AFEW International’s program manager Daria Alexeeva recently took part in the unofficial lunch with the mayor of the Dutch city Assen (Drenthe province) Marco Out and also public debates. Daria had an opportunity to talk to the Dutch audience about public health issues in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA).
The Dutch title of the events was Europa’s Rafelende Randen which translates into English as Europe’s Fraying Edges. The idea behind the events is to inform people in Assen and Drenthe about international developments through the eyes of female human and social rights activists. Daria Alexeeva was talking mainly about the situation with HIV/AIDS, sex workers and trafficking in the EECA region.
“It is important for the Dutch public to know what challenges Eastern Europe and Central Asia are facing in the sphere of public health,” says Daria. “The programs that we are implemented in EECA are being financed via the money of the Dutch taxpayers. Thus, it is important to realize that their money is targeted towards something as important as fighting HIV and AIDS in the EECA region. Besides, this region is bordering Western Europe, and good neighbours always help each other.”
Besides the public health topics, the guests of the meeting – female activists from Russia, Poland and Lithuania – were talking also about Chechnya and the work of the Memorial organisation, developments in Poland and Ukraine and LGBTI in the Baltic countries.
