A unique feminist place in Poland

Autonomy is a feminist organization that for 12 years has acted so that every girl and woman were safe, could make her own decisions, and develop – regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, health and ability, background and economic status. For a year Autonomy has run “Dziewczyńskie centrum mocy” (Girls’ Center of Power), which is, as employees and volunteers say, a unique feminist place in Poland – a meeting center with a relaxation zone and a bicycle/DYI workshop for girls, fully accessible for persons with disabilities. Autonomy organizes trainings, publishes materials, advocates for women’s rights.

“We want persons in the feminist movement to notice, that (potentially) every one of us is a person with a disability and that we must stand in solidarity”

According to European research, women with disabilities are several times more vulnerable to violence compared to the general population, they are less likely to receive efficient help and are often perceived as unable to act on their own. Autonomy wants to change this, to make the voices and demands of women who are vulnerable to multiple discrimination due to their gender and ability heard within the feminist community, and so that women with disabilities have access to the same possibilities of development and building their power.

No means no – feminist self defense trainings

The foundation will use the minigrant money to pay for a workshop about feminist self defense and assertiveness for 16 women with physical disabilities. The workshops, inspired, among others, by the WenDo methodology, are a part of a larger project: “Nie znaczy nie – zapobieganie przemocy wobec kobiet z niepełnosprawnościami” (No means no – preventing violence against women with disabilities). This is the first project on such a scale in Poland and Europe, in which trainers with disabilities will be able to participate in specialized trainings of feminist self defense and adapt their tools to the needs of particular groups. In total, about 200 women from all over Poland will participate in the project!

Grant amount: PLN 4,400

Image credit: Autonomia