Projects and events
Current projects
International Women's Day has a long tradition. It goes back to the women's labour movement in the mid-19th to 20th century. The II. International Socialist Women's Conference, which was initiated by the German socialist Clara Zetkin and attended by more than 100 delegates from 17 countries, decided on 27 August 1910 to introduce an annual International Women's Day.
The first International Women's Day was held on 19 March 1911 in Denmark, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the USA. The political demand on this day was for active and passive voting rights for women. More than one million women took to the streets in favour of this. Since 1921, 8 March has been the international day of remembrance on which women draw attention to their rights.
Every year in Chemnitz, the International Women's Day celebrations are organised by the Equal Opportunities Officer and the Chemnitz Women's Initiative Network.
European Charter for Equality between women and men at local level
On 25 April 2012, on the initiative of the City Council, the City of Chemnitz decided to join the European Charter for Equality between Women and Men at local level.
The charter is a declaration of intent by the municipality in which it publicly and formally commits itself to the principle of equality between women and men with the aim of actually implementing it. The deed of accession was signed by Mayor Barbara Ludwig on 15 October 2012. The kick-off event took place on 20 November 2012 at DAStietz.
The municipality has thus undertaken to involve institutions and organisations in the process and to draw up and publish an equality action plan tailored to local needs.
Joining the charter opens up the opportunity to pursue strategically systematic and targeted equality work based on the broad participation of various stakeholders. The action plan is binding and offers concrete goals and measures in a manageable timeframe and thus a transparent and verifiable basis. Achieved standards are secured. Politics and administration are given new impetus to integrate gender equality approaches into their day-to-day work. The decision to join was prepared by an inter-party working group and the Equal Opportunities Officer. A steering group was formed consisting of members of the parliamentary group and experts in the field.
The action plan was drawn up as part of a participatory process. Nine workshops and an information event were held. The action plan was presented to the City Council in November 2015.
1st Equal Opportunities Action Plan of the City of Chemnitz
With this accession, Chemnitz is facing up to the international comparison and competition of cities with regard to the implementation of equality and equal opportunities for women and men locally.
Girls' Day in Chemnitz
Future-oriented professions in the trades and in the industrial-technical sector are at the centre of Girls'Day - the Girls' Future Day. This Girls'Day is organised annually for girls in years 5 - 11 and offers information on careers in science, trades, technology and IT as well as workshops on career and life planning
The next Girls'Day will take place on 26 March 2020.
Boys' Day in Chemnitz
On this day, boys are given the opportunity to broaden their range of career choices, flexibilise role models and try out social professions.
The next Boys' Day will take place on 26 March 2020.
Day against violence against women
At the 83rd plenary session on 17 December 1999, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution designating 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, also known as the "International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women".
At that time, the General Assembly expressed "concern that women do not fully enjoy their human rights and fundamental freedoms, and concern at the continuing failure to protect and promote these rights and freedoms in cases of violence against women". Every year, the International Day of Remembrance aims to draw public attention to violence against women and focus on strategies to combat it.
Flag campaign by Terre des Femmes
The flag campaign organised by Terre des Femmes is now known throughout Germany. On 25 November 2001, the women's rights organisation flew the flags for the first time to send out a signal against violence against women. Since then, the campaign has been taken up and carried on by numerous women's and equal opportunities officers, parties, associations and ministries, including in Chemnitz.