Subscriber: Vervoorn, IHS Subscription Expires: 31-DEC-09 Information Centres as New Social Institutes, Moscow Russia Categories: Gender Equity and Equality: - gender roles and responsibilities -gender specific needs Level of Activity: National Ecosystem: Continental Summary Information Centre of the Independent Women's Forum (ICIWF) is a non-profit women's organization created in 1994. ICIWF is one of the very few organizations in Russia that successfully combines information and publishing of educational projects, supports regional and grassroots initiatives of women, develops partnership, promotes engendering urban, municipal and local policy, and involves women in local self-governance. ICIWF has a library and documentation centre that contains material on a variety of topics concerning women's movement, women's rights, violence against women, local policy, budget process, housing reform and local self-governance. A wide diversity of ICIWF activities transferred it from an information and resource centre to a new social institute for the empowerment of women and Habitat Agenda promotion. ICIWF held more than 35 international and inter-regional conferences and seminars. Recently, the main topic of the seminars became engendering urban and local policy, capacity building for sustainable partnership, among others. ICIWF issues weekly electronic survey editions of not less than 50Kb in text format and disseminates it via e-mail to more than 220 addresses. Monthly electronic bulletins are incorporated in a newsletter "Vestnichka ICIWF". Hard copies are distributed by post to those with no e-mail addresses. Besides, ICIWF publishes periodical "Vestnik of ICIWF". Currently, there are 20 editions on the different issues such as "No to Domestic Violence", "Urban Policy and the Status of Women", and others. Narrative SITUATION BEFORE THE INITIATIVE BEGAN Drastic changes in the political and economical life of the country lead to harsh consequences for women in the socio-political and economical spheres. Russian women were faced with unemployment, low salaries, shadow economies, domestic violence and women trafficking. The State Government
created National Machinery and adopted a National Plan for Action for Advancement of Women, but it doesn't function and has no state financial support. Women's organizations and social initiatives took the responsibility for solving women's problems. Independent Women's Movements started being established towards the end of the 80s and the beginning of 90s. The network of women's organizations - the Independent Women's Forum was founded in 1991. Initially, the members of this network were individuals, women's groups and organizations that needed information, organization and educational support. At present, this network is still developing and widening. Now the list of participants includes women's organizations, grassroots groups, local and regional authorities, selfgovernance committees, researchers and individuals interested in gender issues. ESTABLISHMENT OF PRIORITIES The network's role is to encourage information exchange and concerted actions by women's organizations establishing a firm position for women and their concerns with institutions. Emphasis is also placed on supporting regional women's initiatives as well as on installing training programmes. ICIWF was created in 1994 through the initiative of several women's organizations and was supposed to be the main resource centre in Russia and CIS countries. The mission of ICIWF is to promote: 1 the transformation of society, culture and economics on a non-discriminatory basis; 2 the advancement of women in transition countries. FORMULATION OF OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES ICIWF provides sustainable information exchange and regular consultations for women, women's organizations, gender researchers, grassroots, women in local communities and self-governance bodies. ICIWF supports the activities aimed at the empowerment of women and solving of women's every day problems. The goals of ICIWF are the following: - information exchange and coordination of common actions for visualization women's problems, - support of regional and grassroots initiatives of women, - create educational programmes for women, - to institutionalise women's movement. PROCESS For the implementation of these goals ICIWF initiated the creation of the Association of the Independent Women's Organizations (36 organizations from Russia and 3 countries from CIS). ICIWF is the responsible coordinator of this Association. In the framework of the Association activity a number of projects was implemented (for example, Network of Information and Educational Centre in 10 Cities was created, Women's Network (in 5 cities) for Habitat Agenda promotion was developed, and etc.). ICIWF was put in charge of coordinating and developing the infrastructure required to organise international conferences, workshops and seminars. This enables women's organizations in Russia to gain access to current discussions on women's issues and to participate in a mutual transfer of knowledge. The coordination centre is also responsible for presenting experiences of women's organizations in Russia at international conferences. In addition, the ICIWF provides analyses on women's issues and offers a library of translations of otherwise inaccessible international literature on such topics as 'Women's Rights', 'Violence Against Women', 'Sex Trafficking', 'Women's Health', 'Ecology', 'Children', 'Family', 'Housing Reform', 'Self-help', and others. At present, the Information Centre of the Independent Women's Forum is an organization with diversified functions. It incorporates the following activities: - gives consultations for women's NGOs, grassroots organizations, leaders of self-governance, researches and individuals;
- prepares analytical materials on women's position in society, implements monitoring of the State Bills; - collects the information about events in the women's movement in Russia, CIS and foreign countries, inform the members of the network about grant competitions; - translates different materials into Russian, - empowerment of women in local self-governance and neighbourhood communities; - holds conferences, seminars, lectures, round-tables for women's organizations, grassroots groups, representatives of local self-governance communities, and authority bodies. During 2000-2001 ICIWF held 10 inter-regional seminars in different Russian cities. The main topics were urban policy, partnership development, Habitat Agenda promotion and others. Since 1994 ICIWF has held more than 60 seminars, round tables, meetings, 35 of them are inter-regional ones (the total number of participants is more than 2500). Recently ICIWF identified new goals for its work: - involve women in local self-governance, - empowerment of women in local self-governance, - support of neighbourhood community development, - Habitat Agenda promotion to the Russian urban, municipal and local level, - partnership development, - engendering urban, municipal and local policy, - holistic approach in city problems solving. Wide diversity of ICIWF activities transferred it from information and resource centre to a new social institute for the empowerment of women and Habitat Agenda promotion to the urban, municipal and local levels. Recently ICIWF started to pay much attention to the women's participation in the housing reform and local self-governance. ICIWF tries to establish sustainable partnership. Cooperation with international women's networks such as Huairou Commission, GROOTS, Mother's centres promoted extension of issues discussed by women's organizations in Russia and CIS. Many new issues were added: - sustainable partnership, - mothers as new political actors, - engendering local policy, - holistic approach in urban governance, and others. RESULTS ACHIEVED A network of women's organizations (from Voronezh, Petrozavodsk, Chelyabinsk, Dubna, Tarussa, V.Novgorod, Saratov, Snezhinsk) was established for improving living conditions at the locality. In the framework of projects "Women and Local Policy", "Women in Urban Governance", "Engendering Urban and Local Policy" ICIWF holds seminars and training courses in these towns on housing reform, sustainable self-governance, and neighbourhood development. In these cities practical results were archived in the enumerated issues. For instance, in Petrozavodsk 13 neighbourhood communities were created, that joined for repairing their common space in social housing (municipal authorities cofinanced this activity on competitive basis), Association of Self-Governance in Saratov started to create mother's and gender centres at the locality (this activity was financed by the regional budget). Good partnership was established between local authorities and women's organizations in Chelyabinsk. Thus new educational programme for women leaders of self-governance committees was created. The same results were got in some other Russian cities. Since July 2001 up to now ICIWF has held 8 inter-regional seminars on local policy and women's agenda in different towns for partnership development. - "Establishing and Development of Local Self-Governance in Saratov and women involving in local
processes"(saratov, 1-3.07.01) - "Women's Role in Local Self-Governance Development. Experience of V. Novgorod" (6-8.08.01 V. Novgorod) - "Local Self-Governance. Models of Holistic Approach Development in Urban Governance" (Moscow, 17-19.09.01) - "Gender Mainstreaming in Urban and Regional Social Policy" (Chelyabinsk, 11-13.10.01) - "Engendering Local Policy and Local Self-Governance Development"(Petrozavodsk, 29.10-1.11.01) - "Engendering Local Policy and Self-Governance Bodies" (Snezhinsk, 5-7.12.01) - "Influence of the Women's Initiatives on Urban Policy. Reality and Perspective" (Dubna, 24-26 Jan, 2002) - "Possibilities of Women's Initiatives Influence on the Development of Tarussa District" (Tarussa, 22-24.02.2002) The total number of participants (at the recent seminars) was about 450 persons. Among them were representatives of municipal administration, deputies, leaders of committees of self-governance, leaders of neighbourhood communities, law enforcement bodies, women's NGOs, crisis centres, citizens. Participants of all the towns of the network took part at all of these seminars. The following topics were discussed: - de-monopolisation and restructurisation of urban structures, - local-self governance as an instrument for the development of civil society, - legal basis for the development of civil society, - gender mainstreaming in decision making at regional, municipal and regional level, - social partnership at the locality, - women's initiatives in local self-governance, - importance of partner relations, - women's safety, - Habitat Agenda in Russian environment, - engendering local and urban policy, and others Including Habitat Agenda in seminars for women made it possible to create unique seminar structure, that empowers women and created the "heart-to-heart" environment. SUSTAINABILITY Due to the established cooperation and partnership with Ministries (Ministry of Labour and Social Development, Ministry for Construction (Gosstroy), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Administration) ICIWF transfers information from the federal level to the local level and vice versa. It has an opportunity to transfer grassroots organizations' opinions and wishes to the federal level. ICIWF can represent grassroots points of view in Government, Ministries, and the State Duma. ICIWF has a vast documentation centre. There are materials about the events held by ICIWF and partner organizations, about the activity of ICIWF, members of the women's network, and various international organizations (Council of Europe, American Bar Association, National Democratic Institute, UNCHS, UN, and many others). The materials on different statistic, psychological, and social research were being collected for many years. Every day we have visitors who need the materials from our documentation centre and library. Among these visitors are researchers, scientists, students, post-graduate students, journalists, representatives of state bodies. The visitors of ICIWF are not only people from Moscow, but from Russia, CIS and foreign countries. It shows the importance and uniqueness of our work. To get the materials from the documentation centre and library of ICIWF it is not always necessary to visit the office in Moscow. By the requests (that can be done by e-mail, phone, fax and post) ICIWF can scan and sent the necessary materials by e-mail and post.
The documentational activity includes regular thematic folders updating and creation of the new ones. At present time there are more than 40 topical folders: "Violence", "Health", "Family", "Reproductive Rights" and so on. ICIWF issues weekly electronic survey editions (not less than 50Kb in text format) and disseminates it via e-mail to more than 220 addresses. Monthly electronic bulletins (weekly editions) are united in a newsletter "Vestnichka ICIWF" (curriculum 200 editions, 50 pages). Paper version is distributed by post to those, who has no e-mail. All the editions are available on the web-sites (www.owl.ru/win/infolist, www.owl.ru/win/org001 and www.owl.ru/eng/org001). Printed editions are also disseminated at the seminars and used as handouts. Such regular editions create sustainable information space for information exchange and peer learning. All the editions are collected in the office of ICIWF and placed in the Internet, making up an archive of Women's Movement in CIS countries. Besides ICIWF publishes periodical "Vestnik of ICIWF". Till present time there are 20 editions (curriculum 1000-2000 editions, 60-120 pages) on the different issues such as "No to Domestic Violence", "Urban Policy and the Status of Women", "Woman and Culture", "Women's Safety" and others. Adequate information supply is crucially important for the empowerment of the contemporary women's movement, partner relations development, and experience exchange. It is important for women's organizations of the vast Russian and the former USSR territories, and especially the remote areas to hear the like-minded women, to have an opportunity to write about their own activity, to communicate with old partners and develop new linkages. TRANSFERABILITY Not only the members of the network or the partners of ICIWF can get the materials but every one who really needs it. As the network spreads all over Russia and CIS, we dare to say that people from all Russian and CIS regions can get our information. ICIWF publishes materials in Russian and translates different materials into Russian such as UN materials, materials of the Council of Europe, foreign bills and reports. We continue updating the data base on women's organizations and personalities. Except for all above mentioned operations, the information activity includes permanent experience exchange, information services rendering and consultations both at office, and by email, regular reception and consultation of visitors. ICIWF took part in National Report "Condition of Russian Cities" preparing for the General Assembly Session "Istanbul+5". ICIWF was responsible for Gender Issues Chapter. November 21-22, 2001 (Moscow) an outstanding event took place in the civil society of Russia. It was the first time the President Administration together with big network NGOs held the Civil Forum. More than 4000 citizens of Russia (representatives of NGOs) took part in the work of this Forum. ICIWF was a member of the organizational committee of this event, organized the National Discussion on women's rights issues and held a round table "From Social Protection to Social Development. Key Dates 1.Forum NGO-95 (September, 1995, Huairou); 2.The Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995); 3.In December 1995 the interregional Association of the Independent Women's Organizations (AIWO)
was set up; 4.Participation in the Session of CWS UN in 1998, 1999, 2000; 5.Participation in UN GASS "Beijing+5" (2000) and "Instanbul+5" (2001). References 1.The information about ICIWF was included into the reference-book "Women's information services and networks: a global source book", published by International Information Centre and Archives for the Women's Movement (IIAV, the Netherlands) (page 101). 2.Catalogue of the information resources "Internet for Women - 911 Internet Web-pages" (Moscow 2000, page 27); 3.European DataBank Sustainable Development (http://www.sd-eudb.net) 4.Magazine Habitat Debates #3 (2000, volume. 6) 5.Manual "Resource Centers of Russia" (Siberian Center for Support of Social Initiatives, pages 62-63) 6.Manual "Women's NGOs of Russia and CIS countries" (Women's Information Network, Moscow, 1998, page 95) 7.Magazine "About ourselves" (ICIWF, Moscow, 1998, page 13) 8.ICIWF is included into the List of 472 Good and Best practices included in the Best Practices Database (2000); 9.Best Practices Newsletter#5 "Knowledge Transfer", Vienna, 4/2000, pages 13-1 Contact Elizaveta Bozhkova 121019, P.O. Box 230, Moscow, Russia. Tel/fax: 7 (095) 366-92-74; e-mail: iciwf@online.ru Type of Organization: Non-governmental organisation (NGO) Partners Agency for Social Information Elena Topoleva E-mail: asi@aha.ru Type of Organization: Non-governmental organisation (NGO) All National Fund A Bassargin E-mail: anf@online.ru Association of Self-Governed Territories A Dzhashitov E-mail: djashitov@fromru.com Financial Profile
Year Ford Foundation (US$) Soros Foundation (US$) Others (US$) 1997 150,000 0 20,000 1998 150,000 5,000 21,900 1999 100,000 0 15,000 2000 50,000 40,000 9,500 2001 0 26,000 0 Email questions or problems to help@bestpractices.org. Copyright 1996-2002 The Together Foundation and UNCHS. All Rights Reserved.