MISSION, GOALS AND OPERATION OF THE NETWORK

The mission of the Metropolis International Women’s Network, introduced in Berlin in 2005, is to create an international exchange and cooperation space for women who hold a political position either by election or appointment and female executives, directors and individuals operating in the local and metropolitan environment. Its main goals are to improve female representation in local government and decision-making processes with local and metropolitan authorities and to facilitate the dissemination of experiences and good practices related with good governance.

The Network is managed by a president, Francine Senécal, a councillor with the City of Montreal. Montreal is the seat of the Network’s World Secretariat, under the coordination of Rita Rachele Dandavino.

The specific nature of the Network lies in its regional sections which constitute essential links for the dissemination of information and the coordination of activities and initiatives. The different sections are located in Abidjan, Amman, Athens, Bamako, Bangui, Barcelona, Brussels, Dakar, Estado de México, Mashhad, Pune and Seoul. Other regional sections shall be added in line with member interests. The main functions of the sections are to publicize information about the Network, to start up and coordinate activities intended for developing a better understanding of local problems and to get women involved in local and city governments.

The Office of the President and the Network Secretariat shall ensure the application of the 2009-2011 Action Plan, which comprises the following elements:

Development of the Network

The Network Secretariat shall promote the development of the regional sections and support them in organizing their activities and associations to take local peculiarities like language, culture, etc. into account; attract more active women in the cities in their regions, and raise the quota of Network women members. Two Metropolis member cities have been proposed to become regional sections of the Network, i.e., the Brussels Capital City region (Belgium) and Seoul (South Korea).

Development of the website

Because international communications are done over the Internet, it is important to continually update the Network’s lists and databank. The Network’s website is under construction and its start-up is anticipated for the year 2009.

Organization of international women’s forums

The Network shall host two international forums. Bearing the international calendar and Metropolis’s own commitments in mind, they are scheduled to be held in 2009 and 2011. The forums shall be organized in conjunction with cities, the regional sections and international organizations. The Network has received proposals for organizing forums and they shall be discussed in Sydney.

Participation in similar international organizations and events

The Network’s ever-increasing recognition has come about through its representatives’ participation in similarly-themed international events and organizations, such as the 4th World Urban Forum. Its visibility and influence are one way of attracting more members to Metropolis and its related activities.

Training

The Network shall organize training activities in collaboration with the Metropolis International Training Institute and other international organizations. Training sessions shall respond to the specific needs of Network members and the challenges facing women in cities. Depending on the issue concerned, sessions shall be open to both men and women, or shall address women’s requirements specifically. The Network intends to organize two sessions per year and to continue to encourage its members to take part in the general Metropolis training program.

Cooperation

Collaboration with international organizations dedicated to similar or complementary issues (e.g., UN-Habitat, UCLG, etc.) is essential for optimizing resources and making a bigger impact on matters related to women in cities. Cooperation with the UN-Habitat ‘gender’ programs is currently being discussed.

Partenariat

Il existe également des domaines stratégiques qui n’ont pas encore été abordés et qui seront intégrés prochainement, une fois que l’AIU aura trouvé des villes sponsors, des entreprises partenaires et un soutien financier.

Financing

The Network shall investigate financing methods that enable it to complement contributions from Metropolis. This search shall include international and Spanish organizations as well as private foundations.