August, 2022

ENWAD’s Conference on social media activism – sensitizing on anti-racism and empowering young people of African descent.

ENWAD- is a European Network of Women of African descent that empower young people and immigrants’ families. We advocate for anti-racism policies, Zenobia, hate speech and gender equality in an intersectional approach.

Our speakers were Ms Firdaus, (a young social media content comedian) and Ms Aya, a (secondary school student and activist in the ENWAD network) and the moderator Ms Shaban co-founder of ENWAD. Discussions were centred on two thematic: (1) what is like to be a woman and young person of African descent. And (2) what we really want to see happening. The changes we would like to see in our society.

-Firdaus explained her experiences and gave some recommendations for the authorities. Amongst other were the focus on quality employment for minority communities and in particular women and young people of African descent. For the government to take initiative on sensitisation companies on the benefits of having a diverse workforce and employing black and brown people.

-Aya, also have some recommendation for the authorities – she said that the authorities spend millions in mainstream feminism initiative which is mostly white; mainstream feminism exclude black feminism in their conversation as black women are part of their movement and conversation.

She argues the authorities to per a particular attention on diversity education the same way they are doing for the feminism movement. She said that the cultural and values ethics classes should not only mean playing and sitting that with students from different background in class and in the playground or having a white teacher teaching about racism.

But having black teachers and professors teach about Racism, Zenobia and hate speech. Mainstream the teaching of diverse cultures in schools and making them a priority.