About us
From a group’s own initiative to the Amazone association
The initiative of a group of girls led to the establishment of the association in 1998 under the name “Kecke Quecke” by setting up the first Girls’ Centre in Vorarlberg and was renamed Amazone in 2001 by the visitors at the Girls’ Centre. Although main focus was on feminist girls’ work of women and girls for girls during the first few years, the Amazone association has been focusing on the development of gender equitable work for the creation of gender equality since 2011, with the objective of also strengthening girls in mixed-gender contexts and to continue consolidating girls’ work with other gender-educational approaches. This expansion of the fields of activity called for a corresponding organisational development. The realisation of the core work areas vocational training, health, violence, culture, multimedia, work, politics and sexuality is carried out with a feminist mindset using access to education and promotion in the three columns of activity:
- the Girls’ Centre with homogeneous gender offers and services such as a café, work shop, rehearsal room, workshops and Girls4Girls activities for girls between 10 and 18,
- the Guidance Service for girls and young women and their parents or guardians as well as
- the Special Gender Department, which offers measures for the deconstruction of gender role models with and for girls, boys, adults, institutions and the entire public.
The interlacing of practical projects with offers for qualification and further education in the Amazone association enables access, which emanates from the girls and their living environments. The Peer education or the Peer to Peer approach still has an effect on all activities in the association. The girls are the key members! They get the ball rolling and with the help of the association’s know-how, a structure is developed, to pursue the vision of a gender equitable world together.
The association, which started with a practical project for girls, has turned into a central facility for gender work from girls’ perspective in Vorarlberg and beyond the national borders.
And, despite the success...
There is a lack of sufficient structural promotion. The insufficient structural coverage is still being compensated for through high organisational and project management costs. And, the staff members of the Amazone association are still battling with a great uncertainty of their employment. A lack of funding should not be the reason for failing to provide promotion and support for girls. A continuous provision of respective funds is required, to couple girls’ work with youth work and to ensure it on a permanent basis, in order to achieve a more equitable distribution of funds.
