We are a Berlin-based feminist political group of migrant and refugee women, and women without this experience, who are active in the fight against racism, sexism and other intersecting power structures.
The International Women Space was born as a group inside the refugee occupation of the former Gehart-Hauptmann School in December of 2012. The story of this occupation begun with the suicide of Mohammad Rahsepar, an iranian who was seeking asylum in Germany and hung himself in a Heim in Würzburg, Bavaria. After this tragical death, a group of refugees from the same area decided to protest by marching more than 600 kilometers from Würzburg to Berlin.
In October, the 6th, the March arrived in Berlin where a Camp in Oranienplatz, district of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg was already being built to welcome the refugees. A few months later, in December, the movement of refugees decided to occupy the former Gehart-Hauptmann School, which was empty and was near to Oranienplatz.
Not longer than a week after the occupation, the women activists of the movement, announced we were reserving a few rooms on the second floor only for women. During 17 months many women passed through the Women Space, many lived there, others came to attend the meetings, the workshops, the german classes amongst other activities we regularly organised.
In July 2014, the district of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg made an offer to the school’s inhabitants: they could move to special refugee houses (Heim) for a certain time. Around a thousand police officers were called to help securing the area during the moving out of the people. Not everybody accepted the offer. Around 40 people decided to resist inside the house in order to keep the space and continuing on developing the idea of creating a self-organized International Refugee Center. The resistance lasted 9 days and in the end an agreement between the refugees living in the school and the district was signed. (see agreement on the link to video “Nine Days on the Roof“).
For us women of the International Women Space the whole process of leaving the house and imagining how to continue in another place was hard. It was not only the question of finding a new place, but more important: to re-channel our energies to ourselves as migrant and refugee women, as women of colour, as third-world feminists in full agreement with Audre Lorde “For the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.”
What we have to say
- Beitrag zum Dossier «Migration»: “Besser als jede Schule” - Die Aktivistin und Filmemacherin Denise Garcia Bergt zu den (Er-)Folgen des Geflüchteten-Camp auf dem Berliner Oranienplatz, zum Umgang mit Rassismus in der Bewegung und zur Frage, warum Dolmetscher manchmal wichtiger sind als Resolutionen und Programme. Unter dem Titel «Die Erweiterung des Terrains. Migrationspolitik als Transformationsprojekt. Eine Baustellenbesichtigung» befragt unser Autor Günter Piening zehn ausgewiesene Expert*innen…
- Radio Lotte interview with Women In Exile and International Women Space in the NSU Tribunal - Radio Beiträge Sondersendung zum NSU-Tribunal Hier gibt es die einzelnen Beiträge zum Nachhören Seit Mittwoch lief in Köln das Tribunal “NSU-Komplex auflösen”. Aus diesem Anlass haben wir am Freitag von 8-13 Uhr live aus Köln gesendet und mit verschiedenen Gästen an unserer Senderikscha gesprochen. Mit dabei waren Massimo Perinelli von der “Initiative Keupstraße ist überall”,…
- 5.5.17: ¡MASH-UP! – Women*. across.borders UNITE Soli-Party for International Women’s Space + Women in Exile - Fri. May 5th from 9.30 pm in SUPAMOLLY (Jessnerstr. 41 – Friedrichshain) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1170702123075596/ LIVE: Rainhas do Norte – feminist percussion pop from Brazil – http://www.rainhas.de S A NN I feat. Chris Herb – electronic singer-songwriter – https://www.springstoff.de/artists/sanni/ Carmel Zoum – dancehall, reggae, dubstep, drum’n’bass – https://www.carmelzoum.biz/ DJs: Grace Kelly – world wide dancefloor La…
- Photos 8.3.2017: International Women*s struggle Demo in Berlin - All Power to the Women* Bi hêza jinan* berxwedan bilind dibe! Kadınlar* birlikte güçlü Alle Macht den Frauen* همهی قدرت از آنِ زنان * Tout le pouvoir aux femmes* Cinîya* hêzdar e, Cuyîna serbest القوة لجميع النساء* Moć ženama* !כל הכח לנשים** Todo el poder para las Mujeres* Всю Силу Женщинам!* Tutti poteri alle donne*…
- “To seek asylum is a political statement!” Jennifer Kamau’s Deutsche Welle interview on International Women*s Day -
- Speech held by IWS in the International Women*s Day Berlin - Posted originally by http://www.wirmachendas.jetzt Photo: Inga Alice Lauenroth We women of the world have united, and we shout: International Strike! We see sexist shit all over the world. In Russia, domestic violence has been decriminalised. In many places, girls are forced to marry and bear children. We see a rise in antifeminism here and everywhere.…
- International Women*s Struggle DEMO ROUTE // 8.3.17, START 16:30 WARSCHAUER STR. CORNER REVALER STR. -
- 8th March International Women*s Struggle Demo Berlin: 8.3.17DEMO BEGIN: 16:30 WARSCHAUER STR. CORNER REVALER STR.(Demo will pass through Skalitzer Strasse and end in Oranienplatz) - CALLING FOR THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN*S STRUGGLE DEMO Ezidischer FrauenRat Berlin, Frauenrat Dest Dan, International Women’s Space,Interkulturelles Frauenzentrum S.U.S.I., Frauen aus Rojhilat, IniRromnja, Sozialistischer Frauenbund Berlin – SKB,JXK-Studierende Frauen aus Kurdistan, FrauenRat der PYD Berlin (Rojava Frauen),FrauenRat der HDK Berlin,Lara e.V.,Ni una menos Berlin,Czarny Protest,Bündnis gegen Rassismus,Stop Deportation Group,Women in Exile&Friends,Generation ADEFRA,DaMigra,Adnb des Tbb,Mütter gegen den…
- International Women*s Struggle demo, 8th of March’17: 16:30 Warschauer Str. corner Revaler Str. – 18:00 Oranienplatz - All Power to the Women* Bila jin* xwedî her hêzî bin! Güç Kadınlara* Alle Macht den Frauen* همهی قدرت از آنِ زنان Tout le pouvoir aux femmes* القوة لجميع النساء* Moć ženama* !כל הכח לנשים** Todo el poder para las Mujeres* Всю Силу Женщинам!* Tutti poteri alle donne* Cała władza w ręce kobiet* 여성*에 대한…
- TODAY DEMO 8.3.16 – International Women’s Day / Internationaler Frauentag – Wir nehmen uns die Macht zurück! - Wir nehmen uns die Macht zurück! We take the power back! İktidarı geri alıyoruz! Retomamos el poder! Preuzmimo Moć! Мы возвращаем нашу власть! Estamos pegando o poder de volta! Em desthilatê şûnde digirin! 私たちはパワーを取り戻す! Ci riprendiamo il potere! Nous reprenons le pouvoir!