International Women’s Day: March at RBC through a feminist lense
by our student Clara Christ (RBC 2025-27)
A Month to Pause and Reflect
The month of International Women’s Day has passed—and it was the kind of occasion that makes this community stop in its tracks. Life at RBC is usually busy; a constant buzz is our normality, and yet, when it comes to significant causes, we manage to pause and gather as a village. March at RBC made me appreciate that deeply.
Creating “Space for Her”
The entire month was noticeably centered around gender equality, women’s history, and female empowerment, thanks to the contributions of many. One of the quieter, yet truly meaningful projects was the “Space for Her” that we created at the start of the month. It was this idea that initially motivated me to join the Intersectional Feminism Working Group, a student initiative at RBC. We set up an installation on the ground floor of the Kartaus, where people could leave notes appreciating the women in their lives. And people did! Mothers, sisters, community members, strangers—the range of women who were recognized and celebrated was touching to see. It became a physical space that illustrated how women’s stories are not only ones of struggle and injustice, but just as much ones of achievement, success, joy, and strength.
Marching Together in Freiburg
On March 8th, more than 40 community members attended the International Women’s Day protest in Freiburg. For me, this turned into a new core memory. All together, we hopped on the tram to the city center, covered in glitter, laughing, carrying handmade signs. We screamed at the top of our lungs, linked arms in solidarity with each other and with all women beyond our little Freiburg bubble, and danced away the female rage.
I come from a region in Germany where, more often than not, a protest is an event I don’t want to attend. More often than not, I do not support the cause. More often than not, it does not reflect my values. So Freiburg’s International Women’s Day march surprised me. It was incredible, walking towards the Platz der Alten Synagoge and realizing how many people had gathered to collectively raise their voices against oppression. A sea of people swarming past the theatre, the uni library, the all-too-familiar Döner place where RBC folks are regulars. The sight filled me with a new sense of hope and pride—as if something clicked and I found a place of belonging, where my values are shared, my opinions appreciated, and my ideas nourished.
From Awareness to Action
Many more big and small projects enriched RBC this month: a poster-making session for the protest, a movie screening, and a “Global Affairs” session about gender equality in health care, just to name a few. Each contribution offered a new perspective and made me realize how valuable this kind of community is—but even more, how, by taking initiative, we can make the world a more equal, inclusive place. We need to make “Space for Her,” give women the chance to speak up, empower each other, and create room for discussion. That’s when feminism turns from a cool label into action.
