Women in Poland are fighting on the frontlines of the struggles against the far-right, they inspired the feminist movement far beyond Poland with their protests and the All-Poland Women’s Strike in recent years. No less, the crises on the Polish-Belarusian border and the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine have shown how strong Polish civil society is, despite its right-wing government, when it comes to welcoming people and caring for each other. However, with the upcoming national elections and the European elections in 2024, we all face the questions together of how to bring together the issues and demands around women’s rights, migrants’ rights, and social rights and become more powerful together.
Therefore, on March 18, 2023, leading feminist, queer and migrant activists from Poland will come together at the European Solidarity Centre in Gdansk for a transnational assembly of feminist solidarity. This will not only be another step towards local, national, and transnational community and network building of intersectional feminist struggles. Most importantly, it will be a collective exercise in strategically reframing issues and demands around gender, migrant and social rights, and reimagining narrative strategies for the right to body self-determination, access to healthcare and social services, and reproductive justice beyond the borders of national origin and place of residence.
All feminist and care activistss are kindly invited. Polish women from Gdansk and other Polish cities and communities will be present, as well as refugees, activists, and organisers from Ukraine, Belarus, and non-European countries, and Polish women from other EU countries. If you are far away from Gdansk, join us via live-stream from wherever you are – as transnational organizing is all about being connected beyond borders.
This assembly is ultimately also an attempt by the civil society opposition to negotiate a better future and possible avenues to it, strategize on how we can win elections, build a pluralist intersectional feminist movement, and finally also discuss policies improving lives of women, queers, and migrants. Because as long as fundamental, civil and human rights remain negotiable for the Polish right-wing government and the EU is not stopping these unlawful practices, women, queers and migrants have no other choice but to resist and organize alternatives from below…
The assembly will be co-chaired by Marta Lempart (Co-Founder of the All-Poland Women’s Strike) and Ophélie Masson (European Alternatives & EUMANS). In addition, there will be simultaneous Polish-English interpretation and live-streaming.
The assembly is part of the EUMANS Citizens Summit on “Democracy, Ecology and Liberty Beyond Borders. For a Pan-European Government Plan”, which will be held at the European Solidarity Centre in Gdansk, from March 17-19, 2023.
