2026WOMEN
Since June 2022, a diverse and growing group of women aged 16 to 74 has been gathering twice a month at Madam Fortuna. These women, from various social backgrounds, origins, and religions, come together to exchange ideas on themes related to the status, and experience, of being a woman. Through this exchange, they form a community where they can freely and safely share their own stories, as well as those of their sisters and friends.
Driven by a desire to raise awareness and empower girls and women to take action, the group decided to bring their testimonies and concerns to the stage. Their performances aim to initiate a collective reflection on transforming patriarchal structures, cultures and behaviours.
Inspired by the International Tribunal on Crimes against Women held in Brussels in March 1976, this historical event has become the unifying element of their project. Through their collaborative actions, they hope to continue the legacy of advocating for women’s rights and fostering social change.
2026WOMEN is a participatory, inclusive and collective three-year project powered by 3 groups of women from 3 three vibrant port cities: Antwerp, Rotterdam, and Marseille. Representing the rich diversity of the European community, these women’s groups come together to engage in a unique socio-artistic project that embodies, and serves as, a feminist reflection on the past 50 years since the first International Tribunal on Crimes against Women. Through bi-monthly discussion groups and artistic workshops in each harbour city, the women participants explore and express their reflections and experiences.
During the project, the 3 groups will gather together in Antwerp (November 2024), in Rotterdam (June 2025), and in Marseille (November 2025) to share their artistic testimonies. In each city, an exchange will initially take place between the three groups of women. This will then be followed by exchange with an audience of professionals from the political, social, and academic sectors, fostering dialogue with institutions towards a collective change of mind-set across diverse sectors of society.
In March 2026, the 2nd International Tribunal on Crimes against Women will be held in Antwerp, 50 years on from the 1st Tribunal in 1976. At the core of this international congress, the voices of women, expressed through artistic forms, will take center stage.
THE TRIBUNAL ON CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN
From March 4 to 8, 1976, the first International Tribunal on Crimes against Women was held at the Brussels Palace of Congress. Over two thousand women from forty countries participated, sharing personal testimonies that documented numerous instances of violence against women worldwide. The opening speech was written by Simone de Beauvoir. Topics addressed included medical and economic crimes, rape, political prisoners, crimes against lesbians, domestic violence, prostitution, pornography, and femicide. Many written statements were also submitted by women who could not attend the tribunal in person.
This tribunal was the first large-scale gathering on this topic and was organised by a small group of feminists, including the renowned feminist writer Diana Russell, Belgian journalist Nicole Van de Ven, en Belgian activist Lilly Boeykens. Inspired by the International War Crimes Tribunal, a people’s tribunal for crimes committed during the Vietnam War, this tribunal aimed to share experiences, empower women, and send a clear message to governments. The tribunal also had a significant symbolic role in breaking society’s silence issues related to women.
Both the tribunal and the book written about it had a considerable impact on international legislation and local initiatives, such as shelters and welfare programs. It laid essential foundations for all feminist movements that have emerged since.
DOWNLOAD ‘Crimes Against Women: Proceedings of the International Tribunal’ (PDF)
OUR MISSION
Through the 2026WOMEN project, we aim to raise awareness about violence and injustice against women worldwide. We seek to educate and empower women from all social and cultural backgrounds, enabling them to make their voices heard in cultural, academic, and political forums. Throughout the project, we will work towards developing strong and inclusive local and international networks and safe spaces, providing support and solidarity for individual women and their organisations.
Our goal is to develop and implement participatory social and cultural practices as key tools for public debate, civic engagement, and social change.
Additionally, we will create and implement strategies for bottom-up and participatory exchanges with decision-makers, stakeholders, and others on the issue of violence and injustice against women. By prioritising the voices and experiences of women themselves, we aim to foster new opportunities for co-creation and collaboration.
This women-led initiative will therefore be directly relevant and responsive to the needs of the communities with whom we engage.
OUR PLAN
Bi-monthly gatherings will be held in Antwerp, Marseille and Rotterdam, bringing together women from diverse backgrounds for discussions and expressive workshops. The education and awareness-raising objective of these gatherings will be strengthened through the complementary expertise of the social, artistic and academic partners involved. The topics covered in the gatherings are divided into 4 thematic modules:
- Violence and injustice in the private sphere
- Violence and injustice in the public sphere
- Political and institutional context & impact
- New challenges: ecofeminism and digital violence
Women are the beneficiaries of these modules, as they take the lead in the project coordination, management, and delivery. This approach ensures women’s empowerment and learning at all levels of project implementation, providing opportunities for women to develop strong leadership skills and become female role models.
Transnational mobilities between the three women’s groups will take place 4 times over 3 years: in Antwerp in 2024, in Marseille and Rotterdam in 2025, and in Antwerp for the 2nd Tribunal in March 2026. These events will facilitate intersectional collaboration and the development of a multidisciplinary format for interactive and participatory public debates. Women will present their testimonies in various artistic forms, including spoken word, dialogues, manifestos, songs, musical pieces, plastic arts, photos, and videos. The goal is to elevate the emancipatory exchange from each local trajectory to an international level.
In 2026, The Tribunal on Crimes Against Women is planned to take place in Antwerp, Belgium. This large-scale, three-day event will offer opportunities for a broad public, including diverse genders and ages, to get involved in activities such as workshops, debates, and more.
As a sustainable outcome of the aforementioned activities, an interactive publication will be created, enabling other organisations and stakeholders to learn from our practices and integrate this learning into their own activities. Through a digital platform, testimonies, methodologies, articles, videos and more will be compiled and made accessible. These tools aim to ensure the long term impact our project, continuously empowering women worldwide and promoting gender equality within society.