WOMEN´S INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FEDERATION

STATUTES  WITH  MODIFICATIONS.

The Women’s International Democratic Federation (WIDF), founded December 1^st, 1945, is an international women’s non-governmental organization, which gathers women’s and feminist organizations  worldwide, with the  objective of developing common actions, without distinction of nationalities, religious affiliation, ethnicity and political opinions, to:

• Conquer and attain equal rights and possibilities of women, eliminating all forms of discrimination in all spheres of the economic, political, cultural, social life and within the family.

• Struggle against all forms of violence against the woman, within the family and in society. Enhance her condition, make her aware of the cause of her problems, and help her to intervene for the betterment of her situation.

• Defend the rights of children.

• Struggle for peace, democracy, social justice, liberty, self-determination, national independence, sovereignty, and disarmament.

• Defend a world free of atomic weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.

• In solidarity, give support to all women and all human begins which are victims of oppression, racial discrimination, and to all those which suffer foreign occupation and domination.

• Demand economic, social, political and cultural development of women, their participation in levels of decision making, because this contributes to social justice, democracy and the defense of their rights.

• Promote the protection of the environment.

• To attain these objectives, WIDF:

• ·Calls for mutual understanding, solidarity and cooperation among women and their organizations at the regional, national and international level.

• Promotes the exchanges of experiences and information, with and among its members, and coordinates its activities at different levels.

• ·Cooperates with international and regional governmental and nongovernmental instances which work to attain the same objectives.

• Calls upon the attention of governments, the United Nations and global public opinion concerning problems linked to women’s promotion.

• Promotes the development of different national, regional and international organizations which work to promote women’s interest.

• Supports the principles of the UN Charter and the application of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, as well as compromises and strategies adopted in international conferences on women, works together with the United Nations, its Committees and specialized agencies.

• Supports the Convention on the Rights of the Child and takes action for its application jointly with the United Nations, its commissions and specialized agencies.

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WIDF is a non profit organization which works exclusively in public interest. Its financial resources are only destined to the attainment of the objectives formulated in its statutes.

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AFFILIATION

 1)     WIDF is open to all organizations and groups which, while subscribing for membership, accept its objectives and intentions.

2)     All organizations and women’s associations and/or national coordinating organization of diverse organizations and/or groups of women, in a given country, can be members of WIDF.

 3)      WIDF member organizations are autonomous and organize pertinent activities according to the needs and conditions of their respective countries. At the national level, they work in collaboration with other organizations and non governmental   networks, to promote WIDF´s objectives.

 4)     Each member organization has the right to:

• Participate in decision making pertaining to the objectives and activities of WIDF;

• Elect the bodies of WIDF and to be elected to them;

• Suspend its membership or disaffiliate itself.

5)     All member organization commits itself to:

• Respect the statutes of WIDF and actively contribute to the development of its objectives;

• Pay its membership fees and comply with other obligations established by the Congress.

6) Any organization, association, national or local women’s group, or personalities, which wish to collaborate with WIDF, or to support any of its objectives, can be an associate member. They have the right to participate in the events and activities of WIDF, but not to vote nor be elected within the bodies of WIDF. They are not obliged to pay a membership fee, but voluntary contributions are welcomed.
 

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ADMISSION, SUSPENSION AND DISAFFILIATION

1)     Membership request to WIDF should be presented with information concerning the activities of the organization developed during the previous year, with an annex of the program and statutes, which should coincide with those of WIDF. The request for membership should be presented, in writing, to the regional centers. The decision will be taken at the Steering Committee level, upon ratification by the Congress.

2)     Affiliation to WIDF is compatible with membership to other regional, national or international organizations.

 3)     The member organization can become disaffiliated if:

• It violates the statutes of WIDF;

• If it wishes to interrupt its membership;

• If it ceases to exist.

4) Before the decision to disaffiliate is taken, the member organization can be suspended – upon the proposal of its Steering Committee – until the reasons for its non-compliance to its obligations are clarified.

4)     The suspension or disaffiliation of a member organization is decided by the Congress.

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WIDF BODIES

1)     The bodies of WIDF are:

• The Congress

• The Steering Committee

2)     The Congress is the supreme body of WIDF

3)     The Congress:

• Elaborates WIDF policy and assesses its activities stemming from its last Congress.

• Adopts future guidelines of work;

• Approves the statutes

• Approves the internal rules and supplementary resolutions;

• Elects the leading bodies;

• Approves WIDF´s financial report and budget and decides on the use of its assets and financial  resources;

• Ratifies the decisions of the Steering Committee concerning the new members, and the suspensions and disaffiliation of member organizations;

• Sets the amount of the membership fee.

4)     The Congress meets at least once every four years and its realization is considered valid, with the attendance of the simple majority of the member organizations. It can be convoked beforehand, upon request of the two thirds of the member organizations.

 5)     The decisions of the Congress are adopted by consensus or by vote of the simple majority of its delegates. Each member organization has a vote.

 6)     Invitations can be made to non members to attend the Congress, as observers, upon previous agreement of the Steering bodies.

The Steering Committee

It proposes candidates, which represent member organizations, to leadership positions.

• It is comprised by the Chairperson, Five Vice-chairpersons that represent organizations and up to 9 members of each region, which should reflect certain diversity (geographic, generational, vulnerable populations, the role of the associations, its interventions, and its sensitivity). It is the leading body of WIDF between two Congresses.

• The priority of work of WIDF and the issues it needs to address, in the next coming four years could, be defined by the creation of departments and working commissions at the Steering Committee level, led by its own members.

• The Steering Committee meeting is held twice a year, and its realization will be considered valid with the attendance of the simple majority of its members. If necessary, extraordinary sessions can be conveyed, respecting always that at least should be held one meeting a year.

• Chairperson, Vice-chairpersons, and Coordinators of the Regional Offices will meet at least twice a year, with the objective to guarantee continuity  of the work, and a more collective and wide direction.

• The Steering Committee will designate the representatives of WIDF at the international entities. If they are not members, they can attend the Steering Committee meetings, in which these issues are analyzed, if so decided by this body.

• The Steering Committee designates the Finance Commission, assesses the financial reports and appoints the qualified accountant.

• The Steering Committee determines the place, date and the agenda of the next WIDF Congress.

• The Steering Committee prepares the issues pertaining to the statutes, finance and organization of the Congress.

• The Steering Committee accepts provisionally new admissions of member organizations and, likewise, the cases of suspensions and disaffiliations of member organizations, which should be ratified by the Congress. 

• All the decisions of the Steering Committee are adopted upon consensus or by the favorable vote of the simple majority of its members.

• The Steering Committee can invite, if necessary,    personalities and experts to participate in its work on specific issues.

The Chairperson

• Is elected by the Congress. Can only be reelected once.

NOTA: It is eliminated the exceptionality that existed before, of the third mandate.

• Is responsible for promoting the actions, orientations, and resolutions of WIDF, defined by the Congress.

• Is responsible for gearing the work of the Steering Committee, in close links with the Vice-chairpersons. It coordinates the Steering Committee and cares for the performance of its members and Regional Offices.

• Controls the developments pertaining to the financial resources of WIDF, jointly with the Finance Commission.

• Represents the Federation, mainly before international entities. In case the President can’t finish her mandate, the Steering Committee names one of the Vice-Presidents, as President, until the celebration of the following Congress.

The Vice-Chairpersons of WIDF:

A number of until 5 organizations are elected by the Congress of  a WIDF as Vice-Presidents, to guarantee an adequate regional representation. They can be re-elected only once.

They are in charge of specific tasks given to them by the Chairperson, and work in collaboration with her to promote WIDF´s guidelines.

They collaborate with the Chairperson to attain the development of the Steering Committee’s resolutions, by its members and regional offices.

 In the absence of the Chairperson, one of the Vice-Chairpersons will take her place.

If one of the Vice-Chairpersons can not culminate her mandate, the Steering Committee names, if necessary, a new Vice-Chairperson for the period, until the realization of the following Congress.  

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REGIONAL STRUCTURE

 The Regional Offices develop an important work of direct coordination of the national organizations of each region. They promote its activity; take all the initiatives to find the best solutions to the obstacles faced. If necessary, due to the geographic dimension of the region, sub-regional branches can be formed. Links between all the Regional Offices and WIDF´s headquarters has to be established.

In coherence with the orientations of WIDF, each region adopts resolutions concerning the specific problems of the region, for the betterment of the condition of women and children.

Each Regional Office elects its coordinator, the person responsible for the finance, the attention to membership requests and to carry out follow-up work in reference to the existence of the associations, and can count with persons for other responsibilities needed.

 The Regional Offices present their reports, concerning their programs and activities, to the Steering Committee.  
 

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FINANCE

The resources of WIDF come from:

• The membership fees, and other contributions of the member organizations and contributions of the associates;

• The minimum membership fee is redefined in each Congress;

• From incomes of finance campaigns, and from other financial activities organized by WIDF, or on its behalf, by member organizations and associations;

• From donations,

• From subventions from national and international bodies.

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INFORMATIONS AND COMMUNICATION

Every three months, the Regional Offices send information of its activities to WIDF´s Headquarter, which, in turn, will pass it on to the other Regional Offices.
 

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DISSOLUTION

WIDF can not be dissolved, except upon a resolution of the Congress, approved by two thirds of its member organizations. Six months prior to the Congress, the Steering Committee convokes an arrangement meeting on this issue. If WIDF is dissolved, its assets will be used for social purposes.

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CHANGES IN THE STATUTES

Every change, amendment, addendum to the statutes, should be presented to the Steering body, two months prior to the holding of the Congress. The amendments proposed should be sent to organizations a month before the Congress.
 

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APPLICATION

The statutes of WIDF will come into force upon approval by the simple majority of the participants to the Congress, with voting rights.

 The current statutes are in force stemming from the 13th of April, 2007. Its base is comprised by the ones adopted at the 11^th Congress of the Women’s International Democratic Federation and the amendments introduced in Beirut, on December, 2002.