Organization
The institutions and structures of the WIDE Switzerland association are: the Annual General Meeting, the Board, the office, the project teams, the scientific forum, as well as an external auditing agency. WIDE Switzerland is furthermore sponsored by supporting organizations, partners, and passive members.
Board
The Board of our organization consists of at least five members and is elected at the Annual General Meeting for the duration of one year. The Board organizes the Annual General Meeting, defines bylaws, petitions, regulations, and is responsible for the management of the office and the safeguarding of the interests of the WIDE Switzerland platform. The Board provides for a mutual exchange of information and the debate within WIDE Switzerland and is concerned with the platform’s networking. The Board comments on topical issues and is committed to securing the broad-based support of WIDE Switzerland in collaboration with the project groups and the scientific form.
Current Members of the Board:
Lilian Fankhauser (IZFG), Tina Goethe (Swissaid), Marianne Hochuli, Hella Hoppe (sek feps), Franziska Müller (cdf), Sarah Schilliger (University of Basel) und Kathrin Spichiger (Alliance Süd).
Office
WIDE Switzerland’s office is affiliated to the Feminist Peace Organization and the Interdisciplinary Centre for Gender Studies ICFG at the University of Bern. Beside daily business and the organization of the Coordination Group, the responsibilities of the office encompass the coordination of activities with WIDE Europe and public relations in particular.
Project Teams
The WIDE Switzerland network is loosely organized in small project teams. This facilitates collaboration and allows flexible and fast action. The project teams are authorized to publicly comment topical debates on their own authority. Currently, there is a project team working on the Annual Conference.
Project Team Annual Conference
As a section of the Women in Development Europe WIDE network, WIDE Switzerland is organizing an international conference on care economy and care crises on the occasion of its start-up and as a kick-off. The 2009 conference will be held in Basel from June 18-20 and offer most recent research findings, transnational exchange of information, and participation in the development of feminist alternatives to the economical, developmental and sociopolitical mainstream.
The Conference is chiefly organized by:
Lilian Fankhauser, IZFG
Tina Goethe, Swissaid
Hella Hoppe, sek feps
Ulrike Knobloch, University of St. Gallen
Mascha Madörin, Economist
Franziska Müller, cfd
Sarah Schilliger, University of Basel
Kathrin Spichiger, Alliance Sud
Heike Wach, Gender Consulting
Conference Coordination: Patricia Meyer, patricia.meyer@cfd-ch.org
Scientific Forum
The scientific forum of the WIDE Switzerland network, which is administrated by the ICFG, renders professional assistance in the fields of research proposal, realization of studies and scientific events, publication of scientific articles, etc. for WIDE Switzerland. A further aim of the forum is to link scientists of diverse fields and institutions who are working on gender and development issues. The launch of this forum is planned for the first half of 2009.