The conditions shaping work in technology are shifting in noticeable and consequential ways. Equity language is softened or erased and with community programs losing funding. The demand for “neutrality” asks those most affected by inequity to lower their voices. Many in our community are navigating job insecurity, market shifts, and dystopian narratives around artificial intelligence, which Laura Sommers unveiled to us last year (talk: https://2025.pycon.de/talks/933YXH/ | recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4Yj9oQ\_AaE) examining how the dominant AI discourse paints neutrality disguising fascism. And even if not unveiled we feel it: we fell the pressure, this uncomfortable on our bodies. Alternative futures require mental and emotional space to be conceived.
This is why this year we are focusing our activities for PyCon PyData DE, to intentionally do less. We return to the same space as last year, our small “cave” in the conference lobby and transform it into a steady point of grounding throughout the event. A place to pause between talks. A place to sit without performing. A place to meet without agenda. And we will organize our actions around belonging, so we can resist. Our actions focus on self-defense in a broader sense: strengthening our collective immune systems so we can meet change with clarity. Protection here does not signal withdrawal. It signals preparation. It is about cultivating the inner stability that allows us to remain present, lucid, and self-assured even as conditions shift.
Belonging is a grounding force. To create spaces where people can rest, speak honestly, and feel steady is structural care, and this is resistance.
Throughout the conference, our space will function as a protected commons — make it yours.
No pitches, no expectations, no pressure to network.
Just a warm and stable space to sit, talk, breathe, or remain quiet.
In a conference environment optimized for intensity and constant input, we offer a place to meet and find calm.
Belonging begins with the possibility to exhale.
📍 Location: behind the entrance, downstairs
Grab your lunch and join us as we open the first conference day with a community bingo.
The card travels across career paths, open source contributions, hobbies, and small wins — designed to move conversation beyond professional positioning and toward the texture of actual lives.
📅 April 14, lunchtime
📍 Location: PyLadies Space
👤 Facilitated by Shiva Nouri
We will host a walking guided tour, inviting participants to step outside the building.
Walking together shifts conversation. It slows thought, softens hierarchy, and makes room for informal connection. The city becomes part of the experience, reminding us that community extends beyond stages and screens.
📅 April 14, 19:00
📍 Meeting point: in front of the darmstadtium
⚠️ Limited to 20 participants
📩 Registration: berlin@pyladies.com or at our space booth
The PyLadies panel is a longstanding moment of reflection within the conference program.
It brings community voices to the stage to address questions that shape participation in technology — from diversity and inclusion to the realities of navigating careers in a rapidly changing industry.
Over the years, the panel has created space for honest conversations about representation, opportunity, and structural challenges within the Python ecosystem.
📅 April 15, 14:20
📍 Merck Plenary (Spectrum)
We will make sure that venue bathrooms are stocked with menstrual products so that no one is caught unprepared.
This is a small gesture with structural meaning.
Participation in technical spaces should not be interrupted by preventable discomfort.
📍 Available in all conference bathrooms and in the PyLadies Space
This session brings participants together to exchange practical strategies for dealing with uncomfortable or hostile situations in public spaces and workplaces.
Participants are invited to share experiences and approaches — from body positioning and situational awareness to identifying who to approach for support.
The session functions as a collective mapping of experiences, building shared knowledge and a small network of care and protection.
The aim is to compile a small manual to share with the community — replacing uncertainty and isolation with preparation and confidence.
📅 April 16, during lunchtime
👤 Facilitated by Cansu Çak
📍 PyLadies Space