Feminising public spaces

Public spaces in Yerevan: Soviet Union

Post soviet period: privatisation or abandonment

Green areas in Yerevan

• 1990: green zones compose 73% of the total area of Yerevan

• 2003: green zones compose 43% of the total area of Yerevan

• 2007: green zones compose 29% of the total area of Yerevan

Architectural heritage

Public areas in courtyards

Claiming Public space:Mashtots Park struggle

Patriarchal domination

• symbols: statues, ads, grafitti• structure: infrastruture, architecture• verbal level: patronising or abusive language• monopolization of resources: visibility, media• the “protection and care” myth & reality• perception of women’s actions in public space• total presence of male observing sight: public vs

private space

Hate speech posters

Statues: male heros & leaders vs anonymous women

Sexist ads

Gender roles in public actions

Initiatives of feminising public spaces

Marches, demonstrations

March against domestic violence

Funerals of the “red apple”

Demarcation of borders

Leaving traces

Women’s agora (political space)

Deconstruction of space and time

Feminist voice

Sharing and empowering

Writing and publishing: FenZine

Hegharithmer: Rythms of Resistance

Queering Yerevan

• Writing• Translation• Street art• Video art• Publication

http://queeringyerevan.blogspot.com/

Shushanik Kurghinyan: feminist art and activism space