Without community there is no liberation is the phrase of the black poet, writer and activist Audre Lorde which accompanied the birth of the House of Women of Florence.
How the Women’s House was born
A few years have passed since the idea of this space was born in the mind of a group of women and associations. Meanwhile, there was a pandemicpolitical changes and the number of people who joined this dream he has grown. Today finally too Florence he has his own House of women and, as a Unique but plural association, we are proud to be part of it, together with many other realities.
The space, entrusted by local institutions to the associations that acted as leaders (Nosotras, Associazione CoCo Spazio Costanza, Le Curandaie), is in an evocative and somewhat significant place, Le Murate, which is not only a former prison but, still before, it was a cloistered convent: the wallsprecisely.
The Women’s House, like the other precious women’s houses found throughout the national territory, is one space of freedomthe place where you can express your identities, create awareness and sharing, create culture, protect women’s rights and many other things.
At the inauguration, Isabella Manciniof the Nosotras association, said
“this place is a blank sheet of paper”,
a story to write together. It made me reflect on the political importance of having empty spaces to test our own imagination, on the need to face that little dizziness you feel when faced with a risky jump, in the open sea, without a trail to follow or the appropriate box to fill. It is an exercise of which our society and our freedom is in great need.
At the Women’s House we hope that all people will come to listen, talk, imagine possible futures, in the sign of respect and the will to understand and accept.
What is done at the Women’s House
It has only recently opened, but there have already been many stimulating events: from the initiative Prime minister – political school for young women, to many presentations of booksfrom activities for boys and girls up to the beautiful exhibition of the collective Lediesisby title Corpus Dominaewhich will remain on display until the end of May.
Our association has already participated with two events in which our president Valentina Torrini spoke about the representation of women and minorities on the big screen and a meeting organized together with the Women’s Coordination of CGIL Florence on right to restwith the author of the book Naps poster, Virginia Cafaro.
Particularly in this historical moment, in which we risk seeing each other more than ever denied the right to abortionin which the word anti-fascism is censored and in which you cthey reminalize practices of solidarityit is essential to work on politics from below and open spaces for discussion that take us out of the bubbles of algorithms. We cannot afford to live only in a private dimension, because it would be an illusion.
At a wonderful meeting of the journalist and writer, Jennifer Guerra, which I recently went to, one of her sentences particularly struck me:
“Feminism is an antidote to individualism.”
Here I believe that the Women’s House is also a antidote to individualism.
So we invite you to follow the page of the Casa delle donne di Firenze e we are waiting for youif you are in the area, for one of the many initiatives.
Beatrice Gnassi is vice-president of the Uniche ma plurali association, editor and translator.
