Sista Surge Media | Europe - News #Sexism

Spain Closes Women's Domestic Violence Shelter Over Male Exclusion

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 09:40:00 -0400

ARABA—Spanish Feminist group Araba Abolizionista reported that a womyn's shelter in Spain has been closed around late 2023 to early 2024. A dispute began when the provincial government, which funded the shelter, mandated that the facility must admit anyone (including biological males) who wanted access to the space and services, as long as they claimed to be womyn. The management of Casa Etxanobe maintained a female-only policy based on biological sex. They argued that the shelter was a specialized space designed specifically to provide protection and advocacy for female people who had experienced male violence, and that introducing biological males (regardless of their legal gender status) would compromise the safety and healing environment for the female residents.

The Diputación Foral de Bizkaia argued back that the shelter was violating regional and national equality laws (specifically the "Trans Law" passed in Spain in 2023). Under these laws, any service meant for female people must also be provided to any male person who requests it. Any rejection of such requests would be considered a form of discrimination.

After a period of tension and public protests, the provincial government decided to terminate its contract with the association managing Etxanobe. The government cited a "breach of contract" and non-compliance with equality legislation. In early 2024, the government moved to reclaim the building. The feminist activists managing the space resisted the eviction, leading to a standoff that drew international attention from a wide variety feminist organizations.

Feedback on social media criticizes the decision citing that these actions punish survivors of domestic violence be removing a critical service from the community, and could increase the difficulty for womyn to escape domestic violence.

The shelter was ultimately dismantled. The government’s intent was to reopen the space under new management that would adhere to the inclusive gender identity mandates required by Spanish law. But more criticisms took center of the conversation, saying that victims will simply self-exclude, since they wouldn't have the option to enter a safe environment either way. A statement released by Araba Abolizionista was released, and reads; "We wish to denounce and condemn the attempts to cancel and boycott the activities of Nuria Varela at the Women's House. This is once again, an attempt to silence a woman—in this case, one of the Feminists with the longest tenured in this country.

These are cancellation attempts by transactivists who have again used the creed of non-existent hate crimes to impose their narrative.

Threats from transactivists groups to create an intimidating atmosphere outside the Women's House facilities caused the speaker to refuse to accept a setting of intimidation. Consequently, the activity was moved to an online format. We are concerned that institutions have not sought to prevent such intimidation, or to guarantee that it would not affect the development of the scheduled activity.

Different organizations, including our own, focused on combating sexist violence, were able to participate in the activity modified to an online format, although under pressure and resisting the aggression of the protest outside the Women's House. As a result of the intimidation, a woman was expelled from the public space. Expelling women from the public is one of the defining characteristics of patriarchy.

Achieving the right of women to be able to access public spaces, and to stop being confined to the private sphere is one of the most important tenants and achievements of Feminism. We want to highlight the gravity of attempting to censor a political position—Feminism—which has managed, through peaceful struggle, to substantially and radically improve the lives of women and children. It is especially grave that there has been an attempt to prevent citizens from exercising their constitutionally recognized right to freedom of expression and thought.

These rights allow citizens to know and decide which political positions they can defend and which they can demand to be developed in society. When they censor Feminists, they do not only censor us; they censor all of society, removing their right to make their own decisions. It seems that those who have opted to censor this cultural act forget that the goal of democracy is to be able to express oneself and decide with total freedom, (not for some people to decide for others in an authoritarian manner) what they can know, and whom they should or should not listen to.

In this photo, it is evident that they boast of closing the Women's House, which is a place for meeting, sharing ideas, and debate—for preventing knowledge from belonging only to elites, and for the celebration of democracy.

Therefore, from Araba Abolizionista, we will always defend freedom of expression, the right to debate, and the right of every person to develop and exercise critical thinking.

Long live the Feminist Struggle!!"

Many womyn in the region say they have been victimized by the introduction of male chaperoning laws introduced by the government, officially banning female only spaces that lack male presence or supervision. One woman who wishes to remain anonymous stated; "It feels degrading to always have to be watched. It feels like nothing belongs to us anymore. It isn't allowed."

Russia Passes Anti-Childfree Laws to Prevent Womyn From Practicing Self-Preservation

Sat, 03 Jan 2026 13:20:00 -0500

MOSCOW—Amidst the rise of the 4B Movement, growing interest in female separatism, and womyn's disillusionment with motherhood, Russia has moved aggressively to codify "traditional family values" into law. This comes after several groups of male supremacists coordinated a global attack on female autonomy via message boards and private chats. Movements like "back to the kitchen" and "repeal the 19th" saw groups known as "incels" and "groypers" call for men all over the world to increase political activity in order to shift the political landscape toward more conservative infrastructure.

On Wednesday, November 20th, 2024, the State Duma unanimously passed legislation barring any "childfree" or radical Feminist "propaganda", stating that it promoted anti-state lifestyles.

State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin stated that; "Without children, there will be no country. This ideology of childlessness is a threat to our future. It is important to protect people, primarily the younger generation, from having the ideology of childlessness imposed on them on the internet, in the media, in movies, and in advertising. We must do everything so that the next generations grow up focused on traditional family values."

Elvira Aitulova, a member of the Duma and bill co-author stated; "It's an element of professional propaganda, part of a hybrid war aimed at population reduction. This is a strategic bill for the sake of a strong, productive, and healthy future. We are talking about protecting our children and our space from an ideology that is alien to us."

The "Traditional Values" reference (the foundation of the law) is based on Presidential Decree No. 809. It states that; "Traditional values are the moral precepts shaping Russian citizens worldview, handed down to them from one generation to another and forming the foundation of Russia's national civic identity... They include life, dignity, human rights, and freedoms, patriotism, citizenship, service to the fatherland, and responsibility for its fate and a strong family."

Despite these claims, Russia has failed to culturally or legislatively address issues like bride kidnapping (ala kachuu) which involves kidnapping and forcibly marrying off young girls. Russian Federal Law does not currently have any specific article criminalizing bride KIDNAPPING, and though the crime is often treated as abduction, local law enforcement rarely intervenes, treating it as a "family matter" or "local custom". Matters have escalated to a point where brides can be sold.

The law focuses heavily on criminalizing the promotion of a child-free lifestyle across all media platforms. Anything that could be considered the "dissemination of information" that promotes the conscious refusal to have children could have serious consequences. This includes posts, memes, or videos depicting life without children as a positive or attractive choice, movies or shows that portray childfree womyn as successful or happy, and any marketing that suggests a life without children is equally valuable to a life with children.

The fines are incredibly steep and are designed to silence citizen opposition, or even bankrupt entire companies or organizations. Private citizens can be expected to pay 400,000 ₽, public officials can be expected to pay 800,000 ₽, and organizations can be expected to pay 5,000,000 ₽. Travelers to Russia face unspecified fines, 15 days in jail, and deportation. Legal experts warn that this new legislation can be applied to older postings on social media, blog sites, advertisements, and television shows, even as far back as 10 years.

Free speech activists, critics, and radical Feminists in Russia argue that this new legislation effectively reduces the local female population to "reproductive vessels" for the state, and prioritizes the state's demographic needs over female agency and autonomy. The Russian government frames childfree living as a "Western hybrid war" intended to weaken Russia by lowering it's birthrate. However, Russia has failed to address or even acknowledge the basic needs of its female population.

Russian Feminists on the social media platform VK (VonKontakt—a Russian version of Facebook) are being forced to scrub their online content, curb their activities online, reduce communications, and delete their profiles entirely. Many womyn are calling the new laws "monstrous." One womin anonymously told the SSM Network that; "This law creates a hostile environment against womyn, and promotes heavily censoring of Feminists in an increasingly sexist atmosphere. Even discussing contraception or issues surrounding reproductive health could be misinterpreted as propaganda."

Interestingly enough, the Russian Orthodox Church secured an exemption for information about monasticism and vows of celibacy. This might offer some womyn hope if the seek to escape the birth machine, and at least maintain limited agency over their reproductive decisions and futures.