I’m Not Asking for Too Much – When Women Know What They Want

In Switzerland, women and men have the same rights: everyone is allowed to vote, everyone has access to education, and everyone is free to choose their own path in life. On paper, a person’s gender doesn’t matter.

In reality, however, there are plenty of statistics that seem to show otherwise. They describe the gender pay gap, show that women, regardless of how much they work, still take on twice as much care work and household chores as men, and that they remain underrepresented in leadership positions. And only recently, when journalist Dunja Hayali asked the federal chairman of the German Association of Criminal Investigators, “What would you advise women to do to protect themselves?”, he replied: “Statistically speaking, it would be better not to enter into a relationship with a man. The risk of becoming a victim of psychological or physical violence is significantly higher.” The fact that this question even had to be asked, and what the answer implies, released many thoughts. So where are we on the path towards equality?

Somewhere in the middle of all this are we, with our plans, wishes, and, of course, our expectations. What are our expectations? Are they diXerent when it comes to our studies, the workplace, relationships, friendships, and everyday life? Some of our expectations seem so small, and yet they are still never met. It is easy to start wondering whether we are simply expecting too much.

This evening, we want to explore exactly these questions. We want to ask ourselves what we expect: from life in general, from our personal relationships, and beyond. Starting with our own expectations, we want to look at where they are not being met and reflect on whether we are asking for too much, or simply asking for the bare minimum. Perhaps we will even discover that we are allowed to expect much more than we are currently willing to put into words, and which expectations are good for us and which aren’t. By the end of the evening, we want to leave our circle as women who know what they want and who can say with confidence: “I am not expecting too much. My expectations are completely valid.” Or, at the very least, we want to start the path towards being able to say that.

Join us for an evening of reflection, discussion, encouragement, and plenty of understanding.

Come to the Her Circle—just as you are.

Thanks for your registration ’till Monday evening.