Edit Schlaffer

Dr. Edit Schlaffer was born on September 25, 1950 in Stegersbach (Burgenland, Austria).

Edit Schlaffer, PhD, is a social scientist, author, and activist. She started Women without Borders in 2002, an international research and advocacy organization that seeks to provide women with a platform to have their voices and their concerns heard. Women without Borders conducts a variety of campaigns in countries around the world with the unifying goal of empowering women as agents of positive change. ^[1]

Schlaffer has designed a number of ground-breaking projects focusing on building up female self-confidence as the key tool for establishing a female power base in countries that are transitioning from tradition to modernity, such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Rwanda, and India. In 2008, she founded SAVE (Sisters Against Violent Extremism), the first global women’s anti-terror platform^[2]. Headquartered at the Women without Borders offices in Vienna, Austria, SAVE brings together a broad spectrum of women determined to create a united front against violent extremism. SAVE provides women with the tools for critical debate to challenge extremist thinking and to develop alternative strategies for combating the growth of global terrorism.

Edit Schlaffer has received a number of honors and awards, including the Käthe Leichter Austrian State Prize for Gender Equity and Research ^[3], and the Theodor Kery Prize for Promotion of Marginalised Issues. She was also selected in 2010 by Women’s eNews as one of the “21 Leaders for the 21st Century.”^[4]

References

1. ^ http://eomega.org/omega/faculty/viewProfile/79d25e808f2e54c6bb3a9d40e201970f/
2. ^ http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7138217n
3. ^ http://www.ith.or.at/ith_e/leichter_preistraegerinnen_e.htm
4. ^ http://www.womensenews.org/story/21-leaders-the-21st-century/091231/womens-enews-announces-its-21-leaders-2010