imago/ Michael Kneffel Nikita Dhawan , Born in 1972, in Thane (India) was born, studied German literature and philosophy in Mumbai. Since her PhD in Bochum, Germany, in 2006, she has been conducting research in the area of Gender Studies and post-colonial studies. Since October 2014 she is working as Professor of Political theory, with a focus on women and gender research at the University of Innsbruck. To Tashweesh Festival in Brussels (15.-27. October), she gave the opening speech. The Festival wants to bring feminist positions from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
MIRROR ONLINE: woman Dhawan, they come from India, working as a Professor in Europe, they deserve well. You are the Prime example of the emancipated woman with an immigrant background?
Nikita Dhawan: When I moved to Germany, as I said: I’m Wolfgang schäuble’s favorite immigrant. Educated, wealthy. So how is best to all be migrants.
MIRROR ONLINE: Schaeuble spoke as Minister of the interior, for more Integration and in 2006 in the Wake of the German Islam conference, among other things, for “German Muslims”.
Dhawan: all these are basically normative ideas of emancipation in the West. Who fits into the picture, is a model. Anyone who doesn’t fit in, is discriminated against. We like to talk about diversity. The notions of emancipation, but in Germany are quite one-sided.
MIRROR ONLINE: Where it lacks in diversity?
Dhawan: I was employed for six years as a Professor in Frankfurt: Among the leading researchers, there were hardly any women, hardly any migrants. In the evening, I stayed for work, sometimes longer in the office. Then, the cleaning forces: men and women came. White and Black. The women with and without a headscarf. We like to talk about diversity. But diversity, there are a lot more in the layers that make for us the dirty work.
MIRROR ONLINE: Is the hijab really a sign of diversity? Some it is regarded rather as a sign of oppression.
Dhawan: That depends on the individual case. Me the discourses behind it of interest. What is the headscarf? Why are we discussing about that? Which positions will be strengthened by these discussions? And here I observe, that it is often impossible to emancipation. Often such discussions will be used rather to their own power structures to maintain.
the forecourt of Cologne’s main train station in the new year’s eve 2015
MIRROR ONLINE: What are the power structures?
Dhawan: After the new year’s eve night in Cologne, for example, in public discussions hardly really the victims of sexual harassment and rape. The focus was on the refugees. Some felt confirmed in their call to speed up deportations in the future. At the same time, there is less money for the support of affected women In women’s shelters and counselling centres, little has been invested. Also in the research Sekabet we feel. In the Gender Studies will be saved in Europe, more and more, the Vacancies are not filled. Hungary abolished a few days ago the Gender Studies at the public universities completely.
MIRROR ONLINE: where do you get these power structures?
Dhawan: in colonialism, discrimination of women in other cultures as the Argument served to justify the mission. Europe staged itself as a driving force of modernization: We are enlightened – you are places of sexual inequality. So we have to throw the right of you. What was basically absurd. Many of the things that Europe is behind with gender equity.
MIRROR ONLINE: , For example?
Dhawan: women were allowed to in European countries until the 20th century. Century not choose. Until today, they are under-represented in politics. India in 1966, Indira Gandhi, at least a first female head of government. Or let’s take the keyword homosexuality In countries such as India and Uganda, homosexuality was criminalized with the colonization under Britain. Only in September 2018, more than 70 years after the end of colonial rule, was introduced in India, this colonial heritage, the clause 377, the Sex between homosexual men under punishment.
MIRROR ONLINE: In Germany, the Situation seems a little different. In comparison to countries such as Britain or Spain, Germany had power, as a colonial relatively little influence. For this purpose, the colonialism, since several decades past…
Dhawan: Then I ask the question: How many Germans it is, the wear not eat potatoes, cotton, or coffee to drink? I’m with the philosophers Frantz Fanon: Europe, with all its prosperity, its industrialization is based on colonies. The power relations are visible until today. In Bangladesh, for example, although there are still gender violence such as honor killings. Women are so suppressed massively, no question. Exploitation takes place here, but especially economically. A large part of the Sweatshirts we buy in the Store, come from Bangladesh. Many women work in the factories to poverty wages. The villain woman is then used as the image for the cultural backwardness of Bangladesh. In fact, it is primarily the manifestation of capitalist power relations.
MIRROR ONLINE: women but also in solidarity, in social networks, even across national borders, with Hashtags such as #MeToo. The Internet helps to fight Nations across for more gender justice?
Dhawan: Yes, but only with limitations: In India, large parts of the population have no electricity, no access to the Internet. Solidarity is limited to certain classes. The Internet is already not a guarantee for enlightenment: Social Media platforms can help to solidarity. You can, however, also be used as a vehicle for populism and may also be directed against gender justice. The feeling of solidarity can be deceiving also.
MIRROR ONLINE: Deceive how?
Dhawan: 30 years ago, long before #MeToo, were the Slogans of a “global Sisterhood” by the Public: All of the women in the world, so the idea at the time, suffering similar to that under the Patriarchy. Own standards but are not easily transferred. Standards such as Gender Mainstreaming can be a wonderful medicine. So set finally, by the women’s movement. At the same time it can also be a poison, if Euro-centric, imperialist feminism is global. Jacques Derrida speaks of the “Pharmakon”. Everything can be poison and antidote. This will be our big task for the future: We need to transform the poison into medicine.
