History

LEFÖ-Gründerin Cristina Boidi
Maria Cristina Boidi, Mitbegründerin und langjährige Koordinatorin von LEFÖ

LEFÖ is an association by and for migrant women founded in 1985 by Latin American women living in exile in Austria. LEFÖ has made an exerted effort to respond to migrant women’s diversified and complex needs due to the migration movements over the past 25 years.  LEFÖ has been a pioneer in Austria in working with migrant women in sex work and with women affected by trafficking. Today, LEFÖ is still the only organization in Austria that provides a broad spectrum of counseling and support for migrant women and advocates for their rights.

More about the LEFÖ (pdf, 92 KB)

The high visibility of female migrants in Western Europe and of the exploitation arising from their living and working situations are consistently obscured within human and women’s rights contexts. Addressing this occlusion forms the basis for the work at LEFÖ.LEFÖ is based on the participation, empowerment and self-organization of migrant women.
LEFÖ has offered counseling, support and assistance to migrant women in Austria since 1985. LEFÖ provides support for legal, psychosocial and health issues, encourages the real integration of marginalized women and advocates for equal opportunities and participation for migrant women.


Why feminism is important to LEFÖ-Women: