Care for women is caring for the world

The main goal of ICW is to establish a network of women’s organizations that are willing to promote the role of women at the political, economic and social level.

ICW is celebrating this year its 125th Anniversary. It is the occasion to evaluate the progress of the status of women round the world. Indeed, progress is noticeable in women’s participation in politics and in their representation in Parliaments at local, regional and national levels. The struggle continues when it is about to improve women’s presence in economics, in the process of decision, in finance, in military and peace negotiation fields.

After 125 years of existence there is no place to rejoice in a world where the principle of Equality between women and men is still a matter of dispute.

Inequality leads to violence. At the Commission of Status of Women 57 more than 130 Nations agreed to combat violence against women. In this particularly field of violence the recent events in Africa, in India, in Egypt, in Tunisia and in Guatemala, violence, rapes, and assassinations have intensified and are due to the eruption of conflicts, social unrest and lack of good governance. Yet we can see that public opinion is more and more informed and indignation arouses around the world. Did the number of rapes increase? Probably not. However, the number of denouncements is growing. Tolerance against rape, which was for centuries considered as a usual practice due to the “male superiority”, is less and less accepted in societies. It is recent, even in developed countries, that the law defines rape in marriage as a criminal offense. Women in India, in Tunisia, in Egypt, little by little are becoming more conscious of their rights and claim loudly for them.

In this perspective ICW is helping women help themselves and its objective is to provide women of our affiliated National Councils with the opportunity to acquire self-consciousness, self-esteem and skills for a better empowerment.

There is no democracy without Gender Equality.

Cosima Schenk

ICW-CIF President 2012-2015