Femmes d’Europe a selfless group

IN the frequently male-dominated environment of the European Union an organisation calling itself Femmes d’Europe can be assumed to be a political one. Most would ask what else would survive?

But this organisation is one of those old fashioned kind, made up of wives of diplomats, civil servants and industrialists who for the most part run the EU.

They do what wives in such organisations do raise money for good causes, not just in EU countries but also in the Third World.

It could be seen as a very non-politically correct organisation, and of course it is. But then the position of women in powerbroking is not very politically correct either 12% of TDs in the Dáil are women for instance.

And in case you think this is confined to politics look at the situation of women in academia. A mere 3% of university professors in Ireland are women despite them making up over half of the students and lecturers.

Femmes d'Europe is organised along very traditional lines after all, most of the women have given up their own career to follow their husband and support him in his.

So the honorary president is Flavia Prodi, wife of the President of the European Commission Romano Prodi and the next honorary president will be the wife of the next EC president.

They tend to divide themselves up into national groups, with the wife of the commissioner from the particular country playing an important role. Very hierarchal one may say.

They define themselves as a non- political and philanthropic association, bringing together 1,200 women who work voluntarily to raise funds for humanitarian project.

Annalisa Mancardi is vice president in charge of press and publicity and accepts that the organisation might easily be passed over as simply a rich and idle women's club.

But that is beside the point. They get on with the work in hand, screening each request for aid and monitoring all funding. In 2002 they financed no less than 87 projects distributing €379,864.

This brings the total amount of money they have distributed to date to €4.8 million and their administration costs do not exceed 2%.

In the words of their president Joke Hattinga van 't Sant, raising money for orphaned children in Bujumbura, Burundi, 27 years ago was the start of a fundraising activity by European women who, "by mutual respect and understanding not only became friends, but managed to raise money for the underprivileged in the world".

The underprivileged are in the European countries and in the developing countries. The small projects which they help frequently have difficulty obtaining funds from public authorities to help them get off the ground.

For instance the latest Irish project they helped was the Irish Cancer Society's breast awareness campaign. They helped print and distribute educational cards with information on breast healthcare and early cancer detection.

The society relies on donations and receives no government or EU funding. Ireland ranks 12th in the incidence of breast cancer with an annual death rate of 650, which is higher than the European average.

There are over 1,700 new cases identified each year. The most important events are an annual Christmas bazaar and a twice-yearly gala evening in Brussels within the framework of the presidency of the EU inspired by the country holding the presidency.

And this brings the Femmes d'Europe to Ireland, the current holder of the presidency.

With the Department of Foreign Affairs, they have organised a concert at Flagey Theatre in Brussels on April 22 next called Macalla Echoes of Ireland.

It will feature the Irish Chamber Orchestra and the choir Anúna. The programme includes music by contemporary Irish composers' while Anúna will perform traditional music from the 14th to the 20th century. Tickets are available from Annalisa at [e-mail]