Women, unite! - The Need for a Women's Movement in Southeastern Europe

On 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, hundreds of women gathered in Santiago de Chile for a performance to protest violence against women.[1] The video of the performance spread through social media in no time, quickly reaching Southeastern Europe.

Violence against women is the expression of a historical inequality between women and men, which continues to this day: in recent years we have witnessed a strong backlash against gender equality. The main forces behind it are rooted in conservative, fundamentalist, and nationalist ideas, which aim to reinstate old power structures, values and rigid societal models. Traditional values and patriarchal structures are still widespread in many regions of the world, including Southeastern Europe.

Many women from Southeastern Europe believe that when the region was governed by socialism the position of women in society was far better than today’s. "I was born and grew up in Yugoslavia. While in many other countries women fought for equal rights, in Yugoslavia we had the same rights as men," says Aida Feraget, an activist from Sarajevo. Opinions differ as to whether this is the case or not. With the introduction in the 1990s of neoliberalism in Southeastern Europe, the role of women in society was redefined. Women withdrew from the labour market, politics and public debates. Once again, the home was to become the appropriate and only place for women to make their contribution to society.[2]

These developments gave birth to a male democracy[3] in the region, with – to this day -almost all political decisions being made by men. In many respects these countries are far from prosperous with high unemployment rates, high levels of air pollution in the main cities and widespread corruption being only three examples of the political failure of the male elite.[4]

Widespread violence against women and girls

In Southeastern Europe violence against women and girls is still widespread. A study by the OSCE in 2019 depicts a clear picture: around one in two women has been exposed to violence since the age of 15. The figures are 67% in Albania, 48% in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and 54% in Northern Macedonia. Any woman may become a victim, though underprivileged women with children are particularly affected.[5]

"Gender-based violence is indeed still widespread in the region. Many women remain silent and don’t report these crimes to the police. One reason is the economic dependency of women. Another reason is the perception of violence among the general population. Violence is still somehow culturally accepted," says Iris Luarasi, Director of the Counseling Line for Girls and Women in Tirana, Albania. That gender-based violence has become widely accepted[6], as a result ever-present traditional values and patriarchal structures, it’s alarming.

In October, four young women lost their lives in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a result of a violent crime. A young activist says: "I can't remember a time when I learned more about the murders of women who remained unpunished or unresolved.” The cases are scarcely discussed in public. And the media’s reporting on the cases ignores the fact that the victims are women who died as a result of gender-based violence.

The fight against violence on women and girls requires increased efforts. Violence against women is both a cause and a consequence of gender inequality, therefore new laws and measures against gender-based violence are not sufficient.

The voice of civil society: a decreasing power

In the past, women have tried to reclaim their voice in the public space and stand up for equality through civic engagement. Many of these women have joined forces with different organisations, which take on tasks that have been neglected by the state for years.

For instance numerous women's organisations in Southeastern Europe run women's shelters and safe houses, which offer women affected by violence and their children sheltered accommodation, counseling and support. Although by ratifying the Istanbul Convention the states have committed to provide financial resources towards measures that prevent and combat violence against women,[7] many of these organisations receive little or no financial support from the states.

These women have been forced to meet the downfalls of the state concerning public service provision, by relying entirely on the help of international funds and the voluntary support of women. This has partly led to a de-politicisation of women's organisations.[8] Moreover, as access to international funding is highly competitive, a decreased amount of international money has been available for women's organisations in recent years. "According to some researches and insights, there is not enough solidarity in civil society, and also between women's organisations too", says Zlatiborka Popova Momčinović, Associate Professor at the University of East Sarajevo. The ongoing struggle to secure financial resources and the resulting lack of solidarity between organisations has drastically weakened the voice of women in civil society.[9]

The dichotomy of tradition and feminism

In addition to the lack of solidarity between women's organisations, the development of a women's movement is proving difficult due to a generational conflict between younger and older activists. Members of the older generation, most of which are representatives of women's organisations, do not see themselves as feminists. "Older women activists of the older generation prefer to call themselves women's rights activists rather than feminists," says Ermira Danaj, a women's activist from Albania. This is due to the fact that in Southeastern Europe, feminism is regarded as a concept of the West and holds negative connotations.[10] 

This is where the younger generation of activists differ. "I am a feminist," says Kalia Dimitrova from Skopje, Northern Macedonia. With a friend, Kalia founded Meduza[11]: a platform that offers the opportunity to read and write about feminism. The platform was created one year ago and has since gained over 6000 followers. Kalia explains “When I started being interested in feminism, I noticed that feminist literature is difficult to access for the broad society. That's where the idea of this platform came from".

Similarly, in Albania, young women have joined forces to translate, print and distribute feminist literature to students, completely free of charge. "We want to contribute to a feminist debate. There is far too little discussion about feminism. Not only in Albania, in the whole region," explains one of the initiators. The younger generation mobilises feminism to question prevailing patriarchal structures and traditional values, in the hope of overcoming them and obtaining equality between men and women.

Strong women's movement as the most important factor for equality

Many activists worldwide agree that a strong women's movement is needed to achieve equality between men and women. Therefore, feminism should not be understood as a divisive but rather as a unifying drive. Feminism is based on the simple assumption that all sexes are not equal, but equivalent and should therefore have equal rights. It analyses the reasons stopping equal rights from being implemented and names the power relations that support this phenomenon.[12] There are many interpretations of feminism, but at its core feminism supports the idea that, regardless of gender, anyone should be able to lead a self-determined and non-violent life.

We cannot yet speak of an organised and political women's movement in Southeastern Europe, but there are numerous women activists that do incredible work based on similar and powerful ideas. "Equality cannot be achieved through projects. One lives equality. We need a common will and solidarity," says Stanoija Tesić, a women's activist from Bratunac, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is time to stand together, show solidarity, reclaim the voice in the public space and fight for equality, not only in Southeastern Europe, but worldwide.