This chapter problematises the hegemony of Western feminist knowledge by looking at the history of the transnational women’s organisation, the Women’s International Democratic Federation (WIDF). It is based on the WIDF official publications and archival documents. Looking from the perspective of the WIDF headquarters in East Berlin as a centre of transnational networks and following Lucy Delap’s suggestion to see “feminism” rather as a “conversation,” it becomes visible that rights of women, a central part of the feminist programme, were at the centre of the WIDF’s work. However, the rights that WIDF prioritised did not always coincide with priorities of feminist organisations in the West. The economic rights, rights to live in the independent state, right of living in peace and rights of mothers had visible priority in the documents originating from East Berlin, compared to, for example, rights of freedom from male physical and psychological abuse and rights to sexual expression that were central for mainstream feminism in the West.
Correspondence Address: Y. Gradskova; Mid Sweden University, Sundsvall, Sweden; email: yulia.gradskova@sh.se