Contents

1. Introduction

2. Vision and mission

3. Strategic Priorities Goals and Objectives

4. Values

5. Policy Priorities

6. Implementation and organisational implications

5. MCWO STRATEGY 2008-2010

5.1. Introduction

Who we are

The Malta Confederation of Women’s organizations (MCWO) is  a national non-profit making, organization with a philanthropic, scientific, cultural and educational purpose in order to promote the integration and implementation of gender equality in all areas of Maltese society.

The purpose of the Confederation is to integrate and unify all national women’s NGOs and individual members in order to represent Malta at the European Women’s Lobby Group in Brussels, as a full member.

The Confederation’s objectives are to:

• Provide a forum for debate;
• Act as a national forum where informed reflection and debate on women’s rights lead to concrete recommendations, conclusions and actions;
• Disseminate best practices in the field of women’s rights in order to guarantee equal opportunities;
• Contribute towards an improvement of the national policy and strategy vis-a-vis women’s issues;
• Improve the co-operation between policy makers, NGOs and individual members working in the field of women’s issues
• Inform, link and raise awareness of women’s organizations on European issues;
• Work directly with European institutions to ensure that woman’s needs and perspectives become an equal and integral part of European policies.
• Keep MCWO members updated on all national and EU directives, regulations and legislation regarding women’s issues and gender mainstreaming.

The Confederation, through its member organizations and individual members, aims:

o        To work within democratic, open and transparent procedures of communication, decision-making and accountability in order to support the involvement and empowerment of all women.

o        To take into account the needs and perspectives of different groups of women, and the multiple identities of women at all stages of their life.

o        To provide regular input in all areas at a national and  EU level by actively participating and addressing issues on policy development and implementation that impact on women’s lives and which relate to the promotion of equality between women and men.

o        To monitor the development and implementation of gender mainstreaming in order to ensure that mainstreaming entails the full integration of women’s human rights, needs and aspirations in all areas of national, EU and international policy.

Strategic review

Our definition of a strategic review process is that we take time to review and reflect, after 3 years of operation, in order to help us to look ahead and to plan the future of the organisation with a clear understanding of our goals, priorities, working methods, human and financial resources and new and emerging challenges and opportunities.

This new strategy represents MCWO’s renewed commitment to achieving equality between women and men.

5.2 Our Vision (Big Picture) and Mission

MCWO’s vision of the Confederation is to act as an informed and strong Lobby group in order to ensure that women and men have equal rights and equal access to their personal integrity and choice and to social, cultural and economic resources, political decision making and caring and family roles.

The mission of MCWO is to work to achieve gender equality between women and men, to promote women’s empowerment in all spheres of public and private life and to eliminate all forms of violence against women.

MCWO brings together women’s non-governmental organisations across Malta and works through democratic processes with its members for the mainstreaming and monitoring of a feminist gender equality perspective in all areas of local and EU policy and for the achievement of parity democracy at all levels.

5.3. Our strategic goals and objectives

MCWO’s strategy is expressed in THREE Goals with specific objectives agreed in order to achieve these goals and a detailed annual work programme to ensure implementation.

Existing  and emerging legislation and policy frame

Goal One: To monitor existing and proposed legislation and key policies in order to ensure laws and policies do not perpetuate discrimination and to accelerate the pace of change.

How/key actions:

• Monitoring and making visible the actions /inactions of the national government in relation to matters that affect gender equality. This includes key pieces of legislation as well as important documents like budgets and the manifesto of political parties and decisions of national importance.
• Monitoring of the media to give timely and informed replies on issues of relevance to gender equality
• Liasing with key decision makers and other stakeholders at national and EU level in order to influence the process of policy development
• Ensuring timely information dissemination about developments/setbacks in relation to achieving equality between women and men to all members of MCWO and to the wider public.
• Identifying gaps as well as new and emerging issues of concern for women’s rights.
• Increasing our impact through advocating and campaigning for laws and policies that advance and protect women’s rights
• Engaging with other civil society organisations in order to mainstream gender equality into a broad range of policy activities.

Goal Two: strengthen our membership structures and communication systems in order to support a growing and fully engaged membership so that more women are represented and given the

opportunity to be actively involved in securing their rights, in policy making and in developing civil society.

How/key actions:

• Establishing a website which will be used for the dissemination of useful information to both members and non-members.
• Ensure the active participation and the diversity of members in decision making at all levels of the organisation.
• Keeping our independent members informed of MCWO activities and sending them regular information which can be shared.
• Providing a forum for discussion for members on key issues related to gender equality.
• Providing clear and timely information and resources to support members’ advocacy  work and lobbying at national level and EU level
• Ensuring outreach and developing alliances with other NGOs.

Goal Three: To Generate funds for the organisation

How/key actions:

Organising one fund raising activity per year which will improve the Confederation’s financial situation

5.4 Our Values

EWL carries out its work within a feminist analysis and based on the following values:

• Equality - between women and men in all areas of public and private life
• Solidarity – with all women and men experiencing exclusion, discrimination and oppression
• Respect – for difference and diversity
• Parity - especially in relation to decision making
• Freedom – for all women to decide for themselves on all maters of personal/physical integrity and choice
• Peace – promote a culture of peace
• Justice – for all
• Empowerment – of all women
• Cooperation and consensus building – as our approach to difference and conflict
• Accountability – to each other, to those we represent and to funders
• Openness and transparency – in relation to communication and working methods
• Independence – from any religious or party political affiliation

5.5 Our Policy Priorities

MCWO will carry out its work in 2008-2009 through focusing on  8 key policy areas agreed by the membership.  The annual work programme adopted in the AGM sets out the detailed follow up to each of the policy areas:

• Women’s employment and economic independence, including reconciliation of private and professional life, Gender pay gap, care.
• Women in leadership and decision making
• Women and poverty, social protection and social exclusion
• Women and migration, immigration and asylum
• Women’s health issues, including sexual and reproductive rights.
• Violence against women based on the definition of Beijing Platform for Actions & EWL policies
• Multiple discrimination and women’s diversity
• Gender stereotypes including media and the purification of public space

5.6. Implementation and organisational implications – the success of this Strategic Plan will depend largely on

A)  The commitment and engagement of the member organisations

MCWO will strive to reach decisions by consensus and to involve as much as possible all members in the decisions taken.

MCWO aims to strengthen the role of its members by involving them more directly in the organisation of specific activities proposed by them. So the success of the Confederation will also largely depend on how much interest and commitment the individual members give to the organisation and if they manage to organise at least one activity in the coming year (on their own or with other member organisations)

B) The availability and best use of financial resources – connecting the strategy to the budget

Increase and diversify income overall

Budget: MCWO will continue to seek financial support from Government in order to be able to pay the EWL membership fee.

Funding through membership: Membership fees will remain an essential element of funding.

Fundraising activities: MCWO will strive to organise at least one fund raising activity per year to supplement its income.