International Women's Development Agency

International Women's Development Agency Inc. (IWDA) is an Australian non-profit organisation that works to support women's rights in Asia and the Pacific.

International Women's Development Agency
AbbreviationIWDA
Formation1985
Founded atMelbourne, Australia
TypeNon-governmental organisation
Websitehttp://www.iwda.org.au

History

International Women’s Development Agency is a secular, non-profit agency, founded in 1985 and based in Melbourne. Its three founding members were: Ruth Pfanner, Wendy Poussard and Wendy Rose.[1] IWDA was formed to break down the barriers that prohibit the full equality of women in every country, but in particular in the Asia-Pacific region.[2] It adheres to the ten principles of the UN's Global Compact.[3] In 2000, the IWDA funded its 300th overseas project.[1] As of 2017, the organisation had worked with 194 partnership organisations in 36 countries.[1] In 2021, the organisation's total income was over 14 million Australian dollars.[4]

Initiatives

IWDA undertakes projects in partnership with women from the Asia-Pacific region.[5] These projects are devised and managed by women who live and work in the communities themselves, fostering practical and innovative responses to the most critical issues facing them.[5] IWDA focuses on three main areas of women's rights: civil and political participation, economic empowerment and sustainable livelihoods, and safety and security.[6] The IWDA supports individual deprivation measure research into poverty.

The project has partnerships in Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Myanmar and its borders, amongst others.[6] IWDA also works across research, policy & advocacy to advance women's rights.[6] Its work has expanded to include issues relating to LGBT communities.[4]

The Philippines

The IWDA's first overseas programme started in the Philippines in 1986, providing healthcare to women.[1]

Solomon Islands

In the Solomon Islands, the IWDA has partnered with Women’s Rights Action Movement in order to promote increased participation in political life, in particular at a provincial level, as well as working with WRAM to combat other aspects of discrimination against women in the country.[7]

References
  1. Melbourne, National Foundation for Australian Women and The University of. "International Women's Development Agency - Organisation - The Australian Women's Register". www.womenaustralia.info. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
  2. "WorldWideWomen | International Women's Development Agency (IWDA)". worldwidewomen.co. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
  3. "International Women's Development Agency | UN Global Compact". www.unglobalcompact.org. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
  4. "International Women's Development Agency (ACNC)". 2021.
  5. "International Women's Development Agency (IWDA) | Devex". www.devex.com. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
  6. NetSuite, Oracle. "International Women's Development Agency (IWDA) Furthers its Vision of a Gender Equal World with NetSuite OneWorld". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
  7. "Leadership for Rural and Urban Young Women - United Nations Partnerships for SDGs platform". sustainabledevelopment.un.org. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.