Join us
Welcome to the European Women’s Lobby (EWL), a dynamic and influential umbrella organisation for member-based European feminist NGOs. At EWL, we value the strength that comes from unity and collaboration. We are always eager to broaden our network and welcome new members who share our commitment to advancing gender equality and women’s rights. If you’re interested in joining our vibrant community, we invite you to explore the possibility of connecting with an existing EWL national platform in your country or discovering if your specific area of interest aligns with one of our esteemed European-wide members.
Should you wish to take the next step and become a full or supporting member of EWL, we’re delighted to initiate a dialogue with you. To ensure a smooth and transparent process, we encourage you to peruse the following section, which outlines the relevant criteria, procedures, and forms that guide this journey. Together, we can create meaningful change and work towards a more inclusive and equal society for all.
Which membership is right for you? The European Women’s Lobby has 33 national coordination organisations representing countries within the European Union, candidate countries, Iceland and the United Kingdom. EWL also has 17 European-Wide organisations, which are active at the European and International level. As EWL does not accept individual organisations, if you exist within a country with a national coordination we advise to start your journey with EWL by contacting them directly. If it does not exist, you can join a European-Wide organisation and learn how to start a national coordination in your country!
Not ready to pledge as a full member. EWL also offers supporting memberships open to women’s organisations that agree with the aims, values and mission of EWL.
To learn more and start your journey, click on the relevant role below.
A National Coordination may be an umbrella of women’s organisations specifically constituted in order to coordinate the work of the Association at national level or a pre-existing umbrella of women’s organisations that accepts the role of coordination for the Association. There will be only one coordination per country organised in an open, democratic and transparent manner.
The National Coordination will draw up its own statutes, or draw up a signed protocol of co-operation for its establishment, which must include the below criteria. Any National Coordination of women’s nongovernmental organisations which is currently in membership or is applying for full membership and which does not conform to the criteria is expected to make the necessary changes so that they fulfil these criteria, according to the procedure set out in the Internal Rules.
Members must:
- have legal status in their own member state/ country as a non–governmental organisation representing women’s non-governmental organisations or have a signed protocol of co-operation to act as the coordinating body for the EWL in their member state/country, with the view to establishing a legal status recognised in national or international law as set out in the Internal Rules;
- demonstrate a clear commitment to gender equality on the basis of past and current activities and future plans;
- demonstrate support for the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and its Optional Protocol and the Beijing Platform for Action;
- demonstrate that they have taken into account, in the policies and structures of their organisation, the needs and perspectives of the many women that face multiple discrimination, including women of different ages, race or ethnic origins, religions or beliefs, abilities, and sexual orientation. This list is not exclusive;
- pay the annual membership fee;
- be representative of a broad range of women’s organisations across the whole of the member state/country;
- act independently of any political party or religious authority or governmental body;
- accept these Statutes and the Internal Rules.
There are a few steps to consider when applying as a full member to EWL!
First, as EWL does not admit individual organisations but umbrella organisations, therefore we welcome interested candidates to first see if there is a national coordination or eu-wide organisation in their respective country.
If not, and they meet the criteria for full members, we welcome interested candidates to send their full application form alongside the requested documents to the EWL Secretariat at ewl@womenlobby.org.
Following the retrieval of the application form, the Membership Committee will review the application and correspond regarding any questions or concerns. After a thorough review, the Membership Committee will send its assessment and recommendations to the Executive Committee.
Applications for admission as a member will be directed to the Executive Committee. Membership of full members takes effect following a positive vote of the Board of Administration, instructed by the Executive Committee with a two third majority of cast votes.
The Membership of all members is subject to the payment of the annual membership fee for all membership categories.
The application must be accompanied by the following documents and data:
- the statutes of the applicant’s organisation in the original language of the organisation or the Protocol of cooperation signed by those women’s NGOs and women’s sections of mixed NGOs in the Member State concerned and which exist or are in the process of forming a national coordination / European wide organisation, with the view to establishing legal status, recognized by national or international law;
- the work programme of the applicant’s organisation or their charter;
- for the national coordinations: a list of the members of the applicant and of their addresses;
- for the European wide organisations: a document in which the applicant demonstrates its representation and the fact that it is structured and managed in a democratic way;
- a document in which the applicant demonstrates its commitment to the policy objectives of the Association, as referred to in Article 5 of the Statutes.
The rights and responsibilities of National Coordinations as full members include:
- participation in debates and voting rights at the General Assembly, according to the criteria set out in Article 11 of the Statutes;
- to put forward candidates for election to the organisational structures of the Association in accordance with these Statutes;
- to set the policies, guidelines and priorities of the Association and make an ongoing contribution to its activities;
- to be informed and consulted on an ongoing basis about the activities of the Association;
- to comply with the Membership Agreement annexed to the Internal Rules.
As a part of your journey to joining EWL as a full member, we propose starting with an initial meeting in which you can learn more about EWL, and demonstrate your experience and expertise! Please contact our Membership and Governance Coordinator, Oleksandra Domagalo, at domagalo@womenlobby.org
European wide non-Governmental Organisations, which fulfil the following criteria may be considered for full membership of the Association.
These members must:
- have a legal status recognised in national or international law; – be a European wide umbrella organisation of women’s Non-governmental organisations with a focus on policy development within the European Union, or the women’s section of a mixed European wide umbrella organisation that has the purpose of co-ordinating the work of the Association within their organisation;
- at the time of making their application for membership to the Association, have representative organisations in at least one third of the countries in membership of the European Union, the European Free Trade Association and countries in the formal process of acceding to the EU;
- demonstrate a clear commitment to gender equality on the basis of past and current activities and future plans;
- demonstrate support for the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and its Optional Protocol and the Beijing Platform for Action;
- take into account, in the policies and structures of the organisation, the needs and perspectives of the many women that face multiple discrimination, including women of different ages, race or ethnic origins, religions or beliefs, abilities, and sexual orientations. This list is not exclusive.
- pay the annual membership fee;
- act independently of any political party or religious authority or governmental body;
- accept these Statutes and the Internal Rules.
There are a few steps to consider when applying as a full member to EWL!
First, as EWL does not accept individual organisations, we welcome interested candidates to first see if there is a national coordination or eu-wide organisation in their respective country.
If not, and they meet the criteria for full members, we welcome interested candidates to send their full application form alongside the requested documents to the EWL Secretariat at ewl@womenlobby.org.
Following the retrieval of the application form, the Membership Committee will review the application and correspond regarding any questions or concerns. After a thorough review, the Membership Committee can send advice to the Executive Committee.
Applications for admission as a member will be directed to the Executive Committee. Membership of full members takes effect following a positive vote of the Board of Administration, instructed by the Executive Committee with a two third majority of cast votes.
The Membership of all members is subject to the payment of the annual membership fee for all membership categories.
The application must be accompanied by the following documents and data:
- the statutes of the applicant’s organisation in the original language of the organisation or the Protocol of cooperation signed by those women’s NGOs and women’s sections of mixed NGOs in the Member State concerned and which exist or are in the process of forming a national coordination / European wide organisation, with the view to establishing legal status, recognized by national or international law;
- the work programme of the applicant’s organisation or their charter;
- for the national coordinations: a list of the members of the applicant and of their addresses;
- for the European wide organisations: a document in which the applicant demonstrates its representation and the fact that it is structured and managed in a democratic way;
- a document in which the applicant demonstrates its commitment to the policy objectives of the Association, as referred to in Article 5 of the Statutes.
The rights and responsibilities of European Wide non-governmental organisations as full members include:
- participation in debates and voting rights at the General Assembly according to the criteria set out in Article 11 of the Statutes;
- to put forward candidates for election to the organisational structures of the Association in accordance with these Statutes; 5
- to set the policies, guidelines and priorities of the Association and make an ongoing contribution to its activities;
- to be informed and consulted on an ongoing basis about the activities of the Association;
- to comply with the Membership Agreement annexed to the Internal Rules
As a part of your journey to joining EWL as a full member, we propose starting with an initial meeting in which you can learn more about EWL, and demonstrate your experience and expertise! Please contact our Membership and Governance Coordinator, Oleksandra Domagalo, at domagalo@womenlobby.org.
Supporting organisations of the Association are non-governmental women’s organisations, the women’s sections of non-governmental organisations or mixed organisations which have the promotion of women’s rights and gender equality as one of their primary objectives, that are committed to the purpose and the aims of the Association as outlined in the statutes.
Supporting organisations will have no voting rights in the Association and no right to stand for election or to present candidates to the organisational structures of the Association.
There are a few steps to consider when applying as a supporting member to EWL!
We welcome interested candidates to send their full application form alongside the requested documents to the EWL Secretariat at ewl@womenlobby.org.
Following the retrieval of the application form, the Membership Committee will review the application and correspond regarding any questions or concerns. After a thorough review, the Membership Committee can send advice to the Executive Committee.
Membership of Supporting organisations and Honorary members takes effect following a decision of the Executive Committee by absolute majority (namely half of cast votes +1).
The Membership of all members is subject to the payment of the annual membership fee for all membership categories.
The application must be accompanied by the following documents and data:
- the statutes of the applicant’s organisation in the original language of the organisation or the Protocol of cooperation signed by those women’s NGOs and women’s sections of mixed NGOs in the Member State concerned and which exist or are in the process of forming a national coordination / European wide organisation, with the view to establishing legal status, recognized by national or international law;
- the work programme of the applicant’s organisation or their charter;
- for the national coordinations: a list of the members of the applicant and of their addresses;
- for the European wide organisations: a document in which the applicant demonstrates its representation and the fact that it is structured and managed in a democratic way;
- a document in which the applicant demonstrates its commitment to the policy objectives of the Association, as referred to in Article 5 of the Statutes.
The rights and the duties of supporting organisations include:
- upon invitation, attending meetings of the General Assembly as observers and at their own expense in accordance with the procedures set out in the Internal Rules;
- attending seminars and conferences organised by the Association at their own expense;
- receiving the Newsflash of the Association, as well as any relevant information about the activities of
the Association; - paying an annual membership fee.
As a part of your journey to joining EWL as a full member, we propose starting with an initial meeting in which you can learn more about EWL, and demonstrate your experience and expertise! Please contact our Membership and Governance Coordinator, Oleksandra Domagalo, at domagalo@womenlobby.org.
