text: Fabiola Girneata and Alexa Serban

illustration: Ana-Maria Mihailidis

Dear feministx,

Or the person who believes in equal rights and opportunities, regardless of the individual's gender, ethnicity, race or sexual orientation; or the person convinced that leadership is not a male-only skill – this is a letter for you.

These lines are about us, but also about you, about you, about everything we've achieved so far just by being together! And what do we want to achieve in the future, still working side by side, with tears, energy, and smiles to carry forward the HTR movement that was born from below, but wants to reach the top, and illuminate, through a beautiful rainbow, the society romanian, and tinerx romanx.

We started with nothing but your support and created this beautiful space where we project our hopes, visions and unite our goals for a better future. Volunteering always means putting the potential of your future being above your current level and having so much faith that the result will materialize that you are determined to continue; even if sometimes the result is incomprehensible or seems illusory.

Our motivations

We aim to destroy false beliefs about the feminist movement and educate the young population about its importance. We want to highlight the importance of equal opportunities and minimize discrimination and unfair treatment in society, especially in the labor market. We want to expose challenges in society and encourage women to use their voices and speak their truth, as well as build a better understanding that at its core, intersectional feminism is meant to bring stability and balance, not be interpreted for the wrong reasons.

Every day we set off, sweating, trying to find free time through the thousands of things to do, the fatigue, and the disillusionment that young people under 30 have to face daily in this complex period, but we do it because we are determined, we are strongx, and confidentx, and not only do we want a change, but we actively work to achieve it!

It's not easy, but we can rely on a wonderful community, and that's enough for us, and for that we thank you!

Society is evolving, problems are multiplying, and the solutions that were once the basis of patriarchal society are not only limiting and ineffective, but they are not benefiting either women or men. Our values promote community, trust and intersectionality, all of which are expressed in a professional manner through networking, workshops, mentorships, webinars, internships or various activities that aim to educate, develop and prepare young people between the ages of 16-24 years for the labor market.

 

Society's problem and community's response

At the moment, Romania holds the percentage for the smallest salary difference in the EU (3.5%). However, the employment rate of women is 18% lower than that of men, and the difference is even greater for women with household responsibilities – 5% higher than the European average. Furthermore, the unemployment rate is 35%, and in rural areas, more than a third of people face illiteracy.

In the media, the topics are either overly cosmeticized or intentionally too brutal to understand, and depending on each of us's experience, we absorb the information differently. However, we want to learn to value and appreciate quality beyond attachment or fixation to body or gender, and to encourage the idea that each of your voices has a valid and meaningful message to pass on.

Our long-term vision aims to amplify the voices of young people, minimize discrimination and discrepancies in the labor market, and destroy the myth that women cannot have a career and a family at the same time, aiming to implement workplace regulations that to support them. In addition, as we promote inclusion and equal opportunities, we consider it necessary to implement paternity leave in the workplace.

Her Time Romania is a safe space where every volunteer has the opportunity to express themselves. In a world that wants to silence us, HTR's goal is to amplify our voices. Here we develop, know and make known feminist values through a motivational narrative. We believe in the power and potential of our community for this reason, we always try to offer opportunities for growth and development and these are only achieved through open dialogue and collaboration. The values on which HTR is based are those of intersectional feminism, what we mean by this is an inclusive approach, which fights for equal opportunities, a world without prejudice and discrimination. We believe that the main level where we must act today is the labor market, because it is the reflection of the society in which we live. If we manage to sensitize a part of society on these issues, we can only do it from within it and from its heart, i.e. the workplace.

 

About feminism

Currently, more than in education where feminist themes are already starting to be more present - even if with obvious limits - the labor market is like a stone fortress where it is very difficult to gain access and change things from an egalitarian and inclusive perspective . This is also because there is a fundamental misunderstanding underlying much of feminism and how the feminist movement is perceived in a society that does everything possible to limit women, reducing them to social functions such as: mother, wife, nurse, gregarious, water carrier, valuable collaborator of a man. Feminism is sold to girls as a movement to protect their fragile rights, a defensive game that exhausts itself in "women's issues": abortion, sexuality, consent, body self-determination, access to education and professions, equal pay. Therefore, we are feminists so that we don't die.

The idea that being a feminist exhausts the scale of our thinking and relegates us to a corner, the feminist corner, is a patriarchal construct. You're a feminist, that's all you do: after all, it's already a lot of work, finding a way to assert yourself, fighting a culture that doesn't consider you unless you die badly, that wants you to be a saint , flawless, three times better than your male colleagues and three times less worthy of taking charge. You're a feminist, be a feminist. Do not even try to formulate and propose ideas that are not strictly related to your condition, the practice you have embraced, the gender to which you belong. We let ourselves be fooled, in the end, feminism, in public perception, was reduced to occupying some spaces, attacking some fortresses, invading a hostile territory.

Like scattered and disunited fighters, we move forward, each for herself as best she can, hoping that flag placement will hasten change. Instead, consider that as soon as the wind changes the hard-won positions of trench warfare are lost. Because it doesn't matter how many women have succeeded in filling the boxes previously assigned to men, if those women don't work to change the system that makes it so difficult for a competent woman to see her role and value recognized.

 

Looking to the future...with thanks

Many things have changed in these years, the world around us has changed, we have changed, the platform, colors and logo have changed, as you will see at the end of this rebranding campaign.

We are aware that directions will branch out as we develop, but we want to take this moment to thank you for your involvement, for being part of the change, for taking the time to learn and, possibly spread the message in your group. Thank you for contributing to the vision and understanding our purpose. Thank you for supporting our movement. And finally, thank you for showing up in your authentic form!

Dreams though, those never change.

The dream of being able to imagine a fairer, freer, and equal world.

The desire to imagine, and to build another possible world every day.