Charna Furman facts for kids

Charna Furman (born 12 December 1941) is an architect from Uruguay. She is well-known for designing a special housing project. This project helped single mothers find affordable homes. Charna Furman was also held captive during the Uruguayan Dictatorship. Because of this, she now helps people who have lost their freedom. She also helped make a film about her experiences.

Early Life and Education

Jaie Charna Furman Naidich was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, on 12 December 1941. Her parents were Jaie Naidich and José Furman. She grew up in her grandparents' home. Her family followed traditional Jewish customs. Her father's family had moved to Uruguay to escape the The Holocaust.

In 1961, Charna began studying architecture at the University of the Republic. She became very active in student groups. These included the Center of Architecture Students (CEDA) and the Federation of University Students. She went to many international meetings. In 1968, she joined a Culture Commission. She was also part of a youth movement that believed in communism. She finished her studies and graduated in 1973.

Career and Community Work

Charna Furman started working at the university in 1968. She was a research assistant in the Climatology Department. In 1974, she lost her job because of her political activities. This happened after the 1973 Uruguayan coup d'état, when a military government took over. Even though she was not active in political groups anymore, she was still seen as a supporter of the left.

In October 1975, Charna and her husband were arrested. They were taken from their home in the middle of the night. Their children went to stay with Charna's mother. Charna was held captive from October 1975 to February 1980. For the first year, she faced harsh treatment because of her past political involvement. She was also treated badly because she was Jewish. She was moved to Punta de Rieles Prison and stayed there until she was released. At the time, Charna was a young mother with two children. Her son Alejandro was four, and her daughter Aiala was two and a half.

Designing Homes for Families

In 1985, Charna Furman returned to her job at the university. She worked on housing projects to help people in need. In 1989, a group of single mothers shared their problems finding safe homes. Charna then started planning a project called Mujeres Jefas de Familia. This means "Women as Head of Families," or MUJEFA for short.

The city supported this plan. It involved fixing up an old, empty building in the city center. This building would become a shared living space for twelve families. It took four years to get the legal papers for the property. In 1994, the women started cleaning the building. The construction was finished in May 1997. The large house kept its three common courtyards. The big rooms were divided into apartments for the families.

Charna Furman's MUJEFA project was very successful. It was a finalist for the 1995 World Habitat Prize. This award is given by a group in the United Kingdom. The project also won awards in Argentina and Dubai.

Leading Housing Initiatives

In 1992, Charna Furman joined the International Habitat Council's Women's Network. In 1994, she helped start the Housing Institute for Women (IVIM). She became the president of IVIM in 1996. That same year, she joined a United Nations group that looked at women's issues and poverty.

From 1997, Charna worked on several projects to improve neighborhoods. These projects were for the city government of Montevideo (IMM). She also worked with the Women's commission of the Federation of Housing Cooperatives (FECOVI) and IVIM. These projects included housing cooperatives like Covisfran and Olimar. They focused on creating spaces that met the needs of working women. This included things like childcare, safety, and small business programs.

In 2001, Charna Furman was chosen to join the Thematic Network of Gender Studies at the University of the Republic. Besides her city planning work, she taught classes for advanced students. These classes covered topics like designing homes for people with low incomes. She also taught about using new technologies and recycling for housing solutions. She wrote books and articles about urban housing. Some of her works include:

• Mujefa ya tiene casa (MUJEFA has home, 1996)
• Soluciones habitacionales para personas adultas mayores (Housing solutions for older adults, 1997)
• Políticas de vivienda y hábitat (Housing and habitat policies, 2000)
• Nuevas ecuaciones sociales (New social equations, 2007)

Charna Furman retired from the university in 2004. She then joined a group that studied how people resisted the dictatorship. From 2007, she also served on various neighborhood councils. In 2005, she helped create a documentary film called Memorias de Mujeres (Memories of Women). This film shared the stories of women who were held captive during the dictatorship.

See also

In Spanish: Charna Furman para niños