Inspiring Women February 2023

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A Club Inspires:
AWC Antwerp
Tharien van Eck – Chair of
the Target Program (Health,
2019-2022), Chair of the
Selection Committee for the
Target Program (Environment,
2023-2025), member of the
Global Issues Health and
Human Rights teams and
AWC Antwerp's FAWCO Rep –
introduces us to her city and
AWC Antwerp, one of four
clubs in FAWCO’s Region 4.
Celebrating 85 years at the Antwerp City Hall
Founded in 1928, at a time when there
were few American organizations in
the city, the American Women’s Club
of Antwerp was typical of its sister
organizations in other European capitals.
Membership was open to United States citizens
or non-American women married to Americans
and it offered opportunities for women to share
common interests, broaden outlooks, extend
knowledge, and provide community service.
The motto of the club is “May we never be hasty
in judgement and always generous.” In 1931,
the American Women’s Club of Antwerp was a
founding member of the Federation of American
Women’s Clubs in Europe (later called FAWCO)
formed by seven clubs: London, Antwerp, Paris,
Berlin, The Hague, Vienna, and Zurich.
Membership in the American
Women’s Club of Antwerp
fluctuated with global trends.
By 1935, the membership had
dropped from around 40 women
to just 23, most probably due to the departure
of Americans from Europe during the Great
Depression. Then, in 1939, World War II began,
and the club fell idle. Most American families
were evacuated from Antwerp in the fall of 1939,
but about ten years later the population began
to grow again.
What does your current membership look like?
We currently have almost 100 members from
numerous countries, a truly global organization.
Many of our members hold dual passports, due
to marriage or long-term residence in the EU/
Belgium. We have an active group of Belgian and
Dutch members who keep us well connected
with the local community. Many of these ladies
are former expats themselves, having returned
to Belgium or the Netherlands after postings
abroad. Also, in contrast to the wife/mother
expat of previous decades, many international
women who relocated to Antwerp are now
working full time. With social media, online
communities, and the ease of finding
The Brabo
Fountain is
located in the
Grote Markt of
52
Antwerp.
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