Commemoration of International Women’s Day (8 March)

In Slovenia we are witnessing an increasing general satisfaction with normative gender equality, equality between men and women. At the same time, antifeminist sentiments and extremely ridiculous retro-patriarchal stories about the need for “re-feminization” of women and “re-masculinization” of men, tendencies to prohibit abortion and reduction of rights are spreading like mold. But in reality what is really at stake is gender equality in political, social and economic terms. And this is particularly sad if all of this is taking place particularly intensively – as this year – at a time when we need to recall the achievements of active and fearless women from our past.

The intention was to stress that the name of the combative “fest” of women is not “Day of wives” (in Slovenian: dan žena) as it is colloquially called in Slovenia, but “International Women’s Day” and that this day is about celebration and fight for economic, political and social equality for women. At the same time we would like to point out that even bona fide commitment to “equality” on this day, by for example inviting more women than usually to radio and TV talks and emphasizing women’s rights or by presenting women working in typically “male” occupations, is simply not enough to really be able to talk about gender equality and try to implement it.

Projects that have just been launched at the Peace Institute (OPENN – Obtaining Political Equality by New Names and ODA – Fathers and Employers in Action, both co-financed by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism Program 2009-2014) deal with the assumption of gender equality. On one hand they concern identification and removal of the obstacles women are facing when joining the still predominantly male sphere of politics, while on the other hand they promote and include men in traditionally female sphere of caring for the family and raising children.

Please, read the whole text of the public statement.