NKMI

    New Generation of Women’s Initiatives (ngoWI) is a non-governmental non-profit feminist organization founded by and for young women in Vilnius (Lithuania). The main goal of ngoWI is to pursue new spaces and means for women’s consciousness raising, empowerment, self-expression, leadership and enterprise, thus reducing vulnerability and silencing of women in general, and certain groups of women in particular, in the Lithuanian society. ngoWI promotes feminism and women’s empowerment with the particular focus on young women, especially lesbians, bisexual women, queer.

1) empowering young women, in particular, women in youth subcultures, lesbian, bisexual and queer young women, as well as delinquent/ institutionalized women;
2) raising awareness and educating general public in order to change gender-based discriminatory, exploitative and oppressive attitudes and practices in the Lithuanian society, especially, among youth.

Through the focus on young women ngoWI contributes to empowerment and reduction of silencing of young women in the Lithuanian society. We encourage young women to challenge the sexualizing and objectifying roles ascribed to them by the society and break through for more creative and fulfilling ways of self-expression. We believe that the widespread problems of trafficking in women, prostitution, poverty feminization, violence against women, homophobia in Lithuania are, among other factors, rooted also in the lack of empowerment and initiative among women, and young women, in particular. We want to change it – to encourage young women to critically evaluate restrictive, objectifying and oppressive constructions from the outside, and speak out for themselves through their activities and initiatives.

The establishment of the organization itself provides young women with an opportunity to fully participate in the NGO sector, public processes and debates. Young women, especially lesbians, in Lithuania can rarely make influence and change, even in the NGO sector. Too often they have to adjust to the existing structures, conceal their sexual identities, their psychic needs and initiatives. Even in women’s NGOs young women usually occupy technical positions rather than those related to policies and decision-making. Thus, ngoWI functions as a platform for empowerment of young women who want to make feminist changes in the society. ngoWI also provides a possibility to realize critical and unconventional initiatives that are not possible to implement in existing structures.

• awareness-raising (public events, discussions, workshops)
• promoting feminist discourse (contributions and articles in the mainstream media)
• community-based work (involving volunteers, organizing events for community)
• exchange and dissemination of information on feminist, women’s, gender and sexuality issues.