Women Without Borders

Women without Borders (WwB), an international non-profit organisation headquartered in Vienna and founded by Dr. Edit Schlaffer in 2001,[1] works to empower women as agents of change. WwB has since its inception been putting research into practice through community-based strategies that combine theory and grassroots-level fieldwork. To date, WwB has conducted over 80 projects in some 30 countries with a focus on Female Leadership, Capacity Building, Gender Based Violence, Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE), and Empowering Dialogue. Responding to the growing threat of radicalisation by sensitising a hitherto neglected group to their roles and responsibilities in building community resilience from the ground up, WwB created the world's first female PVE platform: the Sisters Against Violent Extremism (SAVE) network. While addressing extremism is a priority among the range of distinct but interrelated WwB capacity building projects, this approach reflects WwB's longstanding, broader governing philosophy: translating research into action and empowering women to move from victimhood towards agency, the world over.

Women without Borders (WwB)
Frauen ohne Grenzen
AbbreviationWwB
Founded2001
FounderDr. Edit Schlaffer
TypeNon-profit
Location
  • Vienna, Austria
Websitewwb.org

SAVE network

In 2008, Women without Borders launched SAVE (Sisters Against Violent Extremism), the first women's counter-terrorism platform. The first conference took place from November 28-December 1, 2008 at Palais Schönburg in Vienna. Thirty-three survivors of terrorist attacks, relatives of victims and terrorists, activists, and policy makers were invited to discuss their experiences,[2] strategize methods to combat violent extremism, and to create the SAVE declaration.[3]

SAVE campaigns include: Schools/Students Against Violent Extremism! and Mothers for Change! which attempt to provide constructive alternatives to the appeal of extremist ideologies.[4]

WwB started student groups under the Students Against Violent Extremism campaign in Delhi, Lucknow and Mumbai,[5] conducting educational and interactive seminars attended by survivors of terrorist attacks for University and school children, with the aim of sensitizing them to the role they can play in combating extremism.[6] SAVE is implementing similar projects with schools in Yemen and Indonesia.

Mothers For Change! is SAVE's most recent project, seeking to engage mothers in combating extremism and terrorism. Pilot research is underway on the project in Yemen and Saudi Arabia.[7]

In April 2010, SAVE conducted a workshop for the wives, daughters, sisters, and mothers of the police constables who protected lives during the 26/11 attacks, some of whom were killed while others were left severely disabled. Through storytelling workshops [8] and swimming lessons, the women were encouraged to face and better cope with their traumatic experiences, while fostering a group sense of belonging.[9]

SAVE chapters have been started in India,[10][11][12][13] Yemen,[14][15] Northern Ireland, and the United Kingdom.

The 'MotherSchools: Parenting for Peace' Model

Women without Borders began introducing the notion of Mothers Preventing Violent Extremism (MPVE) in the context of its SAVE network of projects and initiatives from 2008. Responding to its research study findings from surveys and interviews with 1023 mothers across five countries, WwB developed and designed the pioneering ‘MotherSchools: Parenting for Peace’ Model. When put into practice, this bottom-up prevention approach positions concerned and affected mothers as the first line of defence in at-risk communities. The curriculum strengthens the participant's individual capacity, capability, and emotional literacy, and heightens her awareness of radical influences. WwB has been advancing local and regional security through contextualised iterations of the programme, and to date has engaged over two thousand mothers in twelve countries across Western and Eastern Europe; Central, South, and Southeast Asia; the Middle East; and Sub-Saharan Africa. MotherSchools also upgrade existing social services and local capacity by providing civil society stakeholders in at-risk regions with the essential structures, tools, and skills to address and counteract extremist ideologies. Owing to its proven track record, WwB's MotherSchools Model has emerged as a recognised good practice and contributed to rethinking and reshaping countering and preventing violent extremism (P/CVE) policy worldwide.

Projects and Activities

Since its inception, Women Without Borders has conducted a variety of projects in countries of crisis and transition, including Chennai in Southeast India, Zaranj, Turkey, Cyprus, and Austria.

Women without Borders invited 18 women from Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, South Africa, Israel, Palestine and Senegal to the first Women Without Borders conference in 2003.[16][17] Since then, conferences organized by the NGO have been attended by government officials and high-level representatives of politics and civil society, including members of parliament and presidents of NGOs.[18]

In Afghanistan, in preparation for the 2004 Afghan elections, Women Without Borders created a handbook to encourage Afghan women to vote.[19]

With funding from the Austrian Research Fund, Women without Borders conducted a two-year “Bridging the Gap” study in Saudi Arabia.[20] Women Without Borders surveyed 4,455 male and female students at King Saud University, King Abdul Aziz University, Qassim University, and King Faisal University to gather data on their views toward changing gender roles, future employment, and their health. Based on the findings, WwB developed workshops for female Saudi students.[21]

Women without Borders has also conducted projects against domestic violence. The campaign Women Against Terror gave women who have been severely beaten a platform to voice their personal views and perspectives.[22]

Sports projects

Women without Borders has conducted several sports-oriented projects, including:

"Kicking for Reconciliation!" in Kigali, Rwanda, which used football as a tool to bring together Hutu and Tutsi girls to overcome trauma, hate and resentment.[23]

Women without Borders ran swimming lessons for women and girls in Chennai shortly after the tsunami to boost their chances of survival in the face of future events.[24][25][26]

References
  1. "Edit Schlaffer PhD" OMEGA
  2. "Die Wut und das Mitgefühl," 4.20.2007, Die Presse
  3. "Es gibt keinen Ort, wo wir sicher sind," 12.1.2008, Die Presse
  4. "2010 - Seven Who Build Autonomy" womensenews.org
  5. "SAVE: Making a difference" Hard News
  6. "Tapping into girl power" Hindustan Times
  7. "Alumni update: Fahmia Al-Fotiah" MBI Al Jaber Foundation
  8. "Together, 26/11 victims will swim to the future" Daily News & Analysis
  9. "Women fearful since 26/11 fear learn to cope with trauma" Indianexpress.com
  10. "26/11 Victims Need to Come Together to Tide Over Trauma," 11.24.2009, Hindustan Times
  11. "Tapping into Girl Power, 11.25.2009, Hindustan Times
  12. "Women Here Are Extremely Isolated," 11.30.2009, DNA
  13. "SAVE: Making a Difference," 2.17.2009, Hardnews Magazine
  14. "Creating SAVE Spaces in Yemen," 11.2.2009, Yemen Times
  15. "Yemen, WwB Talk Future
  16. "Konferenz Women Included! in Wien" ORF.at
  17. "Women Included!" APA-OTS
  18. "Summary report by UNIS Vienna on IWD 2006" United Nations Information Service
  19. Our Country - My Role (PDF) (2nd ed.). Women without Borders. 2005. p. 134.
  20. Baxter, Elsa (December 15, 2009). "83% of young Saudi men want women to be able to work". Arabian Business. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
  21. "Saudi-US relations information service"
  22. "The Softening of Violence" Boloji.com
  23. "Keynote Address by Ms. Rachel Mayanja Assistant Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women" 20-22.05.2010 5th IWG World Conference on Women and Sport
  24. Gautham, S (August 10, 2006). "Teach The Girls To Swim-tsunami, survival and the gender dimension". Countercurrents. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
  25. Thomas, Annie (Feb 5, 2006). "Fisherwomen in tsunami-hit areas are now learning to swim". Daily News and Analysis. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
  26. "Empowering women through sports". The Hindu. Tamil Nadu. Feb 3, 2006. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
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