Launch of the Practical Guide to Developing and Managing a Feminist Safe Space

By: Sophie Husser

 

What is a safe space?

Defined as collective physical spaces for discussion and mutual support that are rooted in their community or ecosystem and embody feminist values, feminist safe spaces can be multi-purpose rooms for training, accommodation for survivors of gender-based violence or reception areas for people from gender minorities. Whatever the space, the practical guide offers tools to help safe spaces evolve in terms of their inclusivity and management.

What is the purpose of this guide?

This guide is intended for anyone working closely or remotely with feminist safe spaces who wants to strengthen their own skills and the structural organisation of the space to promote its impact with its target audience. The guide is divided into 8 chapters containing best practices, tools and advice, approached through the prism of inclusivity:

• Defining the purpose of the space
• Developing your programme
• Designing a feminist space
• Adopting an inclusive mode of governance
• Working on your external communications
• Strengthening inclusivity and security
• Accessing services and partnerships
• Building an economic model and ensuring its sustainability

 

Each chapter contains a detailed practical sheet outlining the exercise and the tools needed to carry it out with members of the safe place and/or users. The aim of these sheets is to enable managers of safe spaces to test and experiment with the proposed practices.

These themes have been carefully selected by the Empow’Her teams on the basis of a diagnosis carried out in safe spaces around the world, which highlighted the priority themes for these spaces. Accompanied by a consultant in educational engineering and expert in safe spaces, the Empow’Her teams drew on their expertise (particularly with the opening of safe spaces in 4 countries) and their roots in a feminist network to draw up the guide.

Far from being set in stone, the guide is intended to be expanded thanks to testimonials from safe spaces and the collection of other best practices. The idea is to bring it to life!

Don’t miss out on trying this guide to transform your feminist safe space into a more structured, inclusive and effective one!