Happily Ever After?

Romantic ideals, outdated traditions and the promise of happiness in marriage still shape our social image of love and relationships. However, they also help to reinforce conventional gender roles and perpetuate structural inequalities. Especially in cases of intimate partner violence, jurisdiction, economic dependence and social expectations make it difficult to escape from a relationship – especially for women. What options do those affected have when patriarchal structures make their way into a marriage? Where are the institutional failures in dealing with domestic violence? How can conservative ideas of partnership be broken down and rethought?

As part of the exhibition Laia Abril . On Rape - And Institutional Failure, C/O Berlin is organizing a reading with the authors Asha Hedayati, Jacinta Nandi and Emilia Roig. Based on their books, the three experts will not only talk about the complicated mix of law and norms, but also show perspectives for a non-violent and equal future.
 

Asha Hedayati is a lawyer and guest lecturer for family law and child and youth welfare law at the Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences and the Paritätische Akademie in Berlin. She regularly speaks publicly on the topics of domestic violence and violence against women. The aim of her work is to highlight the injustices and disadvantages of marginalized groups and the structural problems associated with violence against women. Her book Die Stille Gewalt was published by Rowohlt Verlag in 2023. 

Jacinta Nandi was born in East London, lives in Berlin, is a mother of two and writes on topics such as racism, feminism and single mom life. Her latest book, 50 WAYS TO LEAVE YOUR EHEMANN was published by Nautilus in 2022 and is now being performed as a play at Theater Paderborn. She gives advice on family life at the Süddeutsche Zeitung as part of the family trio.

Dr. Emilia Roig is a renowned expert on intersectionality, diversity, equality, inclusion and anti-discrimination who advocates for social justice across Europe. She is changing the discourse on systemic inequalities and discrimination through books such as WHY WE MATTER (2021) and Das Ende der Ehe (2023), as well as numerous lectures and consulting services.

Sonja Eismann is co-founder and editor of the feminist magazine Missy Magazine. In addition to her editorial work for Missy, she works as a freelance author for Deutschlandfunk Kultur, Der Freitag, goethe.de and Pop-Zeitschrift, among others, and publishes books. Her areas of specialization include (pop) culture and fashion theory. She teaches on these and other feminist topics at universities and in workshops.