The 1990s were unprecedented times: the Wall had just come down, and Berlin was set to regain its status as a capital city and seat of government. Berlin had its first centers of women’s and gender studies at its universities, a diverse project scene, and a network for women in Berlin’s city administration. But there was still no institution that worked independently and across party lines to promote more women in leadership positions in politics and business.

 

While numerous independent networks, feminist think tanks and organizations for the advancement of women had already been established in the US, there was a lack of comparable approaches in Germany. Inspired by her experiences in North America, Barbara Schaeffer-Hegel, professor at the Technical University of Berlin and renowned researcher into women’s issues, took it upon herself to set up a new kind of organization in Berlin. From its birth, EAF Berlin was established to be independent and to operate autonomously – managing to do so to this day.

The initial spark came in 1994 with the campaign to elect Hildegard Hamm-Brücher to the office of Federal President. This was largely initiated and organized by Barbara Schaeffer-Hegel and Helga Lukoschat. Although the campaign didn’t achieve its goal, it succeeded in putting the underrepresentation of women in top political and social positions on the political agenda in the long term.

In 1996, the EAF Berlin – the European Academy for Women in Politics and Business – was founded as a spin-off institution from the Technical University of Berlin by Barbara Schaeffer-Hegel and Helga Lukoschat. Their efforts were supported by numerous representatives from the realms of politics and business. From the beginning, the founders not only strove to encourage more women to take up management positions, but also to work towards a more equitable work/life balance as part of a more family-friendly organizational and management culture that benefits both women and men.

EAF Berlin took a while to establish itself. Among the highlights of its early years (between 1996 and 1999) were:

  • Founding of the non-profit association as a legal framework for the new organization, with Barbara Schaeffer-Hegel as chair of the board of directors
  • Establishing of the board of trustees and the support association with numerous supporters from politics and the business world
  • Official founding congress in 1999 in Berlin’s famous Red City Hall (Rotes Rathaus)
  • Setting up of the first international project for promoting young female executives, “Preparing Women to Lead”

Barbara Schaeffer-Hegel

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Here you can learn more about the founding president of EAF Berlin: Prof. Dr. Barbara Schaeffer-Hegel.

Founding congress of EAF Berlin on April 17 1999 in the Rotes Rathaus

Photos: EAF Berlin // Kerstin Zillmer

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Speech by Prof. Jutta Limbach, then President of the Federal Constitutional Court, on the topic of gender justice in the 21st century.
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Jutta Limbach and Susanne Porsche at the founding congress.
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Among the guests at the EAF Berlin founding congress on April 17 1999: President of the Federal Constitutional Court Prof. Jutta Limbach, Employment Minister Dieter Hundt and Federal Minister for Women Dr. Christine Bergmann.
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Speech by Prof. Rita Süssmuth.
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More than 100 participants attended the founding congress, including prominent guests like Prof. Rita Süssmuth, Christine Bergmann, Alice Schwarzer, Prof. Jutta Limbach and Dieter Hundt.
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EAF Berlin’s founding team, with Prof. Barbara Schaeffer-Hegel and Dr. Helga Lukoschat (second and third from left).
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Exchange and networking
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Among the guests was the British mentoring expert Lily Segerman-Peck (second from left).
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Alice Schwarzer, in conversation with politician Lore Peschel-Gutzeit.