Deutsche Stiftung Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung

German Foundation for Gender Studies

German Foundation for Gender Studies

Making Women`s History Visible:

We know they were there, the women standing in the shadow of famous poets, painters, musicians and politicians. We have innumerable examples of womens`s feats for which men received laurels. And we also know of simple women, until now overlooked  by researchers: for instance rural midwives, ordinary farming women in rural Germany or, equally, farming women in west Africa, and elsewhere whose lives and workloads have rarely been subject of studies. Within many fields of scientific research, such as archaeology, history, literature, medicine - to mention only a few - the “woman question” has rarely been raised. Thus, many primary sources wait for being discovered and analyzed by researchers, men and women alike.

“To make visible to women - and men - their own agency, traditions, culture and contributions to the history of humanity”

is the Foundations`s principle aim. Women have always, as have men, been agents and actors in history, but they have largely been excluded from recorded history.

Such invisibility inspired Dr. Waltraud Dumont du Voitel and Dr. Roland Dumont du Voitel, when in December 1996, they launched the German Foundation for Women`s Studies and Gender Research in Heidelberg, the first organization of this type in Germany.

Furthermore, deciphering complex relations of power between the sexes is another stragegy of the Foundation`s research programme because the historically constructed gender differences between men and women are far more important than their biological differences.

By promoting intercultural understanding among peoples the Foundation tries to make possible another one of its most important criterion, clarity. Academic research should descend from the ivory tower to address the broadest public. 

Projects which the German Foundation for Women`s Studies and Gender Research supports illustrate the institution`s dedication to women`s studies applied to improving quality of life. For instance, contacts the founders made during several study stays in Togo (West Africa) helped set up a long-term regional programme trying to empower the women involved. Thanks to the friendship with a Togolese agrarian expert, the Foundation was enabled to support a vegetable market garden. The previously fallow land has been planted; the women harvest, sell crops, and succeed gradually in better providing for their families, thus improving the overall diet. In addition, women and girls are being trained in writing and reading, book-keeping and health care. A kindergarden has recently been established to set school-girls free from child care during their mothers` work in the fields. This innovation allows girls to attend school regularly in future.

Further long-term projects concern the documention of women`s lives in rural regions in Germany. A first phase concentrated on recording and documenting the former working conditions of rural midwives in the Odenwald region in Germany. The outcome of these projects will be published, too..

Equally important have been book projects, such as “Die Ludwigsburgerinnen -150 Jahre Frauenleben” (Women of Ludwigsburg -150 Years of Women`s Lives). In this case one researcher spent months examining the archives of Ludwigsburg, at the city`s expense. The Foundation paid for publication of results. Since its existence, the Foundation has either fully financed or contributed to finance several publications on gender subjects, as well as exhibitions and conferences, and gave advice to numerous requests.

In 2001, the Foundation has relaunched the publication of Feminist Europa. Review of Books a journal written in English - formerly a project of the Division Communication and Cultural Practice of Women`s International Studies Europe (WISE) - which reviews feminist scholarship, creative and popular work by women published in Europe, in languages other than English. Feminist Europa. Review of Books wants to strengthen the ties among feminist scholars and women`s communities active in all European countries. (For further information go to “What is Feminist Europa. Review of Books” on this website).

Since its launch, the Foundation was thus able to finance a number of projects due to donations, private contributions and reliable investments. Still, to meet all applications for financial aid in the near future, the Foundation is in need of pivate fundraising and holds an account with the:

Dresdner Bank, AG, Frankfurt am Main, Germany,

(BLZ) Bank Sort Code 500 800 00,

Account no. 94 109 1000.

SWIFT-BIC.:DRES DE FF

IBAN DE50 5008 0000 0941 0910 00