Parallel Session: Hands Off Lesbian Wallets!

Defeating Poverty, Economic Hardship and Chronic Social Exclusion in Times of Global Crises and Gender Backlash (Part 1)

Patriarchy, sexism, misogyny, and lesbophobia are not abstract forces—they are daily realities that actively oppress and marginalize lesbians across the globe. These intersecting systems of violence push many lesbians to the fringes of the economy, locking them out of fair employment, equal pay, and dignified working conditions. From higher rates of joblessness to rampant workplace discrimination and harassment, the economic exclusion lesbians face is systemic and deliberate.

This session is the first of a two-part conversation that will centre these realities. Grounded in data and the lived experiences of lesbians, it will delineate the principal obstacles faced by lesbians in economic life and expose how economic injustice is further compounded by ongoing financial crises and the relentless shrinking of civic space. Together, we’ll name the problems, confront the structures that sustain them, and begin to build collective clarity.

This is just the beginning—the second session, held the next day, will focus on identifying actionable solutions, forward-looking strategies, and examples of successful interventions led by and for lesbians. Our economic future is ours to shape!

Facilitator: Dragana Todorović, Executive Co-Dykerector, EL*C