The 67th Session of the United Nations Commission on Status of Women (UNCSW 67)

Chennai, March 2023: Organised by Working Women’s Forum-Indian Cooperative Network for Women, (Chennai, H.Q.,)

The legendary Working Women’s Forum (WWF) (India) – Indian Cooperative Network for Women (ICNW) have been honoured & awarded to host the historical virtual parallel event globally for the third time on the 67th Session of the UN Commission on Status of Women (UNCSW) on 14th of March from Chennai H.Q., at 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm IST. This parallel even is entitled “Innovating Networks for Women’s Cooperative Leadership through Capacity Building – The International Network for Women in Cooperatives”.

Being in 27 years of consultative status with UN ECOSOC, WWF-ICNW proudly announces that, it is the only cooperative network globally to be chosen for the parallel event for the third time.

This parallel event will focus & discuss on networking of women in cooperatives to represent women in the higher echelons. This will also highlight key issues and challenges faced by women to be represented at the higher echelons and decision making levels in cooperatives. Cases from different regions of the world will highlight it through presentations/discussions.

The Working Women’s Forum (WWF) (India) – Indian Cooperative Network for Women (ICNW) is a social movement having reached 6,20,000 poor women members in 4 southern states of India (Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka
& Telangana), having provided around 5 billion US$ as small petty loans to informal sector poor women engaged in 285 occupations. Using financial inclusion as the key, organizing poor women workers through credit groups, continuous loaning, counseling training in empowerment/ gender awareness/ skills. WWF ICNW, is a role model for transformation of many other cooperatives of poor & vulnerable.

The ICNW developed a model within the context of SDGs, (1,2,3,4,5,9,13 &14), therefore poor women after availing loans, diversified business, trained as co-operators, become women leaders & contribute globally. As a result, many young women opted to work independently to take care of their families & business through financial assistance from WWF-ICNW, emerging as successful entrepreneurs. WWF ICNW have proved that if poor young women are provided financial assistance & training, they will not be poor any more.

Cooperatives have to play a vital role in combating the inequality and lack of women’s representation in cooperatives. Cooperatives can act as new mechanism’s (instrument) in transforming poor & vulnerable women to successful entrepreneurs & leaders.

Organizing women into cooperatives, enables to increase solidarity/economic security/entrepreneurial skill & contribution to social/physical wellbeing of their families/leadership in families/communities/workplace. The International Network for women in Cooperatives(INWC) (initiated by WWF-ICNW) provides glimmer of hope for international awareness on enforcement of conventions/restoring gender balance/gender networking in cooperatives and success of new age women-only cooperatives (trendsetters).

Highlights of the event:

The Key note address will be delivered by Ms. Simel Esim, Head, Cooperative Unit, International Labour Organisation, Geneva. The other speakers includes, Mr. Vivek rai, Deputy Director of the Civil Society Division, UN Women, N.Y, H.Q, Ms. Katrina Sarah Milne, Vice President, World Farmers Organization (WFO), Rome, Mr. Andreas Kappes, Secretary General, International Raiffeisen Union (IRU), Germany, Ms. Milagro Matus, Deputy Program Manager, Agricultural & Agro Industrial Development, The Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM Secretariat), Guyana, Ms. Ghada Ahmadein, Chairman, Regional Nile Network (10 Nile Basin countries), Egypt, Ms. Jennifer Phillips, Lead of InsuResilience Centre of Excellence on Gender Smart Solutions (Climate financing), Germany will kindly participate apart from other important unions/networks/civil society organisation worldwide. Dr. Nandini Azad, President, WWF-ICNW, will provide the opening remarks on the theme of the workshop. This will be followed by WWF/ICNW grassroots women leaders.