Visit our Facebook pageAs amended and adopted by the International Network of Liberal Women General Meeting in New York, 11th March 2023.
NAME
The International Network of Liberal Women (hereafter referred to as INLW).
ADDRESS
1 Whitehall Place, London SW 1A
2HD United Kingdom
DEFINITION
INLW is an association of women from countries world-wide who support the principles of liberalism and seek to help liberal women to play an active part in polities at local, national and international levels
INLW is a member of Liberal International which enables it to send delegates to Congress and representatives to the Liberal International Executive.
1. AIMS
1.1 To raise liberal women’s awareness of their political rights and responsibilities.
1.2 To expand the participation of liberal women in politics at local, national and international level, and within Liberal parties world-wide
1.3 To strengthen relationships and exchange information between liberal women world-wide
1.4 To encourage liberal women to promote the values of liberalism and the spread of liberal ideas world-wide
1.5 To encourage the empowerment of all women in all situations while participating actively within the framework of the United Nations as a member with special consultative status of ECOSOC.
2. MEMBERSHIP
2.1 Membership is open to all women and men of liberal parties, groups and organisations and to individual women and men who support INLW aims.
2.2 Membership is open to liberal parties, groups and organisations.
2.3 INLW also welcomes observers at its Genera! Meetings.
2.4 Only paying members have the right to vote.
2.5 The subscription rate for membership is recommended by the INLW Management Board and subject to review and approval at each General Meeting (Hereafter referred to as the GM).
2.6 Membership Application Forms are available at the GM and on request to the INLW Secretary General.
3.GENERAL MEETING
3.1 Decisions regarding INLW Constitution, conditions of membership, subscription rates, resolutions submitted to Liberal International, fund raising and programme of future work are taken by those members who are present at the General Meeting.
3.2 The GM also receives reviews from officers: President, Secretary General and Treasurer. The GM is held in conjunction with the Liberal International Congress.
3.3 INLW GM as also the LI Congress shall meet in alternate years no later than twenty-five months after the last GM/Congress
4. MANAGEMENT BOARD
4.1 In between the General Meetings, INLW business is conducted by aManagement Board comprising of at least: President, immediate Past President, Deputy President, Secretary General, Treasurer and several vice presidents and members (or vice secretary general/vice treasurer/members) up to a maximum of fifteen members.
4 2 Members of the management board are elected for the period until the end of the next LI Congress/INLW GM. They shall be eligible for re[1]election except that no member shall serve for more than three consecutive terms unless no other candidate shall be proposed for the office of that member. The procedure applies for the election and term of all members of the Board.
Each Board member can also be eligible for another office for a term of three times two years.
Members who want to be voted to the Management Board must have been a fully paid subscription Member for not less then 24 months.
4.3 The Management Board oversees implementation of INLW activities as agreed at the GM, receives and proposes resolutions for the forthcoming GM, LI Congress or other meetings and develops with the help of members proposals for future activities. 4.4 The Management Board may invite experts to join them temporarily as advisers.
4.5 The Management Board can receive advice from the consultative Committee, whose members are appointed by the Management Board to carry our reports and specific duties
5. FUNCTIONS OF OFFICERS
5.1 The President or in her absence the Deputy President, is responsible for running the GM and meetings of the Management Board, overseeing and initiating INLW activities in the interim between General Meeting and representing INLW at LI and elsewhere.
She delivers a report to the GM, which includes Management Board supported resolutions and proposals for future activities.
The immediate Past President, helps and advises the President especially and the Board in general on INLW issues seen the past experience that the Past President has.The Deputy President prepares to be the next President and in that way assists the President in future planning.
5.2 The Vice Presidents are responsible for running the GM and overseeing INLW activities in their regions in the temporary absence or incapacity of the President.
The Vice Presidents are instrumental in bringing regional matters on the agenda of INLW.
The Secretary General is responsible for the minutes of General Meetings and Management Board Meetings and general correspondence together with the President concerning INLW. Any Board member stands in for the Secretary General in the various tasks in case of short or longer absence or incapacity of the Secretary General and participates actively in other business of the Board.
5.3 The treasurer is responsible for maintaining INLW accounts. for banking INLW funds including correspondence with new subscriptions, for maintaining membership records and for presenting the accounts to the GM.
Any member of the Board stands in for the Treasurer in the various tasks in case of short or longer absence or incapacity and participates in other business of the Board
5.5 Responsibilities for productions of INLW materials and publications, are to be allocated between members of the Management Board
6. VOTING PROCEDURE
6.1 Voting on constitutional changes, resolutions and the subscription level is by a show of hands of those present at the GM, subject to a count in the absence of a clear outcome.
Voting for members of Management Board is by completion of a voting form by all lNLW members attending the GM. Candidate members must be a paying member for at least one year. Nominations for all offices are sought in advance of the GM and if possible are printed on the voting form. A candidate is deemed to be elected if she receives 50% plus one of the votes. lf there is no clear majority, the two candidates who have received the highest number of votes are subject to a second ballot.
7. INLW ACTIVITIES
In addition to holding a General Meeting the INLW may:
7.1 lnstall and run an INLW website and contribute articles to the International Liberal Magazine|
7.2 Prepare and present Statements and Resolutions at different relevant forums.
7 3 Set up ad hoc Working Parties to study issues and advise the membership and Liberal International on implications of policy.
7 4 Campaign worldwide, regionally and locally and within Liberal International, on issues of policy as agreed at the GM
8. GM ADMINISTRATION
8.1 The Management Board seeks to involve INLW members in the host country of the LI Congress to help in the organisation of the GM.
9. FUNDING
Funding for INLW central activities are raised by:
9.1 Membership subscriptions.
9.2 Ad hoc grants and appeals and fund raising activities.
9 3 Support, financial and in kind, from LI headquarters and national parties.
10. REGISTRATION AND DISMISSALS
10.1 Members may resign from INLW at any time by informing the Secretary General
10.2 Management Board members who wish to resign before the end of their term of office are required to give two months notice to permit finding new nominations for the next GM.
10.3 Management Board and ordinary members may be dismissed if found guilty of illegal activities or conduct detrimental to the promotion of INLW aims.
10.4 Dismissal may be recommended by the Management Board, who may decide on temporary suspensions, but dismissal is subject to agreement by members attending the GM.
11. DISSOLUTION
11.1 INLW may be dissolved on a resolution supported by two thirds of the members entitled to vote (2.4).
11.2 If it is unable to continue funding a basic level of activity
11.3 In the event of dissolution, any remaining funds revert to Liberal International general funds with a recommendation that they be used to assist Liberal International women members.
https://inlw.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-INLW-constitution-New-York-2023.pdf