On a sunny afternoon of September, on the very last day of the month, a bunch of women got together to celebrate “the Feminine”. One more time the girls from justPeople, volunteers and guests gathered with the simple purpose of enjoying each other’s Feminine. In a practical view, we met, cooked together, had nice talks, played with the kids, ate together, danced together, and explored each other’s company in a very relaxed way.
The women’s meeting is now known as the ‘sacred’ space and moment in which all women who sympathize with the immigration cause are welcome. Without even mentioning the ancient concepts related to the Sacred Feminine, the event itself has strong characters of exaltation and unity for the present women.
Its first occurrence was in January 2016, when friends from Nijmegen Gastvrij organized a first brunch for women only. That was one of the very first activities offered for the recent migrant women that arrived in Nijmegen. After helping at and joining in this first gathering, justPeople started organizing the following meetings. Next Day Out is going to by the end of november. We will keep you updated about that.
Everything started back then, when the Camp Heumensoord with 3000 Refugees was still existing in the middle of the Forest. In that emergency shelter, which lasted seven months, women were constantly inside, and not having too much space for going out in public, socializing or just having their own space for themselves. In face of this situation, we were questioning ourselves “Why are the Women somehow invisible and what are they doing the whole day in this depressing camp?” It was not that clear from the beginning, but we then saw an opportunity for a Direct Action: gathering these women, as many time as possible, to enjoy some ‘Days Out’.
Ultimately, we found out that women are not that much in public or going out, because they face constantly male oppression, discrimination and disempowerment. Therefore, we offer the Day Out as a safe space where women can come, express themselves, cook together, have nice talks, dance and enjoy a peaceful and friendly atmosphere.
We have been organizing Women’s Day Out roughly every two months, and it has reached women from different groups and living spaces all over Nijmegen, offering literally a Day Out off their normal daily lives. It is now known as a frequent encounter of females and in each edition more and more girls, kids, women and elders come together and celebrate their feminine nature in a safe and open place. In this sense, it’s not silly to compare the way these women gather with the ancient rituals to celebrate the Feminine Sacred.
Image: Women’s Day Out September edition – 30/sept/2016
If you feel like joining as a guest or volunteer, you can get in touch through:
– Email: womens.day.out@gmail.com
– More info: justPeople Women’s Day Out
justPeople 
One thought on “Feminine Sacred and the Women’s Day Out”