Equal Opportunities for Older Women
About the initiative Content and framework conditions Organisational background Back
Fraueninteressen im Deutschen Frauenring Freiburg e.V. (Women's Interests in the German Women's Circle, Freiburg, a Registered Charity)
Communicational details
Address:
Hasemannstraße 14
79117 Freiburg
Germany
Contact persons and their known foreign languages:
Dr. Elsbeth Stegie, Psychotherapist, Lecturer, English, French
Jutta Schweizer, Political Scientist, Lecturer, English, French
Telephone: 0049-171-2034093
Telefax: 0049-761-30779
E-Mail:
Internet:
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 has the dicisive support of the following organisation:
Deutscher Frauenring Freiburg e.V.
Address:
Neue Straße 10
79194 Gundelfingen
Deutschland
Telephone: 0049-761-552290
Telefax: 0049-761-56315
E-Mail: marieluise.weber@planet-intercom.de
Internet:
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Content and framework conditions of the project work
The initiative was founded in: 1978
The initiative was founded because of the following reasons:

Family women have no lobby in our society. Such lobbying should be carried out by a women's association, and for that reason the German Women's Circle was founded.
Target group(s): Family women and working women past midlife
Targets: We offer women in and past midlife new perspectives and the opportunity to learn new skills, so that they can plan the third stage of their lives actively, self-confidently, and with self-determination.
Details of the work done by the initiative:

We offer three courses for older women:

1. "New Post-midlife Opportunities: Lane Change?"
This course has been offered twice a year since 1992, over 12 afternoons, the sessions lasting 150 minutes each. It is conducted by two instructors of different ages (a psychotherapist and a political scientist). So far some 160 women have taken the course. The courses run as follows: The women confront their own life histories, they examine their current situation, they develop perspectives for the future, and they broaden their social network and their range of personal skills.

2. MUSE (= Mut - Unabhängigkeit - Selbstbewußtsein - Energie: Courage - Independence - Self-confidence - Energy)
This regular two-hour monthly jour fixe has been taking place since 1995. MUSE was created on the initiative of participants in the "lane change" courses, although the circle is open to newcomers. The two instructors organise and present the sessions. Guests are invited to the meetings. The aim of MUSE is to activate the skills of the participating women and broaden them, thus strengthening their self-confidence. The participants select their own topics, in consultation with the instructors. Topics treated so far include family of origin, relationships, women in other cultures, day trips and trips for women focussing on topics of interest to women.

3. Women 2000 (000 = open, oriented, optimistic)
Women 2000 has existed since 1999. It is the second jour fixe group and is organised similarly to MUSE.
Areas of work of the initiative:
Social contacts
Education
Orientation for older women through studying biography
Success that the initiative has achieved:

Our course offerings have received very positive feedback from participants, many of whom have, in many different ways, succeeded in "changing lanes" in both their private and public lives. Participants feel that the initiative provides them with positive support, and they often stay together as a group, even after the course has finished.
Problems that the initiative has been faced during its work:

Our initiative is not recognised as an official sponsor of further education and has received no public funding since 1993
Participation of the target group concerning the conception, planning and implementation of the initiative's work:

Advertising for the "Lane Change" course is carried out by word-of-mouth, by former course members. Ideas and impulses from course members are incorporated by the Women's Interests team into our new offerings. In the cases of MUSE and Women 2000, the participants created their own program.
Co-operation:

We co-operate with women's further education groups in the Deutscher Frauenring (German Women's Circle) on a national level. We exchange experiences on a personal level at the annual seminar of the German Women's Circle's National Committee on Further Education.
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:

2 salaried employees at the initiative.
Budget:
Sources of funding:
Revenue from the project work
Funds from the supporting organisation(s)
Donations and funds from sponsors
Publications or information material available on our initiative:

Annette Niederfranke: "Neue Chancen nach der Lebensmitte - Spurwechsel?" (New Opportunities after Midlife - Lane Change?) Published by the Ministry for Labour, Health, Family and Women's Affairs in Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart 1991.
Brigitte Fahrenberg and Eslbeth Stegie: "Spurwechsel? - Frauen suchen ihren Standort in der Gesellschaft." (Lane Change? Women Search for their Place in Society) In: "Neue Alte - neue Politik. Eigenverantwortung und Solidarität der Generationen." (New Old Folks - a New Policy. Self-responsibility and Solidarity between the Generations), eds. Hans Braun, Valentin Doering, Franz Herzog. Published by the Don Bosco Verlag 1994.
Recommended literature:
Tips and suggestions for people interested in foundig a similar initiative:
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2001-04-25