Dachverband burgenländischer Frauen-, Mädchen- und Familienberatungsstellen – Austria

Founded in 2008 the “DAFF – Dachverband Burgenlaendischer Frauen-, Maedchen- und Familienberatungsstellen” is the head organization of seven Women Counselling Centres and two Women Education Centres in Burgenland. Burgenland is the most eastern area of Austria, a rural area all over with only small villages. Our websites can be found under www.frauendachverband.at (so far only in German, we are sorry).

Aims of the DAFF

– building a strong network among the member organizations

– creating local, regional and international projects

– to enhance the offers for life long learning and intergenerational communication in our area

– to represent our centres and our network in regional or national organizations

Women’s Information Centres (WIC) have been created up from the 1980ies with strong support of the federal ministry for women’s and equal affaires and the Austrian labour market office. All WCC are giving psychosocial and legal advice in all aspects of living as there are personal crises, problems in partnerships (divorce, illness, violence, alcoholism), problems about education or among the generations. Related to the labour market we do counselling, career guidance, coaching or training.

In our centres we address women and girls at all ages and nationalities as well as families and seniors.

In a close cooperation with the Austrian Labour Market Service (AMS) and several EU fundings we offer a wide range of courses to create new or better chances for girls and women on the labour market or to develop their personal skills.

We have developed a lot of experience in executing various EU programmes  like Grundtvig Learning Partnerships, realized Leader Plus and ESF projects. There we also address especially seniors, for example with ICT-courses, creative writing, story telling, social interaction like bowling events, walking groups, dancing classes and other subjects. The member organizations of DAFF regularly offer a wide range of courses in their different centres spread all over Burgenland:

– Workshops strongly related to the labour market (for women with only basic or no qualification, sometimes without sufficient literacy abilities; women who are interested in technical professions or studies)

– Providing basic skills ( for ex. for migrants with low or insufficient qualification; migrants who need to know more about the Austrian culture and society)

– Job orientation for girls (pupils who are looking for orientation about jobs and/or education)

–  Women / families who are facing financial problems or want to be prevented from such;

– People 50 + who are looking for basic ICT knowledge,

This offers are organized in various forms and schedules…workshops, courses, evening classes, …

Part of our organization are two WOMEN JOB CENTRES, where we offer workshops, analysis of potentials, proof of competences, etc. and we already organized the education of women as so called “senior animators” – people who are working with seniors in nursing homes.