Women without Borders (WwB) Founder and Executive Director Dr. Edit Schlaffer received the prestigious Aenne Burda Award at the DLD Conference in Munich in January 2015 for her work at WwB and the groundbreaking projects she implements and oversees, particularly in the field of preventing violent extremism (PVE) and on the role of women and mothers in security. Previous recipients include Viviane Reding, former Vice President of the European Commission, Zaha Hadid, the first woman to ever receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize, Ariana Huffington, founder of Huffington Post, and the tv personality and businesswoman Martha Stewart.

Viviane Reding congratulated Edit Schlaffer and commended Schlaffer for her courage and commitment to female leadership: ‘You are brave and have achieved a great deal in Asia and Africa. Now we need you in Europe. And I’m sure you can do it’.

Dr. Schlaffer: ‘We are at a crossroads, shaken up and worried about security in Europe, and worldwide. The call of the hour is to stand together, and, moreover, to work together. We have to look for allies. The mothers of young people who are drawn into jihad are one of the most important sources of information for potential prevention strategies. Mothers want to be part of the solution. Therefore, we need to create campaigns that strengthen their voices. Mothers are the missing pillar of our security architecture’.