Type of organisation (legal status, main areas and type of activity)

The Estonian Women’s Studies and Resource Centre (Eesti Naisuurimus- ja Teabekeskus, known as ENUT) is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation. The Centre, located at the Tallinn Pedagogical University, is the only women’s resource centre in Estonia. It was opened on November 27, 1997, and it includes Estonia’s first specialised library on women’s and gender issues. The overall aim of the Centre is to promote a better understanding of human rights, and it supports the democratic process by encouraging gender equality and the empowerment of women. In practice, it means providing policy makers, the academic world, researchers, media, other NGOs, women’s organisations in the provinces, and the general public with information on gender democracy by giving access to a specialised library and by establishing and connecting with women’s studies databases and networks in Estonia and abroad. It also promotes consciousness raising on gender issues for women and men as well as research. The aims are realised through publications (fact sheets, newsletters, journals, etc.) workshops, seminars, conferences, and outreach programs.

Size of organisation, in terms of the total number of personnel (use full-time equivalents)

ENUT employs a director and four part-time workers. In addition, there are two volunteers, one is a professor from Oslo University and the other is a Political Scientist from the USA. The equivalent of less then one full-time employee will be directly involved with the project.

A.3 Evidence of experience of the organisation of the women’s employment issues and experience in international co-operation

ENUT’s staff has been trained at the Christina Institute for Women's Studies, University of Helsinki and the Åbo Women's Studies Centre, The University of Åbo. Director has had training for leadership skills at Luleå Technical University, Sweden. Two workers are qualified adult educators. ENUT has organised many seminars, lectures and roundtables in themes such as How to Run an Effective NGO; Adaptability and Thriving in Women; Gender, Sex and Social Change; Why Gender Matters in Issues of Sexual Health and many others. On February 4-6, 1999, ENUT organised an international conference, Estonian Women in Politics, which was attended by over 200 participants representing 129 women’s organisations. A follow-up seminar was arranged in May 1999 on the theme of Estonian Women and Local Politics: Strategies and Tactics. On March 24-25, 2000 ENUT will host an international conference, Estonian Women as Future Citizens in the European Union. A course for teachers on equality in the classroom and courses for women on information seeking, electronic publication and network skills in order to access networks to international women’s resource centres are in our future plans.

ENUT’s activities are funded through the European Union’s PHARE Macro Democracy Program. ENUT has close co-operation with the office of Gender Equality at the Ministry of Social Affairs. ENUT also works closely with the women’s studies programs at Tallinn Pedagogical University as well as at the Unit of Gender Studies at Tartu University. Our partners are Department for Gender and Technology, Luleå Technical University, Sweden, and the Christina Institute for Women’s Studies, University of Helsinki, Finland. We have co-operation with the Femina Baltica network, which was established with the aim of building a long-term and large-scale co-operation of women at all levels in the societies around the Baltic Sea. Another important goal is to increase the awareness of gender equality and to encourage women’s participation in different spheres of social, political, economic and academic life. ENUT is the Estonian contact organisation in the Femina Baltica network.

The director and staff of the ENUT have had extensive experience in international co-operation. They have participated in many conferences, seminars and workshops in Europe. They participated in these international conferences and courses: a seminar in Riga, in March 1999 on the "Promotion of the Status of Women"; the seminar "Minorities and Mixed families Network" on May 30 – June 2, 1999 in Riga, Latvia; "Women’s World ‘99", in June, at Tromsø, Norway; the Freyja – Nordic Baltic course in women’s non-formal education in Gothenburg in June 1999; a seminar in Latvia in September 1999 on the role of non-governmental organisations in society for the Baltic countries and north-western Russia; "Gender, Knowledge and Power", in October, 1999 at Siuntio, Finland; "Women and Democracy at the Dawn of the New Millennium", October 1999 Reykjavik, Iceland; Femina Baltica’s seminar "Minorities and Mixed Families" in Paldiski, Estonia, October 1999.