Composition of the IAW
Structure
An International Congress is held triennially the home country of a member organisation and is open to all members in good standing. Voting rights are allocated proportionately among affiliates, associates and individual members. Congress elects the executive, and allocates representative and other responsible positions.
Congress also hears reports from member organisations, and reviews the whole range of relevant UN activities of the preceding triennium.
A new or revised triennial Plan of Action establishes priorities which reflect developments at the UN, and our own organisational experiences.
Between Congresses, a Board Meeting and an International Meeting are held, each accompanied by a seminar. The last Triennial Congress was held in Boksburg, South Africa in 2010.
| IAW Composition | ||
| President Chief Representative to the United Nations |
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Lyda Verstegen Past President of Vrouwenbelangen in the Netherlands, chair of Appeals Commission for Personnel of the Ministry of Social Affairs. |
| Honorary President Convenor: Commission on Peace Chief Representative to the UN in Vienna |
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Rosy Weiss First Vice Chairperson of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women at the UN in Vienna, Austria, retired official of the Ministry for Social Security, Generations and Consumer Protection and the Ministry of the Environment. |
| Executive Vice President |  |
Bashan Rafique Chair of the All Pakistan Women’s Association, UK; Financial Planner and entrepreneur. |
| Executive Vice President |  |
Mapule Ncanywa General Manager for Consumer Goods Council of South Africa, Executive member of Mmabatho Foundation for Women’s Development. |
| Treasurer |  |
Thorbjörg Inga
Jónsdóttir Former President of the Icelandic Women’s Rights Association, Lecturer at Bifrost University, attorney at law in private practice. |
| Secretary General |  |
Lene Pind Past President of the Danish Women’s Society with a particular interest in the CEDAW, retired Principal of the Tornbjerg Gymnasium, Knight of Dannebrog. |
| Regional Vice President Europe; Representative to the European Women’s Lobby |
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Joanna Manganara Member of the Greek League of Women’s Rights. Member of the board of the Greek Council for Refugees and the Hellenic Committee for UNICEF Minister-Counselor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, organizer of seminars and conferences, writer. |
| Regional Vice President Arab Countries Representative to the Arab League |
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Horeya Megahed Member of the Hoda Charawi Association, Egypt. Dr. of Political Science with a career in academia at Cairo University, appointment to the Supreme Administrative Court of the State Council and author of numerous publications. |
| Regional Vice President Gulf States Representative to the Gulf Countries Council |
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Shaikha E. Al-Mezen Member of the Kuwaiti Women’s Union, Kuwait Nursing Association, Kuwait Red Crescent Association, Arab Network for Women; Director of the Institute of Nursing since 1989. |
| Regional Vice President South Asia | Asha Deshpande Treasurer of All India Women’s Conference, Secretary of the Durga Mahila Co-Op Credit Society, financial and banking professional. |
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| Chief Representative to UNESCO |  |
Monique Bouaziz French Vice President of Association des femmes de l’Europe Méridionale, member of the French Coordination of the European Women’s Lobby and ‘Dialogue between Cultures’ among other Committees. |
| Convenor: Environment and Sustainable Development Regional Coordinator Nordic & Baltic Countries Representative to the Nordic Council |
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Anki Elken Vice-President of the Fredrika Bremer Forbundet, KAM/ Public Affairs at Proffice AB. |
| Convenor: Commission on Human Rights, Justice and Good Governance |  |
Marion Böker Member of the Deutsche Frauenring, Owner of boeker-consult, Consultancy for Human Rights and Gender Issues. |
| Special Projects Officer |  |
Manorama Bawa Patron of the All India Women’s Conference, PhD in Community Resource Management, Member of the Governing Bodies of three Colleges at the University of Delhi. |
| Young Members Coordinator |  |
Daniela Reiter Owner of diereiter.at, success coaching for women. |
| Board Member | Sheila Deaves Retired teacher, advisor in multicultural education, advocate for Rights and Recovery Programs in Mental Health. |
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| Board member |  |
Louise Deumer Member of Vrouwenbelangen, owns ‘Agrarian Tours/ Discover Holland Tours’ specializing in agricultural sector, as well as in going and out going tourism. |
| Board Member | Kuljit Kaur Member of All India Women’s Conference, specializing in violence against women and sexual harassment in the work place at the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences, HUDCO, Delhi Commission for Women and National Commission for Women. |
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| Board Member |  |
Jessica Kehl-Lauff Past President of the Swiss Association for the Rights of Women (ADF/SVF), President of the Appenzell Red Cross, Judge of the Appellate Court of Appenzell Rh. Ext., and Member of the Municipal Council in Grub AR. |
| Board Member |  |
Susanne Riveles Peace Activist, specialist in and lecturer on African affairs. |
| Board Member |  |
Jocelynne Scutt Barrister and Human Rights Lawyer, Adjunct Professor University of New England and of Buckingham, former Anti-Discrimination Commissioner in Tasmania, author. |
| Board Member |  |
Janicke Solheim Vice-President Norsk Kvinnesaksforening, writer, lecturer. |
| Convenor: Commission on Health |  |
Gudrun Haupter Member of the Deutsche Frauenring, expert for projects in west Africa and retired professional translator. |
| Convenor: Commission on Elimination of Violence |  |
Mmabatho Ramagoshi Chairperson of the Mmabatho Foundation for Women’s Development, South Africa, originally a teacher, then a public administrator, now in the media. |
| Non Voting Members | ||
| Membership Officer and Representative of Individual Members |  |
Pat Richardson Member of the Women’s Electoral Lobby, Australia, award-winning Author, active in the Nambucca Valley Arts Council. [Sheila Deaves, alt.] |
| Regional Coordinator to the Mediterranean Chief Representative to the FAO |
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Bettina Corke Founder of Decade Media, documentary and experimental filmmaker, journalist. |
| Regional Coordinator Pacific |  |
Sheila Byard Researcher and Project Manager. Secretary of the League of Women Voters of Victoria, Convenor of the UN Association of Australia SOWN (Status of Women Network). |
| Chief Representative to the UN in New York |  |
Soon-YoungYoon Vice chair of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women/NY. Board Member of WEDO, the Global Advisory Council at the Harvard AIDS Initiative and International Foundation for Ewha Womans University. Consultant for the World Health Organization Tobacco Free Initiative. |
| Chief Representative to the UN in Geneva |  |
Hélène Sackstein Journalist, Activist in Human Rights, esp. Rights of the Child, Women’s Rights, Refugee Rights. Former executive secretary of the International Abolitionist Federation. |
| Representatives to the Council of Europe |  |
Anje Wiersinga Member of Vrouwenbelangen, Netherlands; Medical Doctor with rich and varied international experience. [Birgitta Wistrand & Monique Bouchet] |
| Regional Coordinator North America Website Content Manager |
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Alison Brown Past president of the Autonomous Women’s Center, Austria, former Sec. Gen of the IAW, former opera singer. |
| Editor: International Women’s News |  |
Priscilla Todd Member of the Women’s Electoral Lobby, Australia, Owner of Todd Secretariat, Order of Australia Medal. |
| Rédactrice: Nouvelles Feministes Internationales |  |
Mathilde Duval Degree in Public Administration Political Science, Lille. Inspector for medical and social issues. |
| Editor e-Newsletter |  |
Joke Sebus Member of Vrouwenbelangen Netherlands, former politician, adult education, webmaster, magic lanternist. |
| Older Women Coordinator |  |
Judith B. Gordon Member of the UN Team in New York, Lecturer in Psychiatry Yale University. |
Affiliates
A society is eligible for affiliate membership if it is a national organization which has local branches and admits members from all over the country; is a non-party organization, and has objectives which correspond with those of IAW.
| IAW Affiliates | ||
| AFEM (Association des femmes de l’Europe Méridionale) | France | www.afem-europa.org |
| All India Women’s Conference | India | www.aiwc.org.in/ |
| All Pakistan Women’s Association | Pakistan | www.apwapakistan.com www.theukapwa.com |
| Association Suisse pour les Droits de la Femme | Switzerland | www.feminism.ch |
| Bangladesh Mahila Samity | Bangladesh | www.banglapedia.org/httpdocs/HT/B_0213.htm |
| CILAF-LFDF | France | |
| Coterie of Social Workers | Trinidad & Tobago | |
| Country Women’s Association of India | India | |
| Dansk Kvinnesamfund | Denmark | www.kvindesamfund.dk |
| Deutscher Frauenring e.V | Germany | www.d-fr.de |
| Deutscher Staatsburgerinnen-Verband | Germany | www.staatsbuergerinnen.org |
| Fédération des Femmes Burkinabe | Burkina Faso | |
| Frauen Netzwerk für Frieden | Germany | www.frauennetzwerk-fuer-frieden.de |
| Frederika Bremer Forbundet | Sweden | www.fredrikabremer.se |
| Hoda Chawari Association | Egypt | |
| Israel Federation of WIZO | Israel | www.towizo.org/ |
| Kvenrettindafelag Islands | Iceland | www.krfi.is |
| League of Women Voters of Japan | Japan | |
| Ligue Hellénique pour le Droits des Femmes | Greece | www.leaguewomenrights.gr |
| Lithuanian Women’s Society | Lithuania | www.lmd.lt |
| Lucy Stone League | USA | |
| Mauritius Alliance of Women | Mauritius | |
| Nederlandse Vereniging voor Vrouwenbelangen | The Netherlands | www.vrouwenbelangen.nl/welkom.html |
| Norsk Kvinnesaksforening | Norway | www.kvinnesak.no |
| Pancyprian Movement Equal Rights & Equal Responsibilities | Cyprus | |
| Sri Lanka Women’s Conference | Sri Lanka | |
| Union of Kuwaiti Women’s Associations | Kuwait | |
| Unioni Naisasialiito Suomessa Ry | Finland | www.naisunioni.fi |
| Women’s Electoral Lobby | Australia | www.wel.org.au |
| Zambia Alliance of Women | Zambia | www.widnet.org.zm/partner_zaw.php |
Associates
A society is eligible for associate membership if it is a non-party organization; while not possessing the qualifications for affiliate membership is working for the equal status of men and women, and is considered suitable by the admissions committee.
| IAW Associates | ||
| Alliance of Women of Serbia | Serbia | |
| *ASODIFFEC (Action Sociale pour le Développement Intégral de la fille et de la femme congolaise) | Rép. Dém. Congo | www.spcm.org/asodifec.php |
| Association pour le Planning Familial et l’Epanouissement de la Femme (APFEF) | République du Mali | |
| Autonomes FRAUENzentrum | Austria | www.frauenzentrum.at |
| Bali Women’s Union of Farming Groups | Rep. of Cameroon | associate/bawufag.html |
| Croatian Alliance of Women IWAD | Croatia | |
| Egyptian Society for the Development of Local Communities | Egypt | |
| *FEPADE (Fédération de Femmes pour la Paix et le Développement) | Rép. Dém. Congo | |
| *Fercovimast (Femmes rurales contre la violence et les maladies sexuellement transmissibles) | Rép. Dém. Congo | |
| Fund for Women in Asia | USA | www.fundwomenasia.org |
| Josephine Butler Society | United Kingdom | www.jbs.webeden.co.uk/ |
| La Colombe | Togo | www.fongto.net/spip.php?article90 |
| League of Women Voters of Victoria | Australia | home.vicnet.net.au/~league |
| Metro Manila Council of Women Balikatan | Philippines | en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php? title=Metro_Manila_Council_of_ Women_Balikatan_Movement |
| Mmabatho Foundation Women’s Development | South Africa | |
| ONG-SAPHTA | Niger | |
| POWER (Platform of Women’s Empowerment and Rights) | Bangladesh | |
| Promo Femmes/Développement Solidarité | Burkina Faso | courantsdefemmes.free.fr/Assoces/ Burkina/PFDS/PFDS.html |
| Saroj Nalini Dutt Memorial Assoc. | India | sndmawomenwelfare.com/ |
| Slum Aid Project | Uganda | www.sap.or.ug |
| Sri Lanka Women’s Association UK | United Kingdom | |
| Union of Australian Women (Victoria) Inc. | Australia | home.vicnet.net.au/~uawvic |
| *Women’s Comfort Corner | Zimbabwe | |
| Women’s Rights Movement of the Philippines | Philippines | associate/wrmp.html |
| * Provisional member | ||
Individual Membership
The membership of IAW consists of affiliated and associated organisations and of individual members. In the same way as organisations, individual members are important to the Alliance both because of their contribution to the work and to the finances.
| Rights and duties of individual members | |
| Chapter 2, art. IV 2c: | Any person in sympathy with the Objectives and the
Mission of the IAW shall be eligible for Individual Membership. Board Members must become Individual Members upon election or appointment. |
| Chapter 2, art. IV 3: | Individual Members shall be admitted upon payment of the annual membership fee. |
| Chapter 2, art. V 2c: | Individual Members are entitled to receive the Call to Congress and, when present at Congress, all papers distributed and the subsequent Congress Report. |
| Chapter 2, art. V 2d: | ... and Individual Members are eligible to hold office in the IAW in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution. |
| Chapter 2, art. XVI: | Individual Members are entitled to full participation in Congress. |
| Chapter 2, art. XVII, 3: | Individual Members are entitled to one vote. |
| Chapter 2, art. XVII, 4: | Where an Individual Member also attends Congress in the capacity of a Delegate, her right to vote as an Individual Member shall not be affected |
In addition to having full membership rights (participation, vote, office), individual members receive the International Women’s News, the monthly Electronic Newsletter and have the opportunity of attending board meetings and other meetings in the Alliance. They may contribute information or articles to IAW publications, including writing for or commenting on the on-line blog. Last, but not least, by joining the IAW, one becomes a member of a larger women’s movement working for equal participation of women and men in all spheres of life.
Some individual members prefer to support the work of the IAW by paying their fees. To others, this is not enough. They wish to become more closely involved by bringing their knowledge and experience into the work. In such case, the thing to do is to contact the membership officer Pat Richardson (iaw.membership@womenalliance.org), or the national collector for their country.
| IAW National Collectors | ||
| Country | National collector | |
| Australia & New Zealand | Sheila Byard | cassia@vicnet.net.au |
| Denmark | Lene Pind | Lene.pind@galnet.dk |
| France | Monique Bouaziz | monique.bouaziz3@wanadoo.fr |
| Germany | Deutscher Frauenring | mail@d-fr.de |
| Greece | Terpsi Lambrinopoulou and Joanna Manganara | L.Women-rights@egreta.gr |
| Iceland | Inge Jonsdottir | thorbjorg@lagathing.is |
| India | Ashe Deshpande/Anita Wasan | aiwcctc@nda.vsnl.net.in |
| Italy | Bettina Corke | decademedia@mclink.it |
| Netherlands | Anje Wiersinga | anjew@hetnet.nl |
| Norway | Janicke Solheim | jsolhe@online.no |
| Sweden | Frederika Bremer Forbundet | kansli@fredrikabremer.se |
| Switzerland | Jessika Kehl-Lauff | ojekehl@bluewin.ch |
| UK | Ann Higginson | annhigginson@mac.com |
| USA | Alison Brown | arachnae@womenalliance.org |
If individual members pay their fees to the IAW Treasurer on an individual basis, most of the money will go to the banks. What a waste!
National collectors can mean a whole lot of difference to the economy of the Alliance and therefore they are of great importance. The basic duty for a national collector is to collect the fees of the individual members each year and transfer the money as a lump sum to one of the IAW bank accounts, at the same time notifying the IAW treasurer and the membership officer of the names of the members who have paid and those who have wished to give up their membership. Furthermore they may keep track of their addresses including email addresses and report to the membership officer and the e-newsletter whenever there is a change. In this way the individual members will get the newsletter and IWN.
They may also inform individual members of the work of the Alliance on a more personal level than what they get through the newsletter and IWN and try to involve them in IAW work on campaigns, in commissions or encourage them to attend Congress or an International Meeting.
In addition national collectors may promote the IAW whenever there is the opportunity for example, at meetings in the national organisations, among friends and in the media after one of our international meetings where we have adopted an important resolution or whatever the press would like to publish.
Membership fees as of 2010: €20 (Euro) – Donations above that amount are gratefully accepted.
