Red Unidas: German and Latin women

The struggle of women for equal treatment, an end to discrimination and equal opportunities is reflected worldwide. For this reason, and at the initiative of the German Foreign Office, the United Network was created. The intention is to unite the goals of women’s struggles in Germany with those in Latin America and the Caribbean.

What is Red Unidas?

The creation of Red Unidas aims to communicate and relate women on both sides of the Atlantic. The objective is to promote equality of conditions for women in different areas, in politics, labor, culture, communications, science and economy.

Because a country is involved through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Network achieves greater momentum. The collective work of feminists from both regions makes it possible to exchange experiences in order to join efforts.

In recent years, Latin America has made progress in the fight against violence and legal abortion. However, the concern about violence and abuse suffered by women and girls on both sides of the Atlantic is a problem to be solved.

The godmother of Red Unidas is the Foreign Minister of Germany, Annalena Baerbock, who said: “if we stand together, we can achieve much more than if we fight alone”.

All women benefit

For women activists on both continents, it is a breakthrough that their country is engaged through its foreign policy. In particular, they emphasize the struggle for gender equality and gender justice, as these are fundamental principles of democracy. This political commitment provides an invaluable opportunity to promote meaningful and lasting change in society.

Moreover, these women’s struggles achieve recognition of the progress made. They also play a crucial role in preventing backsliding in any country, thus avoiding the reversal of those gains. According to the Latin American representatives, significant progress has also been made in their respective countries in terms of legislation and social equity.

The process is moving forward, but there is still much work to be done

Although it has not yet been fully achieved to reflect this equality in daily life, it is important to recognize that sociocultural changes take time to take root permanently.

However, despite legislative efforts in favor of equality in many parts of the world, the reality does not always reflect what has been established. The discrepancy between what has been stipulated and what happens in practice poses a significant challenge. Women continue to face a large number of questions about the gains achieved through legislation, even in areas that seemed to have overcome these issues in the past. This dynamic creates a sense of constant back and forth, like a game of back and forth.

On May 28, 2023, the United Network will celebrate four years since its creation. It currently has 300 active members, plus all the organizations that have joined since its inception. The next meeting of the network will be in June 2023 in Cali, and expectations are high.