Equal Opportunities for Older Women
About the initiative Content and framework conditions Organisational background Back
Kassandra - Women's advice centre for the care and promotion of girls and women
Communicational details
Address:
Franz-Skribany-Gasse 1
2340 Mödling
Austria
Contact persons and their known foreign languages:
Anneliese Erdemgil- Brandstätter, Project manager, information, advice, PR-work, English
Mirela Hadzic; Berna Kilinc, Serb/Croat; Turkish
Telephone: + 43-2236-42035
Telefax: + 43-2236-42035
E-Mail: kassandra@computerhaus.or
Internet: www.telcom.at/femwien/Netzwerk
About the initiative
Status of the initiative: The initiative is an initiative aimed at improving equal opportunities for older women through an organisation that pursues objectives which are independent of gender or age.
The initiative is independent and has the following legal form: registered assocation
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Content and framework conditions of the project work
The initiative was founded in: 1988
The initiative was founded because of the following reasons: To improve equal opportunities for girls and women on the labour market (focal point).
Target group(s): Women of all nationalities who are seeking separation/divorce and/or are victims of violence in their relationships. Women who have to deal with the social and/or health consequences of (long-term) unemployment, poverty and social isolation.
Targets: Basically, the aim is equality for women in all realms of society.
Details of the work done by the initiative:

- Information, advice on psycho-social, legal and health issues
-Crisis intervention
-legal advice free of charge
-Psychotherapy
-Information on women's activities/women's groups
plus: house visits, for example, in case of physical impairment, seminars on women's themes, EDP-courses for women, education programmes for external institutes, lending library and archive, advice on other institutions
Our focal points are women's concerns, advice/information on: - Relationships/separation/divorce
-Child rearing, family work
-sexuality, family planning, the menopause
-physical, psychological violence
-contact with other women
-consequences of unemployment and poverty
-psychosomatic and psychiatric Problems
-possibilities of financial support, benefits
-venues for seminars, self-help groups
-training and further training possibilities
-women's political activities
Areas of work of the initiative:
Material aid
Social contacts
Education
Health
Migration
Sexuality
Living circumstances
Unemployment among women
Information technology
Mobility
Security/protection
Success that the initiative has achieved:

Numerous women have claimed that "Kassandra" is a place where their specific concerns are listened to and acknowledged; a place where it is always possible the raise the issues of the individual and societal responsibility for the relevant problems.
Problems that the initiative has been faced during its work:

Despite 12 years' activities no acdeptable overall funding solution has been found either at national, regional or community level. The annual applications for funds use up a lot of staff resources. Savings on the part of the public authorities are totally arbitrary. Under these circumstances it is very difficult to participate in EU programmes. Our daily counselling work is a source of knowledge/experience of the real living and working conditions of women of all ages/nationalities. Recommendation/demands made of the relevant political instances are often not even acknowledged by them.
Participation of the target group concerning the conception, planning and implementation of the initiative's work:

Due to limited resources, it is not always possible to integrate the women in the planning, however the services provided are oriented around our experiences of what is involved. In the case of group activities, the women themselves take responsibility for the organisation/implementation, and we provide, for example, the infrastructure.
Co-operation:

5 years' of cooperation with the "Netzwerk österreichischer Frauen- und Mädchenberatungsstellen". Also cooperation with women's refuges, courts, hospitals, institutions for the homeless etc.
Kind of cooperation: for example, realisation of joint projects at EU level with the above named Netzwerk. Mutual exchange of clients. Training courses for staff from external institutions. Jointly organised events.
Information:

We are available for people interested in receiving more information on our initiative by phone, post or e-mail.
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Organisational background of the initiative
Staff:

3 salaried employees at the supporting organisation.
2 volunteers/honorary members.
The total number of hours worked for the initiative is approx. 35 hours per week.
Budget:

700,000.-- Schillings
Sources of funding:
Federal funds
State funds (in F regional)
Local government funds (in F department)
Members dues
Donations and funds from sponsors
Publications or information material available on our initiative:
Recommended literature:
Tips and suggestions for people interested in foundig a similar initiative:

Contact with institutions and organsiations active for more than 20 years in the field of women's issues, for example, "Netzwerk österreichischer Frauen- und Mädchenberatungsstellen", 1060 Wien, Stumpergasse. 41-43, Tel.: 01-5953798
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2001-04-25