Formation | Berlin, 3 June 1904 |
---|---|
Founder | Carrie Chapman Catt |
Type | INGO |
Purpose | Political advocacy |
Headquarters | Geneva |
Membership
|
Over 50 organizations world-wide |
Official language
|
English and French |
President
|
Joanna Manganara |
Secretary-General
|
Mmabatho Ramagoshi |
Affiliations | General Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, Participatory Status with the Council of Europe |
Website | womenalliance |
The International Alliance of Women (IAW; French: Alliance Internationale des Femmes, AIF) is an international non-governmental organization that works to promote women's human rights around the world, focusing particularly on empowerment of women and development issues and more broadly on gender equality. The basic principle of the IAW is that the full and equal enjoyment of human rights is due to all women and girls. It is one of the oldest, largest and most influential organizations in its field. The organization was founded in 1904 in Berlin by Carrie Chapman Catt, Susan B. Anthony, Millicent Fawcett and other leading feminists to campaign for women's suffrage. Originally named the International Woman Suffrage Alliance (IWSA) and headquartered in London, it was the preeminent international women's suffrage organization. Its emphasis has since shifted to a broad human rights focus. Today it represents over 50 organizations world-wide comprising several hundred thousand members, and has its seat in Geneva.
From 1926, the organization had strong ties to the League of Nations. Since 1947, the IAW has had general consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, the highest UN status possible for a non-governmental organization, the 4th organization to be granted this status. The IAW also has participatory status with the Council of Europe. It has representatives at the UN headquarters in New York, the UN office in Geneva, the UN office in Vienna, UNESCO in Paris, the Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome and the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. It also has representatives to the Arab League in Cairo and the Gulf Countries Council in Riyadh, and is an influential member of the European Women's Lobby in Brussels. Its President and Chief Representative to the United Nations is Joanna Manganara. Its current main UN representative in New York Soon-Young Yoon is also chair of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women, New York and First Vice-President of the Conference of NGOs. IAW's official working languages are English and French.