IrFUW In Action Internationally

GRADUATE WOMEN INTERNATIONAL (GWI)

Graduate Women International (GWI) is an international network of women graduates for change. GWI was founded in 1919 as the International Federation of University Women (IFUW) and is a worldwide organisation of women graduates. GWI advocates for women’s rights, equality and empowerment through access to quality education and training.

GWI’s vision is to see 100% of girls and women in the world achieving education beyond primary school.

There are national affiliates in 60 countries, including Ireland and individual members in more than 40 others. GWI is an international network of women graduates for change.

GWI aims to represent and advocate the views of graduate women in international for a, such as the UN; to enable graduate women to use their knowledge and expertise to affect change at all levels of society; to provide an interdisciplinary approach to issues and to promote cooperation, networking and understanding among graduate women.

UNIVERSITY WOMEN OF EUROPE (UWE)

IrFUW is a member of UWE (University Women of Europe).

The University Women of Europe promotes lifelong education for women and girls; promotes international cooperation, friendship, peace and respect for human rights for all. UWE do this by advocating for the advancement of the status of women and girls and encourage and enable women and girls to apply their knowledge and skills in leadership and decision making in all forms of public and private life. UWE is a regional group of IFUW.

http://uweboard.wordpress.com/about/

IrFUW’s link to UWE is through our Correspondent for European Relations (CER).

Contact details to be confirmed

IrFUW Supporting Internationally

  • Scholarships – for mature students

  • Pencils Project – ‘Pencils for Pakistan’

  • Support to Japan

  • Project 100 – linked with Rwandan Association of University Women

  • Virginia Gildersleeve, Bina Roy and Hegg Hoffet Fund

BINA ROY

The Bina Roy Partners in Development Programme (BRPID) supports projects empowering women and girls through education and leadership development. The Bina Roy Partners in Development Programme was created in 1978, first named the Counterpart Aid Programme, and renamed in memory of Dr Bina Roy (1914-1994), teacher and educational advisor from India. The Bina Roy Partners in Development Programme (BRPID) supports projects empowering women and girls through education and leadership development.

Dr Roy was the first Asian President of the International Federation of University Women. She believed that friendly and supportive links should be forged among IFUW affiliates to provide strong international solidarity, while encouraging and aiding the creation and implementation of projects.

To date, nearly 60% of GWI’s national federations and associations have participated in the programme, either as project sponsors or donor partners.

BRPID grants are awarded to IFUW National Federations and Associations (NFAs) from developing countries on a competitive basis. BRPID projects are made possible by donations from GWI members and supporters around the world. Contributions of all sizes are welcome.

The GWI Projects Committee closely monitors the selected projects and offers assistance with establishing evaluation frameworks. Part of the goal is to help strengthen NFA project capacity and increase their ability to obtain outside funding.

GWI (Formerly IFUW ) HEGG-HOFFET FUND For Displaced Women Graduates.

The Hegg-Hoffet Fund provides short term grants for women graduates who have had to seek refuge in another country due to war, natural disaster or political upheaval. The Fund will pay for a refresher course for re-entry into a woman’s professional field, a training course into another field of employment or a language course to assist with integration. The candidate must have recognised refugee status in her new country so that her position is secure.

The members of GWI not only provide funding in this way but can also act as supporters and mentors for women adjusting to a new life. This is particularly important given the many women who are having flee their countries at this time. For further information and donations see the website www.ifuw.org/what/hegg-hoffet/support

Christel Moor – October 2014

Convener – October 2014 – IFUW Hegg-Hoffet Fund Committee.

Grant Applications

Requests for funding should be submitted in English on the Fund’s official forms. These can be obtained by writing to:

Headquarters

10 rue du Lac
CH-1202 Geneva
Switzerland

Tel. +41 22 731 2380

Fax. +41 22 738 0440

VIRGINIA GUILDERSLEEVE

The Virginia Guildersleeve fund is a charitable and educational fund supporting projects worldwide focusing on women’s educational activities, leadership training, community development and the advancement of understanding and co-operation among women.

Eleven women established the fund in 1969 and named it for Virginia Guildersleeve, former dean of Barnard College and a member of the US delegation that drew up the United Nations organisational charter. Virginia was a co-founder and twice President of IFUW. (She was the only woman appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the US Delegation which established the UN, and the first woman in the US to sign a US treaty).

In 1997 the Guildersleeve achieved NGO status at the United Nations

Grant applications

Requests for funding must be submitted on the official forms which may be obtained by writing to:

The VGIF Grants Secretary, 3 West 29th Street, Suite #1002, New York NY 100001, USA.

Awards are made after the AGM in April and proposals must be received by 01 November of the preceding year.

Fundraising

Each Association should have reference to the work of VGIF available in their members’ information leaflets/brochures etc. A nominated person should be made responsible for collection for VGIF.

Ways of raising money for VGIF

  • The amount donated could be linked as a percentage of the yearly subscription to the Association.

  • Coffee mornings/lunches could be organised for members and friends

  • Collections could be taken up at Annual General Meetings and at the Triennial Conference.

  • Bequests could be made by members.

  • Money could be collected in memory of deceased members.

Payment of money to IrFUW Treasurer

Money collected by each Association should be forwarded to the Honorary Treasurer once per year towards the end of the IrFUW financial year to enable the Treasurer to forward an Irish total to VGIF Headquarters in New York.

Transfer of Irish Collection to New York

One transfer to US$ should be made each year to minimise the cost of the transaction. This could be immediately before the end of the financial year.

VGIF only accept payment in US Dollars either by banker’s draft, credit card, electronic bank transfer or payment to Just Give

Bankers Draft – Anyone over pensionable age can buy a banker’s draft at zero cost. (BOI) Otherwise a fee is charged.

Credit Card – There will be a charge either separate or built into the exchange rate.

Electronic Bank Transfer – This may incur charges both in Ireland and in USA depending on the banks involved. Again pensioners in Ireland are not charged a fee.

Just Give – This is used by numerous charities to collect their funds. They accept payment only by credit card and make a 4.7% deduction for their services.

Additional information is available on www.vgif.org