The International Women’s Forum (IWF) announced to it’s members that, on the recommendation of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), it has been granted ‘Special Consultative Status’ to the United Nations on the issue of the protection and growth of women's leadership.
As part of its Special Consultative Status, IWF and its selected representatives located in UN headquarters in New York and offices in Geneva and Vienna will be asked to:
Provide expert analysis in the field of women's leadership
Serve as consultative advisor on critical issues affecting women's leadership
Help raise public awareness of relevant issues relating to women's leadership
Play a major role in advancing United Nations goals and objectives in regards to women's leadership
IWF may submit written statements relevant to the work of the Council on matters impacting women's advancement and leadership equity, which will be circulated to the Secretary-General and members of the Council. A commission of ECOSOC may also recommend that an NGO with special competence in a special field - such as IWF's in the field of women's leadership - undertakes studies or investigations, or prepare papers for the commission.
Helen Pitcher, Chairman of Advanced Boardroom Excellence is also a board member of the International Women’s Forum (IWF) UK.
Ludmila Shvetsova, the IWF President, in a letter to her members says, “With the rapid pace of our evolving world, it is critical to ensure women have not only a solid footing in global leadership, but more importantly, an ever-expanding voice… IWF looks forward to adding its expertise to this global dialogue impacting women worldwide.”
