Four of the sets displayed contain documents relating to the four women named below, who played active roles in women's rights and women's emancipation in Western Europe after WWII. The fifth set of documents describes the origins of gender/women's studies at the EUI, the people involved, and the topics discussed.
What is truly remarkable about the four women included in the exhibit is their genuine devotion, full commitment, endless work, immense patience, and unselfish courage.
Fausta Deshormes La Valle was a journalist and law graduate, fiercely supportive of the European integration process, and creator of the first European Documentation Centres, now present in more than 400 universities. Founder of the Women's Press and Information Service, and Director, in 1992 she was named honorary member of the European Commission. She can be considered as one of the "Mothers of Europe".
Simone Veil, lawyer, politician, and feminist, served as France's Health Minister between 1974 and 1979. She was then elected President of the European Parliament, making her the first President of a directly-elected Parliament and its first female President. She is admired for both her political and personal courage, having survived the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.
Ursula Hirschmann was involved in the anti-fascist movement during WWII, and managed to smuggle the Ventotene Manifesto "for a free and united Europe" into mainland Italy, and supported in its dissemination. Co-founder of the Movimento Federalista Europeo in 1943, Hirschmann fled to Switzerland and became involved in organising the first international federalist congress in Paris, in 1945. Hirschmann's political commitment did not end after WWII. In 1975, she founded the Femmes pour l'Europe association in Brussels.
Yvonne de Wergifosse was a diplomat, and in 1962 she became Secretary General of the non-governmental organisation, European League for Economic Cooperation. Later she became President of the International Women's Commission of the European Movement.
Browse the Library's suggested resources on Women's History Month. Highlighted are recent acquisitions and special recommendations from researchers and Library staff.