#schongenial: Mrs Schulz, what does courage mean to you personally?
Doris Schulz: For me, courage has many facets. Above all, it means taking responsibility - for yourself, for your own life and for the people who are important to you. Being courageous does not mean that you are not afraid, but that you act despite your fear. It's about facing up to challenges, even if the path is not always easy.
#schongenial: What exactly are the "Courage Makers"?
Doris Schulz: The "Mutmacherinnen" are an initiative by "Frauen im Trend" that makes women from Upper Austria visible. It's about their biographies and life stories, which are intended to encourage others to go their own way. Every year, we choose an "Encourager of the Year", who is presented online on the 18th of each month - to coincide with the "Day of the Encouragers". These are women who serve as role models for others with their diversity of life models and experiences.
#schongenial: What were the motivations and goals behind founding this initiative?
Doris Schulz: Our aim is to draw attention to the diversity of women's different lifestyles. We want to show the enormous potential these women have and the valuable contribution they make away from glamour and celebrity - for their families, their careers and society. These women are real role models and deserve to be visible. It is an opportunity to encourage others to go their own way without being restricted by social expectations.
#schongenial: Who is behind the "Courage Makers"?
Doris Schulz: Behind the initiative is the "Frauen im Trend" association, which was founded over twenty years ago by former state parliament president Angela Orthner. The association was originally a platform for the cross-mentoring project, which focussed on equal opportunities for women in the workplace. In 2009, on the occasion of 90 years of women's suffrage, we launched the project "90 Women.Life.Upper Austria", which portrayed 90 women's lives. To mark the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in 2019, the project was digitally expanded under the name "Mutmacherinnen".
#schongenial: How do you specifically support the women in the "Mutmacherinnen" project?
Doris Schulz: Our work consists of various activities. We organise events, vernissages and discussion rounds, such as twice a year at the Johannes Kepler University Linz, where two courageous women share their stories. Another important date is 18 April, which we have declared "Women of Courage Day" because Marie Curie received her Nobel Prize on this day. We have also launched the "Encouraging Women Mentoring Programme", a project that accompanies female science students on their way into professional life. Here, they are supported for six months by an experienced encourager from their field.
#schongenial: How can you become an encourager yourself or support the initiative?
Doris Schulz: Anyone can support us, for example by inviting us to an event or sharing our stories. And anyone who knows a woman who is suitable as an encourager can nominate her throughout the year, either by e-mail or via our website www.mutmacherinnen.at. The media can also select women from our pool and share their stories.
#schongenial: What is the most important message you would like to pass on to women?
Doris Schulz: The most important advice I can give is: Trust in your own strength and be prepared to take responsibility for your life. It's never too late to change something or start something new. Courage doesn't mean always having to be strong, but allowing yourself to have weaknesses - and moving on anyway.
#schongenial: What does the future hold for the "Courage Makers"? Are there any new projects or plans?
Doris Schulz: We want to further expand our network and reach even more women. It is particularly important to us to support young women and encourage them on their path at an early stage. We have already taken a step in this direction with our "Encouraging Women Mentoring" programme. We have many ideas and it remains exciting to see where the next few years will take us.
#schongenial: We are delighted to be able to make a contribution to increasing the visibility of female encouragers, thank you very much for your time, the inspiring conversation and look forward to more positive news from your network!