Details
The Feminist History Walk is a set of 64 cards. Working with the cards means recovering the legacies of which they tell. The Feminist History Walk takes us on a journey through the past and present of feminist struggle: we have rebellious women and queers in our time and before to thank for achievements such as unrestricted suffrage, liberation from colonial rulers, liberal abortion laws, and modern sex crime laws. Some of the social conflicts associated with these achievements have a long history. We use pointed quotations to delve into this history of feminist movements, revolts, and debates. The material approaches the subject playfully. The walk through history is structured as a puzzle, in which we line up cards one after the other. This creates a timeline that shows us whose shoulders we stand on today.
We have selected women and queer people who were radical in their time and continue to be so in the sense that they tackle problems at the root and work with an understanding of oppression that goes beyond their own concerns. Some waged feminist struggles, others waged social struggles as women, and for still others, the queer aspect of their struggle was and is important. The selection of voices is exemplary and necessarily incomplete.
The playful guessing of the quotes, slogans, or events is not done against each other, but with each other. People with different levels of prior knowledge learn from each other, because everyone can contribute something — even if it is only a small piece of the mosaic that is the growing overall picture. In the end, the group has created an impressive gallery together, the Feminist History Walk. It not only makes visible the fact that today’s achievements are the result of past struggles, but also creates an awareness of who we owe these achievements to, which struggles we want or need to continue, and where the unfulfilled longings and promises lie.
We do not assume any prior knowledge for the reading. The material is aimed at people in education, those who are politically active, and those interested in feminist theory and practice.
Projects never come about or grow by themselves. We would like to thank the 16 authors for their wonderful contributions to the project, as well as for their exciting ideas, new insights, and smooth cooperation across several languages: Adriana Yee Meyberg, Alex Wischnewski, Angela Odah, Clara Meyra, Fatou Faye, Florencia Puente, Franza Drechsel, Hildegard Kiel, Irena Pejić, Ksenija Forca, Marijana Stojčić, Nađa Bobičić, Neha Naqvi, Pragya Khanna, Rebone Tau, and Salam Hamdan.
Our thanks also go to Joscha Bär, Valeria Bruschi, Karolin Nedelmann, and Ursula Steckner for their important suggestions regarding content and style. We would also like to thank Mario Candeias for the idea of expanding the Feminist History Walk into educational material with a global focus.
Anne Steckner, Adriana Yee Meyberg, Claudia de Coster
