Our Story
Women without Borders (WwB), an international nonprofit organisation headquartered in Vienna, was founded by Edit Schlaffer in 2001. WwB focuses on on Female Leadership, Capacity Building, Gender Based Violence, Intercultural Dialogue, and Preventing Violent Extremism. We commit and apply ourselves to …
- Working from the bottom up and empowering the female leaders of tomorrow at the individual, community, and global levels
- Supporting and inspiring women in the process of moving from victimhood towards agency
- Advocating for a future without fear, suppression, and violence against women
- Introducing and normalising the idea of mothers as the first line of defence against extremism in their homes and communities
- Bringing the voices of impactful local leaders to the attention of the world
18 Years
We have been bringing local female leadership to the attention of the world since 2001
38 Countries
We have worked across some forty countries and in numerous communities, both urban and remote
80+ Projects
We have translated research into action through eighty projects to date
Philosophy
Women without Borders (WwB) puts research into practice through community-based strategies that combine theory and grassroots fieldwork. Responding to the threat of radicalisation by sensitising women to their roles and responsibilities in building community resilience, WwB initiated the world’s first female PVE platform in 2008: the Sisters Against Violent Extremism (SAVE) network. WwB pioneered and continues to lead the effort of harnessing the potential of Mothers Preventing Violent Extremism (MPVE) through its ‘MotherSchools: Parenting for Peace’ Model. While addressing extremism is a priority among the range of distinct but interrelated WwB capacity building projects, this approach reflects our organisation’s longstanding, broader governing philosophy: translating research into action and empowering women to move from victimhood towards agency, the world over.
Focus Areas
Team
Birgit Lauda Art Foundation
Vienna
The Birgit Lauda Art Foundation (B.LA) is Europe’s first nonprofit gallery to support global female empowerment by harnessing art for good. It was founded by Birgit Lauda in 2017 on the principle that all proceeds exclusively go to Women without Borders.
B.LA supports WwB by showcasing new works of international artists in regular intervals through curated exhibitions in their Kunstraum (‘Art Space’) in Vienna. Alongside the exhibition programme, B.LA has created a platform for dialogue and a space for the exchange of ideas by hosting panel discussions, artist talks, performances, and workshops.
The core of B.LA’s mission is to support, and to closely collaboration with, Women without Borders while promoting international contemporary artists, established and upcoming.
Advisory Board
Marie Ringler
European Leader of Ashoka, Ashoka Europe Director for Central and Eastern Europe, and Founder Ashoka Austria
Network & Supporters
