“Feminism is a strong word that defends me from injustice”

Not-So-Sweet Girls are a group of young refugees from Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan. It is hard for them in Poland – although they ran away from violence in their country, they are often still controlled by men. They want to live in a world where the right to safety, education and own choices of women is something obvious. That is why they consider themselves a part of the feminist movement and want to participate in this community. “Feminism is connecting with other women, learning from ones with more experience. Feminism, for me, is a strong word that defends me from injustice”, says Fatima.

“We want to breach isolation”

The girls feel separated – they don’t know the Polish feminist circles. That is why they want to contact and start a cooperation with more active and more experienced refugees (e.g. Kobiety Wędrowne Foundation). Above all, however, they want to get to know each other better to grow as a group and have mutual support: “We want to organize the action for ourselves, because apart from learning Polish we haven’t had a chance to participate in any education or integration projects”.

They will use the minigrant to organize z 5-day trip to Gdańsk. They are looking forward to meeting the activists of local equality organizations (including Women’s Rights Center, Krytyka Polityczna). They will also participate in a workshop on setting boundaries and a psychological consultation, and in development workshops which will help them plan their actions. They also want to spend time at the seaside and go to the movies, because they need to experience good emotions together, far away from their everyday lives.

Community leaders

They hope to help not only themselves, but also other young women from Caucasus. The girls notice that Polish aid institutions don’t fully understand their problems and the discrimination they are facing. That it why they want to be their community’s leaders: “I want to build my self-esteem and use my example to show other girls that they have a right to decide about themselves and set their boundaries. I feel an obligation to protect other women, like we protected ourselves when we asked for asylum in Poland:, says Fatima.

Grant amount: PLN 4,400

Image credit: Fatima