Woman Scream 2023 | Serbia | Gornji Matejevac

Woman Scream 2023 (Krik Žene 2023), under the motto “Mother of the Earth” was celebrated in the city of Matejevac in Serbia. For five days, starting March 20 to 25th, around 12pm, under the old walnut tree in the field at Cegarska 7, 18204 Gornji Matejevac, the event coordinator, Maja Delibasic from Centarnovilists, with the support of ‘Karadjordje’ Elementary School, organized a series of workshops for writing poetry with girls (from local school, 10 to 15 years old)) and local women keeping with theme of the festival, and one storytelling-painting workshop for girls (3 to 7 years old). The main event took place on the 25h.

All events were outdoors, to honor “Mother Earth” so, participants had direct contact with the farmland while they created. At the main event we organized the reading of the original poems created in workshops for audience, both for human and more-than-human others (for the tree, the sky, the air, the sun, birds, dogs, bugs…)

In total we held 5 workshops, and trough them we supported 7 girls (age 3 to 7), 15 girls (age 10 to 15), 15 women (age 20 to 68) to find their voices and to SCREAM with us. We helped them to find confidence to write, and to share their creation with others. We witnessed women making contact with themselves, other women and nature.

We shared joy, tears and SCREAMS! It was a magical and powerful experience.

The Woman Scream Festival 2023 (Grito de Mujer ), in its thirteenth edition was under the slogan "Mother of the Earth", paid tribute to rural women and women activists who have lost their lives or suffered violence defending environment's rights. This year, and since 2022, the festival is part of the initiatives of UN Women's Generation Equality, for the eradication of violence and its international chain, and was celebrated from March 1 to 31, with over two hundred cultural events in 28 countries.