Connecting Women, Highlighting Culture

The Goethe-Institut brought together cultural practitioners from Southeast Asia, New Zealand and Germany in an event that celebrated women’s contributions to culture.

The theme was #Fempop Night and served as a point of contact of sorts where arts, culture and feminist activism converged. During the event founder of the women’s collective, Grrrl Gang Manila, Mich Dulce, invited guests to participate in making crafts from fabric. Each 10x10 inch piece contributes to a growing quilt, symbolising an estimated USD 10 trillion lost every year in unpaid domestic work and emotional labour by women worldwide.

While making the quilt, participants had the opportunity to listen to the speakers, and participate in discussions with singers from Indonesia, Germany, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

One of the speakers from Indonesia, Indraswari Pangestu, shared her personal experience as a young feminist activist and also a Digital Content Specialist.

During her presentation, she also talked why she became an activist and why she chose to work with the digital platform Springster, which helps connect marginalised and vulnerable girls around the world. Featuring content designed for girls, created by girls, the platform brings essential, tailored information directly to them and helps them find meaning and strength via this shared experience.

#Fempop Night was organised by Goethe-Institut Jakarta as a continuation of the networking trip of Feminism and Pop Culture to Berlin in August 2018 for cultural practitioners from Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, in collaboration with the German publication“Missy Magazine”.