Conference on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women in Workplaces

[Ostmark]

WIEN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, VOLKSREPUBLIK OSTMARK

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Today Wien International Airport is, as usual, completely deserted. A few airliners are parked near the terminal with mechanics and technicians performing their routine daily checks. However, there seems to be no passengers in queue to embark. There are no departures, only two arrivals. One from the Two Kingdoms, and one from Natalia. Despite its lack of activity, the airport's personnel seems to be busy as never before. Janitors are cleaning the floor and watering the many plants scattered across the building.

Volkspolizei officers and K9 units are meticulously checking every corner and trash can in the facility. But what risk is there in an airport with no passengers and no customers? Not surprisingly, outside the main entrance there are no taxi drivers eager to get yet another customer, except for a black OMW-84 sedan bearing the iconic Hammer and Sword emblem on the front doors. Ms Makeba and Ms Engeli have been instructed to get in that car infront of the airport to reach the building of the Volksrat, Ostmark's People's Assembly.

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[Jydsken-Østveg]

Marit arrived in cold Ostmarker Christmas season. It was definitely different compared to home. First of all she had to fly in via an Ostmarker charter flight, and now upon arrival the terminal felt cold. It wasn’t the temperature, it was the fact that there weren’t any people or any signs of joy. No trees, lights, candles, or anything. There aren’t even any advertisements pitching the latest Christmas gift for everyone to jump towards. Just the sound of the wheels of her roller bag and her own footsteps as she walked out the gate waiting area and towards some officials who looked to greet her. She wasn’t sure what the Natalian Alice Makeba looked like, or even if she had arrived. The difficulty of the matter was that she was invited alone, so she hoped that her counterpart from Natalia was bearable.

 

[Ebria]

Alice Makeba did some travel in her life. She went a few times to the SoCRER, to Pelasgia, Mazidia, once in Beautancus, NoCRER, Azraz and even Auraria and Eiffelland. But she did all her travels either around the tropics or in the summer. Snow was something far away from her, even if she heard that in some caves in the upper most slopes of the Grans, ice can be found, she never experienced a real winter.

Taking first a plane from Harton to Trier and then another one to Wien, she managed to enter Ostmark somewhere later in the afternoon. As she went through the border check, she really thought that she might be the most observable person here. She was a nethian woman of Rozvi descent, wearing her hair in a cornrow style, and decorated with colourful beads. Under a light grey jacket, she wore a Himyari inspired dress, very colourful and with traditional decorative motifs. Looking around at the people in the airport, she really thought that she will be the most colourful person there.

After she had spent her childhood in the homesteads at the Golden Plateau, in the 70s, always fearful of attacks from the Rhinos, she wasn't afraid of any sort of international reputation Ostmark or other marxist countries had, so she confidently approached the welcome committee.

 

[Ostmark]

ON THE WAY TO WIEN, VOLKSREPUBLIK OSTMARK.

When Gunther was conscripted into the Volksarbeitsdienst, People's Labour Service, the Party gave him a shovel and a pair of boots. He spent the last two months digging, and digging, and again digging at the construction sites in the outskirts of Wien, where the new residential buildings are slowly but constantly rising. Considering how misrable his life was before the revolution, Gunther never dared to protest or annoy his Gruppenfuhrer for the 12 hours shifts or the lack of individual protection devices. Before the revolution, he was one of the many unemployed men who barely gathered enough money to collect a decent meal per day. Today, he works as a personal driver for the Ministry of Agriculture. The pay isn't the best, but it is still better than starving, he tought to himself.

Gunther never really liked politics, but in a country like Ostmark it is best if you do. Those who stand out are likely to face trouble. So there he is, standing next to a black OMW-84 sedan bearing the red Hammer and Sword emblem which is also omnipresent pretty much anywhere you go to in the People's Republic of Ostmark. Even on his dress, a black coat over a black shirt and sweater, there's a small pin in the shape of the red Hammer and Sword emblem. He has no idea who the guests coming from "the outer world" are, but there isn't any chance someone else will walk out of the airport, for there are no arrivals and no departures, as usual. He immediatly notices Ms Engeli and Ms Makeba, and waves in their direction "Wilkommen! Welcome to Ostmark, we hope you have enjoyed your flight. Please, get in the car, i will be your driver today. My name is Gunther". Once the two women are in, he proceeds in the direction of the city center.

As usual, hundreds of workers are busy with their shovels, repair tools, caterpillars. The outskirt of the city is burstling with construction and repair activities, and none of the men and women encountered on the road seem to be standing there just doing nothing. Everyone must have a role, in Ostmark, there is no time to relax, and there is no time to stand still. After all, the government almost bankrupted the country to provide all these people with a job, and they are expected to provide the much needed physical work to fix, move, dig and lift construction materials. The presence of the Volkspolizei, Ostmark's People's Police, is guaranteed. At every junction, on the sidewalks, near public buildings, the People's Police officers are keeping an eye on their sorroundings. Loud speakers constantly broadcast political speeches by Volkskanzler Horst Grasser, the People's Chancellor, and when the speeches are over, propaganda and patriotic songs are likely to follow.

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, it isn't any different. And there isn't much of a choice, for Radio Ostmark is the only radio station available to the public. There have been rumors of dissidents illegally intercepting radio stations from the Kingdom of Eiffeland-Retalia, but they do so at their own risk. Other than checking the rear mirror from time to time, Gunther doesn't seem to be willing to start a conversation with the two passengers.

Suddenly, the young man turns the radio off and looks at the two women trought the mirror "I know they say things about Ostmark in the West, and i surely do not qualify as the right person to introduce you to this nation but.. the Volksrepublik is not as bad as some people say.. just take your time to learn about it, you'll probably find some of the stories around here to be very interesting for your works. You know, i used to be history student here at the State University in Wien.. that was before 2014 of course.." says Gunther.