Women in Parliaments
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| Motto | The Spirit of Women in Parliaments: Advancing Society |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2013 |
| Type | Non-profit foundation |
| Headquarters | St. Gallen, Switzerland |
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Region served
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International Network |
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Founder
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Silvana Koch-Mehrin |
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CEO
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Rick Zednik |
| Website | http://www.womeninparliaments.org |
The Women in Parliaments Global Forum (WIP) is the global network of female Parliamentarians at national level, including the European Parliament, of whom there are currently around 9000. WIP provides a platform for the exchange of ideas, experiences and best practices between female political leaders.
WIP is an independent, international, charitable and post-partisan foundation established with the purpose of advancing society by building a network between women in Parliaments. The foundation is based in St. Gallen, Switzerland.
In 2013, Silvana Koch-Mehrin, former Vice-President of the European Parliament (2009-2011) and Member of the European Parliament (2004-2014), founded and chaired the Women in Parliaments Global Forum (WIP). The WIP Executive Board is chaired by Hanna Birna Kristjansdottir, former Minister of Interior of Iceland, Mayor of Reykjavík, and President of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Parliament of Iceland. Women are a small minority in politics. Today, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, almost 80% of parliamentary seats are held by men. In total, globally around 9,000 women are members of national Parliaments. WIP was created with the mission of advancing society by increasing the number and influence of women in political leadership.
WIP consists of Members of Parliaments at national levels, including Members of the European Parliament. Organs of WIP are the Advisory Board, the Administrative Board, the Executive Board and the network of WIP Ambassadors. WIP is also supported by a variety of non-governmental organizations, foundations, institutions and other civil society actors, which are valuable contributions to WIP’s mission.
WIP carries out a broad variety of work to promote women’s political participation. This includes hosting global and regional summits, conducting academic research and promoting female leadership with advocacy campaigns. WIP’s work is not focused on classical gender policies.
Female Parliamentarians from around the world convene at the WIP Summits. WIP Summits offer an opportunity for participants to take part in political dialogue that reflect perspectives in many policy areas of today’s female decision-makers.
On the occasion of 120-year anniversary of the first time women were allowed to vote (in New Zealand), the inaugural Summit took place in Brussels at the European Parliament where around 400 Members of Parliament attended representing 100 countries. Keynote speakers included Portia Simpson-Miller, Prime Minister of Jamaica (2012-2016), Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia and Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, Prime Minister of Iceland (2009-2013).
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