An afternoon full of songs, stories and visions
Today I was at a special event for International Women's Day in Seehausen, organized by various initiatives, including the Equal Opportunities Office of the district of Stendal. It was an afternoon full of music, stories and demands for real equality - a space for remembrance, exchange and visions.
A musical journey through inequality
The workers' song choir from Stendal opened the event with songs and lyrics that were deeply moving. They told of struggles for women's rights, of inequality, of resistance. Sometimes militant, sometimes melancholic, but always with a clear message: there is still a lot to do. Their songs took us on a journey through the past and present - a journey that concerns us all.
Violence against women: Help and necessary changes
After this musical journey, things got serious. The Equal Opportunities Office of the district of Stendal presented the Network Violence against Women and spoke about the many forms of violence - about what is visible and what often remains hidden. About women who do not dare to seek help. About structures that fail. And about what urgently needs to be improved. The Violence Protection Act was also mentioned - a law that is supposed to protect, but often does not go far enough.
"100,000 mothers" - visibility for care work
Then it was my turn. I introduced the "100,000 Mothers" campaign, in which I am responsible for public relations. I talked about the initiators and the need to make invisible care work visible. Because care work - caring for children, the elderly and the daily functioning of our society - is at the heart of our world. And yet it often remains invisible, unpaid and underestimated.
I explained why we are coming together in front of the Brandenburg Gate on May 10: Because it is time to put the spotlight on this work. Because it is unacceptable that so many people collapse under the burden of care work while others benefit from it. And because true equality is only possible if this work is also fairly distributed and recognized. When I mentioned that the Protection against Violence Act is not due to be fully implemented until 2032, a voice from the audience spoke up:
"I'm already dead by then."
This sentence gave me pause. I had said the number just like that - 2032 - but suddenly it sounded incredibly far away. How can it be that necessary changes take so long? And what does that mean for all the women who need protection now?
A utopia for the future
To conclude my contribution, I read our utopia from March 1, 2025:
"Back then, we said that care work would no longer remain invisible. Today we know: This movement is changing everything."
I talked about a future in which care work is finally recognized for what it is: the foundation of our society. In which care work no longer remains unpaid in the shadows, but is fairly distributed and appreciated. In which women no longer have to fight to get the most natural things - security, equality, respect. A future in which no woman remains in the role of the one who has to constantly seek recognition and support, but in which we all bear responsibility for the community.
I invited everyone to become part of the movement. On May 10 in Berlin or on the website hunderttausendmuetter.de. With her voice, her presence, her solidarity.
At the end, Bernd Kloß expressed his thanks for this utopia. He said that this is exactly what we need - a vision.
Today I was at a special event for International Women's Day in Seehausen, organized by various initiatives, including the Equal Opportunities Office of the district of Stendal. It was an afternoon full of music, stories and demands for real equality - a space for remembrance, exchange and visions.
A musical journey through inequality
The workers' song choir from Stendal opened the event with songs and lyrics that were deeply moving. They told of struggles for women's rights, of inequality, of resistance. Sometimes militant, sometimes melancholic, but always with a clear message: there is still a lot to do. Their songs took us on a journey through the past and present - a journey that concerns us all.
Violence against women: Help and necessary changes
After this musical journey, things got serious. The Equal Opportunities Office of the district of Stendal presented the Network Violence against Women and spoke about the many forms of violence - about what is visible and what often remains hidden. About women who do not dare to seek help. About structures that fail. And about what urgently needs to be improved. The Violence Protection Act was also mentioned - a law that is supposed to protect, but often does not go far enough.
"100,000 mothers" - visibility for care work
Then it was my turn. I introduced the "100,000 Mothers" campaign, in which I am responsible for public relations. I talked about the initiators and the need to make invisible care work visible. Because care work - caring for children, the elderly and the daily functioning of our society - is at the heart of our world. And yet it often remains invisible, unpaid and underestimated.
I explained why we are coming together in front of the Brandenburg Gate on May 10: Because it is time to put the spotlight on this work. Because it is unacceptable that so many people collapse under the burden of care work while others benefit from it. And because true equality is only possible if this work is also fairly distributed and recognized. When I mentioned that the Protection against Violence Act is not due to be fully implemented until 2032, a voice from the audience spoke up:
"I'm already dead by then."
This sentence gave me pause. I had said the number just like that - 2032 - but suddenly it sounded incredibly far away. How can it be that necessary changes take so long? And what does that mean for all the women who need protection now?
A utopia for the future
To conclude my contribution, I read our utopia from March 1, 2025:
"Back then, we said that care work would no longer remain invisible. Today we know: This movement is changing everything."
I talked about a future in which care work is finally recognized for what it is: the foundation of our society. In which care work no longer remains unpaid in the shadows, but is fairly distributed and appreciated. In which women no longer have to fight to get the most natural things - security, equality, respect. A future in which no woman remains in the role of the one who has to constantly seek recognition and support, but in which we all bear responsibility for the community.
I invited everyone to become part of the movement. On May 10 in Berlin or on the website hunderttausendmuetter.de. With her voice, her presence, her solidarity.
At the end, Bernd Kloß expressed his thanks for this utopia. He said that this is exactly what we need - a vision.
And that's exactly what I felt today: that we still have a long way to go, but that we're not going it alone."
9.3.2025 - Manja Liehr