism: often as victims or often as a problem.
There is a cruel lack of different voices, or strong role-models, or even inspiring stories from women. In a European union plunged in deep crisis (rise of populism, lack of leadership...) women can have a definitive impact in bringing positive change by reinforcing their role.
Women across Europe and beyond, in order to inspire, enforce them and give them the feeling that they can achieve anything. Raise awareness to younger generations. We want to highlight solutions, not underline problems.
Our project adress feminists associations, NGO, artists, students...but also men. On an editorial-point-of-view, we also want to gender-cross as much the perspectives: some photographers or authors hired to realize the women stories may also be male journalists.
Our idea is tackling one of the key-questions of 2018: what is the women's place and role in modern societies?
The originality is that we want to create the perfect complementarity between a digital, analogic and political tools. An open-community website displaying inspirational stories of women from different country and backgrounds, to be followed by concrete actions in real life: a serie of discussions in "agora" and the emergence of a European network of engaged women. We also intent to adopt a different tone, that is personal, positive and solution-oriented, far from the current victimization trap. The latest #metoo campaign, tends to disorientate the historical opportunity for women. We want to change the course of discussion about feminism in Europe and give voice to diversity.
€ 50000,-
Funding requested from Advocate Europe
€ 50000,-
Funding granted from Advocate Europe
- Material cost: 38 500 e
(including creation of website and organization of "agoras")
- Personal costs: 12 500 e
See please detailed budget proposal sent via email.
Depending the area one is coming from Europe, the apperceptions, the influences over what is important for Europe, the place and the gravity of feminism into the European history, changes. We need the feedback from the Community. What they consider important for the well being of their societies.