Christa Stolle

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Christa Stolle (2016)

Christa Stolle (* 1959 in Visbek , Lower Saxony) is a German human rights activist , ethnologist and, since 1990, federal manager of the women's rights organization Terre des Femmes - human rights for women e. V.

Career

Christa Stolle spent her childhood with four siblings on her parents' rural farm near Oldenburg. She obtained the general university entrance qualification at a Catholic girls' high school. There it was shaped by young teachers who pushed for their politicization and brought them into contact with modern literature. Among other things, Stolle inspired these experiences to spend a year abroad in the USA.

Christa Stolle studied ethnology, folklore, geography and empirical cultural studies in Bonn and Tübingen with a master's degree. The cultural relativism that prevailed in the university context on issues such as female genital mutilation shocked her and made her contradict it. In her opinion, one must "naturally meet the other culture on an equal footing". However, this does not mean “being neutral towards such a cruel tradition.” Stolle was increasingly interested in global political issues with a special focus on feminism .

Work at Terre des Femmes

Stolle became aware of Terre des Femmes through a notice in the university . An instinctive interest and fascination with political activism motivated her to become part of the still young women's rights organization. From 1987 to 1990 Stolle worked voluntarily on the board of Terre des Femmes.

Stolle gained his first experiences with professional activism and media presence through the solidarity campaign by Terre des Femmes for Korean textile workers who worked for the German textile company Adler . The mostly female workers demanded higher wages, shorter and regulated working hours, a free trade union and community facilities such as a break room. Conflicting situations arose, among other things, when the feminist underground groups " Rote Zora " and "Amazons" took over the topic , which discredited Terre des Femmes' peaceful organizational work and made public relations and the negotiation process with the company more difficult. This was finally successful when Stolle traveled to Korea with other activists in November and December 1987 to get an idea of ​​"the concessions [...] that Adler had made in September".

The commitment to Terre des Femmes became a labor-intensive task during this period. Often there was a “tightrope act between social engagement and private life”. The board therefore applied for an ABM position at the Tübingen employment office in order to be able to professionalise women's rights work in the long term. The application was initially rejected, but approved in a second attempt in 1990. At this point in time, Stolle had completed her studies and subsequently became the first full-time employee with managerial tasks for the association. The concept of professionalization paired with successful fundraising led to the fact that the Terre des Femmes association multiplied in terms of members, donors, subscribers and voluntary and full-time employees. The federal office stayed in Tübingen for 20 years before moving to Berlin in 2011.

In 2004, Stolle also took over the management of the Terre des Femmes Foundation, which was founded in the same year.

Stolle shaped the women's rights work of Terre des Femmes significantly and continuously developed new fields of work. Already at the beginning of the association she founded the department “Women's Rights in Islamic Societies” and started the campaign “Violence in the Name of Honor”. The Terre des Femmes flag campaign, which has been taking place annually since 2001 on the international day “NO to violence against women!” , Was implemented against resistance within the association.

Today she heads the federal office with almost 40 full-time employees and, as a managing director, together with four honorary women on the board, heads an association with around 2,200 co-wives entitled to vote, 3,500 regular supporters and 300 volunteers.

Positions

Christa Stolle is a feminist and strongly opposes cultural relativism and religiously based gender apartheid. According to her own statement, she wants traditional violence against girls and women, gender inequality and discrimination to be treated with a clear focus on women's rights. It is also important for Stolle to have a strictly secular position and the political independence of the association, which is guaranteed by the main financing through donations and membership fees.

Awards

Christa Stolle together with fellow board members at the award of the Order of Merit of the State of Berlin (2019)

In 2012 Christa Stolle was nominated for the Women of Courage Award for her longstanding commitment to the rights of girls and women . In October 2013, the Federal President presented her with the Federal Cross of Merit on ribbon. On October 1, 2019, she received the Order of Merit of the State of Berlin .

Publications (selection)

  • Christa Stolle: Gender-specific violence - The long way to equality , in: Isabel Rohner, Rebecca Beerheide (Ed.): 100 years of women's suffrage. Goal achieved! … and further?. , Sulzbach / Taunus (Ulrike Helmer Verlag) 2017, ISBN 978-3-89741-398-6
  • Christa Stolle, Heike Robben: For example women's rights , Göttingen (Lamuv Verlag GmbH) 2004, ISBN 3-88977-646-9
  • Christa Stolle: Living from hand to mouth. Ten years of the federal office, in: TERRE DES FEMMES e. V. (Ed.): Resistance is a secret of happiness., Tübingen (TERRE DES FEMMES e.V.) 2001, ISBN 3-9806165-4-1
  • Christa Stolle: Here is forever abroad. Living conditions and perspectives of Korean women in the Federal Republic of Germany, Berlin (Verlag für Wissenschaft und Bildung) 1990, ISBN 3-927408-49-2
  • Christa Stolle, Ute Koczy, Jai Sin Pak: Made in Korea. Adler textile workers defend themselves against German exploitation , Göttingen (Magazin Verlag) 1989, ISBN 3-925900-61-6

Web links

Commons : Christa Stolle  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Christa Stolle, human rights activist. Retrieved February 7, 2020 .
  2. ^ CV of Christa Stolle. (PDF) In: TERRE DES FEMMES - Human Rights for Women e. V. TERRE DES FEMMES - Human Rights for Women e. V., February 2017, accessed on February 5, 2020 .
  3. ↑ Christa Stolle, human rights activist. Retrieved February 7, 2020 .
  4. ↑ TERRE DES FEMMES: Resistance is a secret of happiness . Ed .: TERRE DES FEMMES. Tübingen 2001, ISBN 3-9806165-4-1 .
  5. ↑ TERRE DES FEMMES (ed.): Resistance is a secret of happiness . Tübingen 2001, ISBN 3-9806165-4-1 .
  6. ^ CV of Christa Stolle. (PDF) In: TERRE DES FEMMES - Human Rights for Women e. V. February 2017, accessed February 5, 2020 .
  7. ↑ TERRE DES FEMMES (ed.): Resistance is a secret of happiness . Tübingen 2001, ISBN 3-9806165-4-1 .
  8. ↑ TERRE DES FEMMES (Ed.): Flyer: "TERRE DES FEMMES - Active for girls and women" . Berlin.
  9. ↑ Simone Schmollack: 25 years "Terre des Femmes": In the name of conscience . In: The daily newspaper: taz . October 31, 2015, ISSN  0931-9085 ( taz.de [accessed February 7, 2020]).
  10. ↑ TERRE DES FEMMES (ed.): Resistance is a secret of happiness . Tübingen 2001, ISBN 3-9806165-4-1 .
  11. ↑ Simone Schmollack: 25 years "Terre des Femmes": In the name of conscience . In: The daily newspaper: taz . October 31, 2015, ISSN  0931-9085 ( taz.de [accessed February 7, 2020]).
  12. ↑ Second Order of Merit for Christa Stolle. Retrieved February 7, 2020 .
personal data
SURNAME Stolle, Christa
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German human rights activist, ethnologist and federal manager of the women's rights organization Terre des Femmes
DATE OF BIRTH 1959
PLACE OF BIRTH Visbek , Lower Saxony