Cyberstreet
Contributions of Civil Society Organisations to the Well-Being of Families
International Federation for Home Economics
Adress:
Kaiser Friedrichstrasse 13
53113 Bonn
Germany
Contact person:
Anne v. Laufenberg-Beermann
Contact e-mail:
office@ifhe.org
Telephone:
0049 (0) 228 9212590
Telefax:
0049 (0) 228 9212591
Homepage:
www.ifhe.org
Content:
International Symposium to the topic Family
The International Federation for Home Economics conducts an international Symposium annually,
1. The International Symposium 2007 focused on“Challenges for Home Economics – Equality of Women and Men in the Responsibility for Family and Housework”.
With the focus on
• Gender Aspects – Division of Labour in the Family: Across Time and
Countries\",
• “Housework and the Role Cliché – Chances for a Change”,
• “Aspects of Equality in Home Economics Education”,
• “Ideas and Changes to Promote the Equality of Men and Women in Their
Responsibility for Family and Housework”,
• “Challenges for Home Economics – Towards a Realisation of the ‘Work-Life
Balance’ for Women and Men”,
2. The objectives of the international Symposium were:
• Exchange of knowledge and experiences such as scientific research results,
studies in education or other professional fields related to the theme
• Discussion of consequences, need for action and political demands.
3. Home Economic experts and interested persons form different fields,
academic, education,
4. Each year a one day symposium
5. The symposium was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Families,
Women, Senior Citizens, and the Youth.
6. The IFHE took up a central problem in societies worldwide which – despite
long-standing demands by society and legal measures – has as yet led to
only ew satisfactory results in the industrialized Western world and the
developing world. The methods, representations and changes by which home
economics education and research could contribute more effectively to the
advancement of an equality of women and men in family and housework were
scrutinized.
7. The workshop was evaluated through a questionnaire filled in by the
participants
8. Written reports were published on the IFHE website and in the IFHE Annual
Report 2007.
2. International workshop within the framework 64th Annual UN DPI/NGO
Conference 2011, Bonn Germany
1. Within the framework of the 64th UN DPI/NGO conference, the IFHE conducted
an international workshop with the subject “Realising sustainable
lifestyles: Families and households as consumers and producers”.
2. The workshop aimed to highlight that culture, values and traditions
determine the decisions of families and households in global north and
south and consequently influence considerably sustainable development.
a. Families and Households
• are basic actors of societies and economies
• determine sustainable consumption
• manage resources on individual alike community level
b. Education and involvement of families and households is identified as the
most important precondition to reach the MDG`S
c. Important aspects how to educate, involve and empower families and
households to
• realize sustainable lifestyles and livelihoods
• contribute to sustainable societies
• act mindful as responsive citizens.
3. Participants of the DPINGO Conference, from all over the world from
different professional backgrounds.
4. The workshop was conducted in co-operation with Malkerns Women’s Institute
Swaziland, and the Carribean Home Economics Association
5. The workshop was evaluated through a questionnaire filled in by the
participants
6. The IFHE pointed out that families and households play a central role in the
realisation of sustainable lifestyles.
The results of the workshop were formulated in stipulations:
The IFHE stipulated:
• Social and economical surrounding conditions which enable families to live a
sustainable lifestyle
• Encouraging the awareness for the fact that families are the central actors
for sustainable societies.
• More efforts for establishing home economics education as the key subject
for the encouragement of competences for sustainable lifestyles, in the
economical as well as in the social and ecological sense.
• Securing the equality of men and women and enabling women to participate in
the progress in the UN MDGs.
A stipulation of the IFHE was included in the resolution of the UN DPI/NGO conference.
In order to illustrate the position of the IFHE, a graphical illustration was developed and published as a postcard.
3. Best Practises for sustainable Lifestyles of Families.
1. Home Economics Experts in the field of Household Technology and
Sustainability are conducting research in different fields of households.
The members of the committee worked on the evaluation of their research work
on the subject of “Best Practises: Cooking, Dishwashing manual and automatic
dishwashing, to do the laundry etc.
2. The objectives of the project is to develop evidence based recommendations
for sustainable household management in the area of household technology.
3. All Family households around the world should follow the best practices
4. The project started in 2018 is still ongoing.
5. IFHE funds the publication of the results as illustrative posters.
6. The project is being monitored by the Department of Household Technology of
the University of Bonn
7. The results of the researches are recommendations which are published as
Best Practise Posters and are available online on the IFHE Website.
4. Activities planned to observe and highlight IYF+20 in 2014.
To support the 20th Anniversary of the IYF 2014, the International Federation
for Home Economics is conducting the special IFHE Campaign “Empowering
Families, Individuals and Communities through Home Economics”.
Within the context of the IFHE Campaign the IFHE organisational members
around the world and individual members on country level will conduct
different projects, which will be published on the IFHE website
http://www.ifhe.org/1049.html.
On global level IFHE
a) has published various documents and links related to IYF+20 in 2014 in the
special section its website http://www.ifhe.org/1047.html
b) has conducted an international Symposium “Confronting family poverty and
social exclusion – contribution of Home Economics” in Vienna, Austria,
February 2013
c) Is preparing an international Symposium to the theme “Solidarity between
young and elderly citizens creating and living a joint future
Contribution of older persons” in Fulda, Germany, February, 2014 funded by
the Federal Ministry for Families Women, Senior Citizens, and the Youth
d) Has published a call for abstract for an electronic Monograph to the
theme: “The economic and social situation of families in the context of Home
Economics”.
e) Will publish an special issue of the electronic International Journal of
Home Economics to the aspects of the IYF+20 in 2014.
These are the current plans and activities of the International Federation
for Home Economics.