About IFW
INTERNATIONAL FORUM FOR WOMEN (IFW)
We are an association of owners and managers of companies, a non-profit and non-governmental organisation. Our activities began in 1993 when two venturesome American women - Christina Lane and Gayla Salinas – contributed to founding a Polish-American Library for Businesswomen (Polsko-Amerykańska Biblioteka dla Kobiet Biznesu) at the Warsaw School of Economics (Główna Szkoła Handlowa). Following that event, on the initiative of prof. Eufemia Teichmann, with the support of representatives of Polish business and academic women a meeting was held on 3rd June 1993 which founded the International Forum for Women (IFW). For two years the Forum acted as an academic-research programme at the Global Economy College (Kolegium Gospodarki Światowej) and on 19th April 1995 it was registered as an association. The Warsaw School of Economics is a supportive member under a Senate resolution as of 26th January 1996; WSE is also our seat.
On the first Thursday of every month we hold meetings during which we discuss subjects important in the field of a company management and personal development of women (see news).
Once every two years we organise an international conference addressing a wider audience than only the IFW members. We also edit a magazine called "Woman and Business (Kobieta i Biznes)" together with WSE Global Economy College.
At present we have over 100 members and three regional branches: in Olsztyn, Gdańsk and Katowice. Plans for the founding of other branches are also underway.
We organise trainings for members ("Weekend for yourself"/”Weekend dla siebie”), and also trainings dealing with labour law for companies (see Training Centre). Our statutory aims include establishing contacts with similar organisations in Europe and all over the world, joint projects as well as gaining knowledge and inspiration from such contacts.
We went to the USA (2000) and the RSA (2004) on an economic mission; together with Swedish women we implemented a project on women company owners in both countries called "Forum Malardalen-Poland"(2001); a group of members participated in a study visit to Kirghistan, and then, for a week, we had in Poland twelve Kirghiz women as our guests, sharing with them our knowledge and experiences (2001). We also participated in meetings with representatives of business organisations from Moldavia, Albania, Belarus and the Ukraine during their study visits in Poland.
We hold patronage over young female artists, e.g. a painter - Anna Maria Karolak, who was our guest at our meeting in December 2004 where she presented her unusually beautiful and delicate paintings.
IFW aims at supporting women’s businesses, creating positive examples of a female manager and initiating researches on women in the labour market as well as developing international and cross-environmental contacts between women.
WHAT IS OUR MISSION?
Advertising entrepreneurship among women as well as creativity in their work and lives.
WHO ARE OUR MEMBERS?
Women running their own businesses, holding managerial positions and women-scientists from Poland and abroad. We expect our members to be of the high personal standards so that they can enrich the Association with their knowledge, experiences and active support. That’s why every new candidate must be introduced by two active members. We do not intend to create a mass organisation. We are strong and vigorous thanks to our members’ exceptional personalities.
HOW DO WE WORK?
- On the first Thursday of every month we hold discussion meetings on subjects which are new and important in the field of company management as well as improvement of interpersonal skills. At our meetings we discuss many issues including sale of receivables, securing payables and executing liabilities, ethical dismissing of employees, forming a businesswoman professional image, effects of a "burnt-out" at work and in life, time-managing, body language, managing stress, investing in stock exchange, integration with the EU. The richness and variety of discussed subjects allows us to form professional attitudes and create our own personalities.
- Once every two years we organise an international conference addressed to a wider audience than only of the IFW members.
- We edit a magazine called "Woman and Business" (“Kobieta i Biznes”), promoting a modern image of the woman in the society. It includes all our conference materials; it is published in both Polish and English language.
- We hold personal development training courses for the members (including “Weekend for yourself")(“Weekend dla siebie”), as well as training courses on labour law for companies.
WHY "INTERNATIONAL"?
As one of our statutory aims is a broad international cooperation, keeping contacts with similar organisations in Europe and all over the world, joint projects as well as gaining knowledge and inspiration from such contacts:
- We organised an economic mission to the RSA (August – September 2004)
- We are one of the six organisations which form Academy of Businesswomen in the Central Europe (Akademię Kobiet Biznesu w Europie Centralnej)(since 1999).
- We went to the USA, where we met leaders of businesswomen organisations in Boston and Washington and with representatives of Polish businesswomen in New York (2000).
- Together with Swedish women we implemented a project dealing with entrepreneurship of women "Forum Malardalen-Poland" (2001)
- We visited Kirghistan and we had in Poland twelve Kirghiz women as our guests, sharing our knowledge and experience with them (VII and XI 2001)
- We have been preparing to cooperate with German organisations; we were invited to a conference called "Enterprising Women II" (Frankfurt, 7-9 III 2002)
- We have participated in the European Economic Commission "Cyber Market” programme which aims at using the Internet to promote women in business (since X 2001).
- Together with a Ukrainian organisation we have applied for funds to finance a project called "Development of Managing Capabilities among Ukrainian Businesswomen" (“Rozwój umiejętności zarządzania wśród kobiet biznesu z Ukrainy”).