The FemMoz project held a forum in Berlin on October 24-28, 2023. The event was attended by Belarusian activists, representatives of partner organizations, and other initiatives. The forum featured a number of events focusing on feminist perspectives, strengthening expertise, and establishing contacts and partnerships between the Coordination Council Fem Group and German organizations and experts as well as establishing closer cooperation within the feminist community through the participation of activists and representatives of Belarusian partner organizations and initiatives.

During the forum, the participants could strengthen their public speaking skills with expert and international journalist Hanna Liubakova. They had the opportunity to learn about the outstanding women of Germany in the history of Berlin. The participants learned more about the Bundestag’s women’s rights promotion efforts in foreign policy, discuss the current challenges and the situation in Belarus with the team of a German MP, member of the Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee, as well as search for ways of closer interaction and cooperation at the political level. The forum also featured a meeting with the team of Austausch, where participants discussed further cooperation and ways to support Belarusian civil society. Besides, the forum gave the representatives of the Fem Group time for strategic work.

Besides, the forum gave the representatives of the Fem Group time for strategic work:

• wider awareness campaign about the opportunities for international support and scholarships, especially for those who stay in Belarus;
• visa support for activists from Belarus (through political lobbying);
• psychological assistance for activists inside and outside Belarus (group and individual support);
• new vision for implementers/foundations/organizations vis-a-vis support of Belarusian activists (lobbying of the position);
• help programs for the queer community (legal advice, psychological help);
• efforts aimed at supporting and promoting historical memory, e.g. launching a website on the history of the women’s movement in Belarus;
• political awareness courses for women;
• scholarships for female politicians (personal brand development, child-related needs, assertiveness courses, etc.);
• internships in political bodies abroad;
• scholarships for female activists;
• assistance in providing equipment and software licenses (for activists both inside and outside Belarus);
• information support and consultations on various legal issues in the countries of exile of Belarusian activists.

The Belarusian democratic feminist community is centered around the Coordination Council Fem Group, a working group of the representative body of Belarusian society created by the democratic forces of Belarus in 2020 after the rigged presidential election. FemMoz experts are part of the Coordination Council Fem Group.

At the strategic meeting, the experts also finalized the Belarusian Women’s Manifesto, which will be disseminated within the community and among the activists to attract more activists who share the values and vision described in the manifesto, engage them in the activities of the Fem Group, and consolidate actions aimed at achieving common goals and objectives.

At the forum in Berlin, activists also discussed and described the concept of a Feminist domestic policy, based on ensuring and advocating for equal rights and opportunities for men, women* and non-binary persons, as well as boys and girls*, in all spheres of public life, covering its private and public dimensions. And the discussed and described the concept of a Feminist foreign policy, based on the principle of three Rs: rights, representation, and resources, already implemented in feminist foreign policy projects in other countries.

Following the forum in Berlin, the Coordination Council Fem Group planned a number of activities:

• – Establishing a Fem Faction within the Coordination Council (will be established on November 9, 2023), which aims to increase the visibility of women at the decision-making level, maintain the achievements of the Fem Group from 2020, and ensure quotas during the election of the new Coordination Council in 2024.
• – Holding the next major forum of the Belarusian feminist community in 2024 (the Fem Group is currently the only body organizing and holding such meetings since 2021);
• continued support for women’s rights initiatives and organizations through mini-grants;
• continued psychological and retreat support for activists inside and outside Belarus;
• conducting educational events, courses, and training on issues related to gender equality, strengthening women’s political influence, etc;
• Researching the needs of women inside and outside the country (The Fem Group conducted two surveys on women’s needs in 2021 and 2023. Based on this data, activities and areas of support are determined);
• strengthening and maintaining connections within the feminist community;
• continued representation at international events;
• keeping the issue of gender equality and visibility of women on the agenda in independent Belarusian media.

Thanks to FemMoz, the Fem Group of the Coordination Council managed to hold offline meetings with Belarusian activists from Belarus and relocated civil society representatives from different cities and countries. The meetings were helpful in the context of an increasing gap between the exiled community and activists inside the country and allowed the Council to determine the areas of support and fields of closer interaction for further collaborations and activities.

Since the Fem Group activists are located in seven different countries – Belarus, Lituania, Germany, Poland, Georgia, Austria and France – which complicates work processes, the opportunity to meet in person is highly needed and helps to maintain connections and dynamics within the team.

In addition to closer interaction with representatives of Belarusian civil society, the activists had the opportunity to engage with international organizations and initiatives.

On October 27, as a part of the Forum, several experts held a public discussion “Feminist Outlook on Belarus 2020-2023”. They discussed the current situation in Belarus and talked about the ongoing repression in the country, the democratic movement and activism in exile, as well as the feminist movement and its achievements.