HERSTORY COMPLEMENTING HISTORY

  • Women’s struggle for voting rights and equality in different political and historical circumstances in Europe.
  • Women as agents of change for a peaceful development after the disaster of WW1 in their societies and in solidarity.
  • Challenges 100 years later: threatened rights and freedom, militarisation vs disarmament, solidarity vs new nationalism.

AIMS AND VISIONS

  • Participation of women in peace negotiations and all levels of decision making and democracy building.
  • Cooperation and solidarity across borders. Promotion of European narratives
  • Prevention on the basis of a feminist analysis of root causes of war and violence
  • Protection of women from all forms of violence

ZURICH CONGRESS 1919

“The military way has ruined itself – we women define
principles for a just and lasting peace!”

Women delegates from 15 countries:

23 American, 3 Australian, 4 Austrian, 23 British, 6 Danish, 3 French, 3 Dutch, 27 German, 2 Hungarian, 3 Irish, 1 Italian, 5 Norwegian,
1 Romanian, 11 Swedish, 18 Swiss and 4 Polish delegates. The French government barred the French delegation from attending.

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WOMEN

Leopoldine Kulka

1872 – 1920 Austria

Austrian publicist and a writer. At an early age she joined the General Austrian Women‘s Association (GAWA) and became its vice-president in 1911. Concerned about peace issues and was writing regularly for political magazines for women.

Yella Hertzka

1873 – 1948 Austria

Austrian suffragette, publisher, gardener and founder of the first Higher Gardening School for girls in Austria. From 1921 President of the Austrian section of the Women‘s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). In 1921, Organiser of 3rd International Congres of Women’s League in Vienna

Jeanne Mélin

1877 – 1964 France

Mélin a French pacifist, feminist, writer and politician. She fought for peace between France and Germany, and for the right of women to vote. She was a candidate for election as President of France in 1947.

Gabriele Duchêne

1870 – 1954 France

French militant feminist, trade unionist, pacifist, antifascist, working with the communist party and other progressive movements.

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