Bund Schweizerischer Frauenvereine

Bund Schweizerischer Frauenvereine BSF
Founded 1899
Focus Federation of Swiss women's associations, since 2011 known as alliance F
Location
Origins Women's suffrage in Switzerland
Area served
Switzerland
Website alliance F (BSF) (German) (French)

Bund Schweizerischer Frauenvereine, commonly abbreviated to BSF, is the Federation of Swiss Women's Associations, since 2011 also known as alliance F.

History

The presidents of the progressive women's associations from Bern (Helene von Mülinen), Zürich (Emma Boos Jegher), Lausanne (Marguerite Duvillard Chavannes) and Genève (Camille Vidart) dealt at the end of the 19th century AD with training and legal issues. In 1896 they organized the first Swiss women's congress and tried to join all women's organizations in a Swiss umbrella organization. Three years later they called Swiss women's associations to form the Bund Schweizerischer Frauenvereine, and so the founding of the Federation of Swiss Women's Associations (from 1971 BSF) was established. BSF targeted the "mutual stimulation, the common influence on political decision-making bodies, as well as the adequate representation of Swiss women in the international women's movement." In addition to the founding clubs, the trade associations of teachers, and by 1945 also joined around 250 women's associations of different orientation.[1]

On the occasion of the creation of the Swiss Civil Code (ZGB), the BSF tried, largely unsuccessful, to establish the system of separation of the personal marital and household property, and to improve the status of illegitimate children. The design of new laws has been a focus of the BSF's activity: morality clauses manifested in the "morality movement", in the new Penal Code, maternity protection and consideration of women in health insurance and the Swiss insurance for old people and surviving dependants AHV). The publicity for women's suffrage was done by the newly founded Swiss Association for Women's Suffrage, but strongly supported by the BSF after 1909. More focussed activities were on female employment, training, and home economics. The working conditions in the industry and services sectors were examined with inquiries. Through collaboration on the housework and factory legislation, the BSF tried to counter the exploitation of female workers; the relationship between housewife and maids has been regulated with treaties.[1]

The BSF is committed to the compulsory home edonomics education in Swiss schools and to the general recognition of domestic work as a profession. In 1923 the Schweizische Central Office for women's careers opened on the initiative of the second Swiss women's congress, which mainly took political influence in addition to giving advice. Female employment was still at risk despite the success of the SAFFA (1928) in the crisis years between the great European wars. With the collaboration of national defence (Frauenhilfsdienst, literally military women's service) and commissions for care and nutrition during the Second World War, BSF became the main interlocutor of the federal authorities. BSF represents Switzerland in international women's organizations, and participated in the League of Nations and after 1945 at UNESCO.[1]

The amendments of 1949 allowed the inclusion of mixed organisations, such as the women's suffrage clubs and the incorporation of the Swiss Federal women's secretariat (founded in 1943). The campaign "Equal pay for equal work" and the SAFFA (1958) with its plea for the three-phase model "Training and profession, motherhood and family, re-entry into the profession", marked the time of a booming economy, and contributed to more equality between women and men. The BSF's focus was the betterment of women by public appreciation, and improvement in childhood and marriage law.[1]

SAFFA

Lux Guyer's SAFFAhaus, as of today in Küsnacht
Saffa-Insel on Zürichsee lakeshore in Wollishofen

From 17 July until 15 September 1958, the BSF led the second SAFFA (1.9 million visitors) with over a hundred national and cantonal women's organisations on the Landiwiese in Zürich-Wollishofen. Before, the Saffa-Insel, an artificial island was poured, being still a popular meeting place used also as lido in the summer and for events, among them the Zürcher Theater Spektakel. As chief architect of the exhibition, which stood under the motto "Life circle of women in family, occupation, and country", acted Annemarie Hubacher-Constam.[2] SAFFA presented the women, who were wanted in the booming economy as consumers and workers, possibilities in the areas of education, employment, shopping and leisure. In accordance with the needs of economic and sociopolitical needs, SAFFA promoted the then three-phase model as a 'ideal female curriculum': employment prior to the marriage, motherhood, and return to the labour market. In addition, the women had to absorb negative impacts of the rapidly changing world, nevertheless, by spreading harmony inside and outside of their families. The men should be made aware of 'women services' in the service of the general public on the indispensability and so motivated to fix the social discrimination against women. With the profits from the two exhibitions, solidarity works were established for women.[3] Tn February 2007, the Swiss Federal Council signed the optional protocol as an addition to the Women Convention for the legal and formal recognition of the full human rights of women in Switzerland. The Internet platform frauennet.ch proposed the decision to organise a third SAFFA on the occasion of their women picnic brunches on the Swiss national holiday on the Saffa-Island in Zürich. For financial reasons, the project could not be started for the time being. Alliance F, the Federation of the Swiss women's organizations, prepared a third Saffa and founded the «2020» association for this purpose, and initiated the project «2020 – der weibliche blick auf die zukunft» (literally: 2020 - the female looks to the future). The project seeks to capture ideas and visions for the future of our society from the perspective of women and in an appropriate manner of the public present. A first web presentation was 2013 and started the realization phase to SAFFA 2020.

Organization and profile

Since 1970, the BSF had recorded a loss of meaning, which contributed among others the setting of the Swiss woman newspaper (Schweizer Frauenblatt), its press and documentation services, as well as a certain foreclosure over the questioning of traditional gender roles. Also the in 1975 respectively in 1996 initiated fourth and fifth Swiss woman congresses had not stopped this development. The Federal Commission for women's issues took over part of the functions.[1] The relocation of the cecretariat to Worblaufen 1986 gave new impetus to the BSF in the archives of the Swiss women's movement (Gosteli Stiftung).[4][5]

In 1999, the BSF decided to renamed alliance F. The fifth Swiss women's congress "Women 2001" founded the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Frauen 2001 (Argef 2001) for seeking a revision of the so-called three-phase model of 1958. The nationwide spread of the "Ticino Model" in the pre-school and primary school education, may ensure a gainful employment and motherhood.[1][6]

Members of the BSF

As of November 2014, BSF comprises more than 150 nationwide member organizations.[7]

See also

Literature

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Elisabeth Joris (2010-12-16). "Bund Schweizerischer Frauenorganisationen (BSF)" (in German). HDS. Retrieved 2014-12-02.
  2. ↑ Dagmar Böcker (2012-08-27). "Hubacher [-Constam], Annemarie" (in German). HDS. Retrieved 2014-12-01.
  3. ↑ Yvonne Voegeli (2011-12-09). "Saffa" (in German). HDS. Retrieved 2014-12-01.
  4. ↑ "Archive on the history of women in Switzerland". gosteli-foundation.ch. Retrieved 2014-12-02.
  5. ↑ Birthe Homann (2016-05-13). "Frauenstimmrecht: Mit Mann und Kind hätte ich es nie geschafft" (in German). Beobachter. Retrieved 2016-08-26.
  6. ↑ Jacqueline Fehr (2010-09-18). "00.436 Parlamentarische Initiative Ergänzungsleistungen für Familien. Tessiner Modell" (in German). parlament.ch. Retrieved 2014-12-02.
  7. ↑ "BSF-alliance F: Mitglieder" (in German). HDS. November 2014. Retrieved 2014-12-04.

External links

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