Danish painter wins Female Courage Award 2010

Earlier tonight Danish painter, Signe Anne Bjerre (b. 1974), received the Female Courage Award 2010 at Hotel Ascot in Copenhagen. It was the first time the award was given, and Signe Anne Bjerre received it because of her exceptional strength and courage to fulfill her dream of becoming an established artist despite her disease.

She is diagnosed with a highly aggressive version of schlerosis and has great difficulty walking. She does not sleep much and needs a lot of peace and quiet around her to cope with daily life. Yet she succeeds in being a school teacher, a mother of two small children, and a successful painter.

Shortly after her diagnose she produced the exhibition “Another Beautiful Day”, with dynamic compositions and an atmosphere of life and joy. The Female Courage Foundation found it a highly inspiring example of having the courage to love living – an example we can all learn from.

Congratulations!

Photo by Anette Damgaard.

From left: Creator of the award (a beautiful heart) Lina Murel Jardorf, award winner Signe Anne Bjerre, and founder of Female Courage Foundation Susan Binau.

THE FEMALE COURAGE AWARD 2010

Female Courage Exhibition in Copenhagen

An artist, a gallery, and a recently established foundation are behind a dynamic and inspiring exhibition titled “Female Courage” to the benefit of the women of the world. The opening takes place in Copenhagen on Saturday August 21, 2010 at Gallery Strandgalleriet.

Charity

The women of the world are in focus when three strong women open the exhibition Female Courage at Gallery Strandgalleriet in Copenhagen on Saturday. The artist Eva Joensen, Gallery Manager Line Frost Skjellerup, and founder of the Female Courage Foundation Susan Binau are the women behind the exhibition. The purpose? To raise money for the empowerment of women across the world.

“In the Female Courage Foundation we experience way too many examples of skilled women who find it difficult to unfold themselves and realize their dreams. They quite simply lack the faith in themselves. That is why we have a huge task in giving them the strength and courage to make a difference, so that they eventually can become role models for others,” says Susan Binau, the founder of the Female Courage Foundation.

Sowing a seed

Artist Eva Joensen’s life inspiring paintings are about exactly that, courage. Her specific universe is a constant expression of the spark of life, funny impressions, and a love to life and each other.

“Like the foundation I am interested in strengthening women’s self esteem and to let women follow their dreams, get balance, inner calm, strength, and faith in themselves. I hope that we by having this exhibition can make a difference together,” says Eva Joensen, who has also donated one of her life confirming paintings to the foundation.

Gallery Strandgalleriet is hosting the exhibition until September 11, 2010. The gallery is a modern, informal gallery with contemporary art of very high quality. Daily Manager of the gallery, Line Frost Skjellerup, is completely behind the initiative.

“We are happy to support the Female Courage Foundation. We are sure that we by taking part in this initiative will sow a seed, which hopefully will grow and make a difference in the lives of thousands of women in the future,” she says.

The opening of the exhibition takes place August 21 from 11 AM to 3 PM. Founder of the Female Courage Foundation, Susan Binau, will make the official opening. Opera singer Susanne Elmark and violinist Amalie Elmark will perform at the exhibition.

Photo: Strong women want to strengthen young role models across the world.
(From left: Eva Joensen, Line Frost Skjellerup, and Susan Binau)

Fact about the exhibition:

Title: Female Courage
Period: August 21. (opening) to September 11, 2010
Place: Strand-Galleriet – Ravnsborggade 5 – 2200 København N – Tlf. +45 2055 5807
Opening hours: Please refer to the website of the gallery: www.strand-galleriet.dk

Female Courage Foundation on Danish Television

Our founder, Susan Binau, and Team Leader, Marika Mortensen, appeared on Danish Television yesterday to tell the Danes about the Female Courage Foundation, its purpose, and the two major Female Courage Foundation charity events taking place in Copenhagen this week.

“We see way too many examples of women who are afraid to unfold their full potential and realize their dreams. The Female Courage Foundation is here to help these women get a second chance in life – just like I was given a second chance by surviving my cancer disease,” Susan Binau said.

Watch the broadcast here!

Free seminar, “Young women, career, and passion!”

- Are you a young woman aged 21-34?
- Would you love to join in at a seminar devoted to you and your personal growth?
- How would it be to highten your self esteem and get help to find your specific path and courage
to live life to the fullest?
In other words, would you like to know who you really are, and what you can do about it?

Female Courage Foundation is a foundation with the purpose of helping women
all over the world to grow, learn, and develop more self esteem and courage to reach the
point where they really love their life.

Do you want to join in? It is free! All we ask for is that you
devote your time for a few seminars and some homework.
We would love to see you, and besides your own benefit you will help us help others by making the
seminar even better on the basis of your experiences.

So, do you want the courage to change and to move on?
The seminar takes place at Sjælland, Hellerup.
Dates: the 3. and 9. and 23. of June, all evenings from 17.00 – 22.00.
Teachers of the seminar are, Lifecoach Ingrid Ann Watson known from “The young mothers dream” at Kanal 4, and Supercoach and Leader John Mejlgren.

Looking forward to seeing you.
Sign up:
Ingrid Ann Watson
iaw@foredragsforum.dk
www.Foredragsforum.dk
John Mejlgren
John@Mejlgren.dk
www.johnmejlgren.com

New website

We hereby present our new website – our new face towards the world.

We have done surveys among women for some time now and they all responded in the same way when it came to the website. They wanted it light and bright with more images and videos and less text.

Naturally we listen to our target group, and we have strived to find the subtle balance between the elements at our new website.

Soon you will see videos on it ranging from profile videos of the people involved in the foundation to a video based newsletter from our founder, Susan Binau.

Also, you will find a much more dynamic use of images to represent all of our activities in both Denmark and abroad.

The texts of the website will be shorter and to the point, and our blog will be updated more frequently.

All in all we are very proud of this new framework for the work we do, and we promise that this is only the mere beginning.

Love and courage,
the Female Courage Foundation team

The idea behind FCF

Female Courage Foundation® is a charity with a mission to make a difference for young women world wide – without regard to religion, education or income – by helping them to find The Secret DNA of Female Courage - giving them Courage to Move Forward and follow their heart’s passion.

This is accomplished by

• Free participation in our ”Female Courage Seminars”
• A yearly “Courage Award”
• Mentor Programs
• Scholarships to Educate Women in Need
• Creating a strong International Network of Courageous Women

This concept developed is very much needed all over the world – as there is a large disparity between women and men – especially on the business scene, where there is a severe lack of female leaders, board members and in other imperative positions in the community. In Denmark as an example, there are about 65% women with the higher education universities– but still only about 4% women represented at top leadership positions. When women finish their education it is important that they also are aware of their career goals and think of leadership roles. The business environment needs courageous women – and also more female managers in order to secure diversity to the benefit of their business.

Our mission is to create and give Courage & Drive to the women – by offering them

• Free workshop’s with tools to enhance their Self Esteem and Self Insight
• Tools to give them Courage and Strength to be able to accept the responsibility for their own lives, career and goals
• Seminars to teach them the art of Networking Professionally
• Insights to learn that it is possible to be feminine and loyal to their nature/sex – at the same time as being professionally focused and goal oriented
• Free mentoring programs by certified trainers and top leaders in society

The Founder has previously been the Co-Owner of Vfactor – a Danish company which educates female managers with leadership training in order to become more target oriented top managers. This company has proven the importance of helping women, at an early stage of their lives to create a well-established network, self-esteem and courage. They lack the courage and strength to take the last step upwards in society – to get the much needed influence in the community – and to be able to bridge the existing gap between sexes.

With that background, it is clear that when we educate young women, the bigger the chance of they have of success in continuing their education, attaining a chosen career path, etc. – thus making a difference in society and reaching their goals for the optimal life at the same time!

• More than 50% of small business owners in the US are Women
• A majority of Face Book users are women
• Women are becoming more and more educated
• The World is depending on “individual capitalism” – moving more towards: “Open – Random – Supportive” away from “Closed – Selective – Controlling” – which is the environment women excel within

We will work to bring the message to women that courage is one of their strongest assets!

If women are not invited to leadership positions, or take responsibility for it themselves, the world will continue missing out on half of the work force talents – and all their expensive (in many ways – both personal and economical) education will be wasted

We want to help women find “The Secret DNA of Female Courage” – to move forward, and become the missing and necessary part of the future world business scene and economy!

The Founder of Female Courage Foundation®

Susan Binau has 15 years of experience educating and training female leaders. The last 3 years she has been the co-owner of VFactor where they perform seminars. VFactor has renowned recognition as the only company in the Europe with the accredited certification of  ETCS points (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System).

Susan was born in Copenhagen in 1964, but has strong ties to America – as she lives in both countries, with her husband and four children.

In 2006 she was diagnosed with colon cancer – and after surviving the disease she has dedicated her life to give courage and hope to other women.

Her commentary:

“Three days after my diagnose I started writing a Goodbye Book to my children. If it was to be my destiny to die, I wanted to leave them a personal and permanent memory of me. After the operations and chemotherapy I realized that I had a chance to survive and I renamed the book to help other cancer struck families – and donated all the income from it to charity.”

Since overcoming her battle with cancer,  Susan has published four books – on Female Courage, Networking and other subjects close to her heart.

Many years of professional networking have provided Susan lasting influential relationships that will help to spread the work of FCF to all corners of the world.

“Only by taking responsibility for our own lives & follow our dreams – can we as women be truly happy”

Susan Binau – Founder of Female Courage Foundation®