About Us
The global voice of Anglican women
Mandate
Report women’s concerns to the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC)
Reporting process
Women and women’s organisations report to the IAWN Provincial Link woman in her Province. The report is sent to the IAWN Steering Group which sends a summary report to the ACC. Reports are available on the web.
Purpose
To enable and empower all women of the Anglican Communion to work cooperatively at national, provincial and communion-wide levels to strengthen the ministries of women in God’s world and to ensure women are influential and equal participants throughout the entire Anglican Communion.
Specific goal
Women participating equally with men in the Church.
ACC concurs with our goal
In 2005, ACC passed Resolution ACC 13-31 which states, in part, ACC “acknowledges the Millennium Development Goal for equal representation of women in decision making at all levels, and so requests … all members churches to work towards the realisation of this goal in their own structures of governance.”
Role
Advocate for women and women’s concerns in the church; promote equal participation of women in decision making throughout the church; facilitate networking among women and women’s organisations within the church and beyond, especially in responding to women’s needs and issues.
Current task
The Joint Standing Committee of ACC, in 2007, asked IAWN to ensure that the study of the place and role of women in the structures of the Anglican Communion, called for in the resolution, be carried out. IAWN have begun to gather statistics of women in decision-making roles; information thus far obtained is available in the IAWN document, “Progress report on the implementation of resolution ACC 13-31.”
How we work
The Steering Group communicates primarily by e-mail, conference calls and meetings when possible. Provincial Link women communicate by e-mail with the Steering Group, and locally with their constituency as appropriate. Information is posted on the websites:
www.iawn.org
Contact us at
IAWN – way forward, 2009–2012
- At its meeting in February 2009, the Steering Group and Provincial Links identified the following issues as key action plans for the next triennium:
- Elimination of all forms of violence against women and children, especially trafficking.
- Elimination of extreme poverty, by ensuring access to health care, safe water, and employment opportunities.
- Promotion of gender equality throughout the Anglican Communion.
- Combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.
- Promotion of gender budgeting, which is a key to all of the above.
AWN Steering Group 2012 to 2015
Ann Skamp, Anglican Church of Australia, Coordinator
Elenor Lawrence, Church in the Province of the West Indies, Secretary
Elaine Cameron, Scottish Episcopal Church, Communications
Margaret Dempster, Anglican Church of Canada, Treasurer
Meenakshi Das, Church of North India
Pumla Titus, Anglican Church of Southern Africa
Claudette Kigeme, Anglican Church of Burundi
Kim Robey, The Episcopal Church
IAWN was formed in November 1996 following a consultation convened by the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) and funded by the Mothers' Union and the United Thank Offering of the Episcopal Church Women of the Episcopal Church of the United States. Women from 14 of the (then) 32 Provinces of the Anglican Communion met in London and agreed that an international Anglican Women's Network be formed. Its mandate was to report the work of women, and the challenges that women face, to the ACC. An International Coordinator would gather information and write reports as requested.
In 2006, while in New York, NY, USA, to be the Anglican Communionl delegation to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, 63 women from all 38 Provinces met and elected the IAWN Steering Group for 2006 – 2009. This new structure replaced the original one formed in 1996. A new steering group was elected electronically in May 2012.
The Coordinators have been:
- November 1996 to April 1997 Elizabeth Appleby, The Anglican Church of Australia
- May 1997 to May 2003 Liz Barnes, The Church of the Province of Southern Africa
- June 2003 to March 2006 Alice Medcof, The Anglican Church of Canada
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April 2006 to April 2012 Priscilla Julie, The Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean
IAWN Mission Statement
Our Mandate
The mandate of the International Anglican Women’s Network (IAWN), as an official network of the Anglican Communion, is to report to the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) on women’s concerns. It serves as the global voice of Anglican women and links Anglican women around the globe.
Our Vision
To be a bold and prophetic voice for Anglican women throughout the Anglican Communion and in the wider world.
Our Purpose
To enable and empower all women of the Anglican Communion to work cooperatively at national, provincial and communion-wide levels to strengthen the ministries of women in God’s world and to ensure women are influential and equal participants throughout the entire Anglican Communion.
Our Objectives
- To uphold and live out God’s mission for the Anglican Communion as expressed by the ACC in the Five Marks of Mission: to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom; to teach, baptize and nurture new believers; to respond to human need by loving service; to seek to transform unjust structures of society; to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth. We will do this with respect to the full participation of women, as well as women’s rights and needs.
- To bring to the Anglican Consultative Council the perspectives of women and to raise issues that affect women and to communicate to women across the Communion news from their sisters; IAWN reports to the ACC will include reports from the provincial links and from multi-provincial organizations, including Mothers’ Union, Girl Friendly Society, etc.
- To work with the Anglican Observer at the United Nations and implement initiatives that fulfil the UN Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA), the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and other initiatives of the United Nations and its specialized agencies for the benefit of women.
- To partner with the other networks of the Anglican Consultative Council;
- To ensure adequate resources for IAWN.
Organisational Structure
To assist IAWN achieve its purpose, the following structure shall exist:
- Steering Group with a Coordinator. The Steering Group shall comprise eight full members. Seven members of the Steering Group will be elected by the Provincial[1] Links and the current Steering Group members of the Network; the eighth member will be the world-wide President of the Mothers’ Union or her representative. The members designate a Coordinator from amongst them. The group shall collectively reflect the diversities of age, ethnicity, clerical status, provincial context and professional and life experiences needed to embrace and advance all women’s interests.
- The Focal Point for women designated by the ACC Standing Committee and the Anglican Observer at the United Nations shall have ex-officio status. From time to time additional members with specific and necessary expertise may be co-opted.
- The Steering Group, in response to issues raised throughout the Anglican Communion, shall identify, prioritise and promote the key issues for the Network. It shall ensure prompt and appropriate follow-up to ACC actions and resolutions and timely reporting to the ACC.
- The term of office shall be three years, with the possibility of being re-elected for a second term. No member may serve more than six consecutive years. At the end of the first three-year period up to 50% of the initial Steering Group shall be eligible for re-election.
- Patron and Advisors. The Steering Group may designate a patron. They may invite individuals to serve as advisors for their expertise and capacity to support and assist the work of IAWN.
- Provincial Links. The Primate of each Province shall appoint an official link person who will be the IAWN Provincial Link. Each Provincial Link shall be the liaison between the Steering Group and the women in her province. The Provincial Link shall ensure that the successes, challenges and concerns of Anglican women within provinces are brought to the attention of the Steering Group and that provincial reports are prepared for the Steering Group. A national and or diocesan network will be organized by each province.
- All women. All women of the Anglican Communion are invited to voice their concerns and become active in promoting the work of the IAWN.
- Secretariat. A secretariat, working with the Coordinator of the Steering Group, shall assist with administrative matters, including financial management, fundraising, publicity and communication on behalf of IAWN.
1. Refers to Provinces of the Anglican Communion.
