- supply by the Bremen Women's Health Centre (WHC): Consultation for the foundation of a Women's Health Centre or initiation of specific single supplies on women's health in Gdansk within already existing institutions (refuges for battered women, advisory boards, women's centres or the like)

- exchange of information on specific reasons for health problems of women in Poland and Germany: What is different, what is alike, what could be learnt from each other? Where are the gaps in the respective Public Health Service, which kinds of supply is offered sufficiently? Which subjects have to be discussed with priority (consequences of violence for women's health, medicalisation of women, patients' rights, or the like)?

- mutual visits: women from Gdansk could come to know the Women's' Health Centre in Bremen or other WHCs in Germany (contacts are made through the national organisation of WHCs which represents the interests of 16 WHCs in Germany). Women from German WHCs could visit women projects and/or health institutions in Gdansk and collect ideas/models for their own work.

- Supply of the WHC Bremen for training courses and education of multiplicators on various women's health subjects for women experts in Gdansk. The women who run the Bremen WHC are interested in participating in similar events offered in Gdansk.

Women's Health Centre Bremen (Frauengesundheitszentrum Bremen)

Elsflether Str. 29 28219 Bremen www.fgz-bremen.de Phone.: +49 421 3809749 Fax: +49 421 382671 Contact: Angelika Zollmann (zollmanna@web.de)

Activities:
The Women's Health Centre (WHC) Bremen was founded as a non-profit association in 1983 by women committed to the self-help movement and the women's movement. Their aim was to extend the supply of medical and psycho-social care which until then was insufficient. From the beginning also the influence on public health policy was a declared aim of the women who have maintained the WHC. The subjects have changed during the years. Today, in addition to information on the consequences of violence for the health of women, the commitment is for example directed against the medicalisation of the phases of the female life like the menopause or aims at the avoidance of unnecessary gynaecological operations.

The WHC's work is based on a lifeworld-related understanding of health and illness. It wants to strengthen the competence and self-initiative of women when dealing with health questions, and it strives for an increase of health and wellness of women with different biographical and social background in all different phases of life.

Now as ever the women who run the WHC speak up for a health care which is qualitatively assured and suitable for women, and they do this in different ways:

- intervention in the public debate on issues concerning women's health
- supply of free telephonic advice during regular consulting hours
- individual and group consulting on women specific subjects
- supply of possibilities for information and orientation on women's health subjects (brochures, archive, press releases)
- organisation of information events, conferences and further training
- self-help groups: advice and instruction
- aftercare: groups for women after a stay in a psychosomatic hospital

Cooperation possibilities:
Exchange programs (mutual visits)
Education programs (basic training, further training, and seminars)
Consultation of colleagues in the same field
Participation in events in both countries
Women projects
Building of networks

Pomeranian Fundation Sunflower (Pomorska Fundacja Slonecznik)

Pomorska Fundacja Slonecznik Klonowa 1 80-264 Gdansk tel (058)345-90-12 fax (058)345-90-13 e-mail: pomorskafundacja@op.pl ; biuropfsp@op.pl http://fundacja-slonecznik.pomorskie.pl/

The foundations objectives are:
to support of actions socially and economically useful as regards medical care, development of economy, science, education, culture and art, sport and leisure activities, social work and care, with special attention paid to helping ill-treated children, victims of violence, and the disabled
Organising and introducing different projects: promoting healthy lifestyle, preventing medicine and wide educational programmes at local, regional and national scale
Supporting and stimulating scientific research
Taking part in national and international programmes consisted with the aims of Foundation
Active gaining of subsidies from both national and EU funds
Supporting activities for the improving the position of different social groups on a job market
Supporting initiative and programmes encouraging development of the local democracy, society, and European integration
Organising an financing R&D programmes, conferences, seminars and meetings in the international and local area
Promotion of ecological activities

Women’s Health Center Bremen

Unfortunately no partner organization was found within the last months. During the conference in Gdansk I talked to different female participants and asked them to describe the situation for women in Gdansk regarding health matters, domestic violence and reproductive rights. My conclusion from those conversations is that there are no grass root women’s organizations in Gdansk, but there is a need for places where women who suffer from domestic violence or sexual abuse could get help and counseling. This is also true for women with unwanted pregnancies in a country where abortion is not allowed except in very rare cases. Most of the women I talked to thought that there might be political women’s organizations on a state level, but not in cities like Gdansk.
We are still willing to support women’s groups who want to set up projects for the need of women, because we all know that, for example, domestic violence is a big problem all over the world and illegal abortions still kill too many women.

Angelika Zollmann