Swiss Exhibition Of Women's Work

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28661, 11 August 1958, Page 2

Swiss Exhibition Of Women's Work

ZURICH More than 1,500,000 Swiss housewives and career girls are showing the world their achievements in the home and in the office. Swiss women are giving a summer show of feminine success and enterprise on thte banks of Lake Zurich. They expect to see other women stream in, not only from European countries, but also from overseas. Posters and placards throughout this tiny republic are hammering one single word into the minds of the multi-lingual population—“Saffa.” Which stands for the initials of the Germanlanguage title ‘‘Schweizerische Aussterllung fur Frauenarbeit”— Swiss Exhibition of Women’s Work—but it has come to be accepted by everyone as having one meaning—the place of the woman in her country’s life. Second in 30 Years The first Saffa was held 30 years ago. This second one shows not only women’s work, but also their day-to-day life. An area on the outskirts of Zurich has been devoted to the exhibition and a small artificial island has been specially built for the occasion.

The designs for the site and its many pavilions and halls are the work of a woman, one of Switzerland’s foremost woman architects, Mrs Annemarie HubacherConstam. Having helped her husband td set up the Swiss displays at the international fairs of Brussels (1950) and Milan (1951). Mrs Hubacher-Constam has had plenty of experience in practical diffi-

(From a Reuter Correspondent)

culties to be sorted out in a large exhibition of this kind. Towering over the whole exhibition is a seven-floor steel tower which houses a city-plan-ning department as well as a number of ideal homes. There are all kinds of flats for visitors to inspect—flats for young couples, for students, for different size families, for old people and for single men or women living on their own. “Women and Money” A pavilion, called ‘‘Women and Money,” shows women, through whose hands two-thirds of the national income passes, in their capacity as bank customers, property owners, buyers of all kinds of articles and of course as housewives. Another pavilion, “Women in Public Life,” more or less speaks for itself. Information Is given on women’s organisations and women’s legal position i» the state. ■ The 600-sedt] Saffa theatre Is presenting a programme of plays, musical shows and dances specially composed and produced by women-for the occasion. There is also a chapel where religious services of all’denominations are held. The works; of women painters and sculptor® are displayed. Saffa has a “Children’s Fairy Land” which is really a two-part affair. Parents can leave their children here while they go elsewhere, knowing that the younger members of the family will be happy in the model playground. But fairy land also has a section to teach children how to take care of themselves in cities and towns where there is heavy traffic. *

Thousands of women throughout Switzerland helped to prepare for Saffa. Architects, designers, secretaries and journalists worked day and night. School girls sewed flags and many villages held 1 fundraising meetings.