GNWS

Global Network of Women's Shelters

Who we are

In 2008 we all met at the 1st World Conference of Women’s Shelters in Edmonton, Canada.
We – a group of participants of the conference - then started an initiative to found the Global Network of Women’s Shelters.

We all had the feeling that our voice – and more importantly the voice of the women and children we served – was not heard enough in the debate about prevention and elimination of Violence Against Women.  As a lot of our work is done in safe, secret places, it was important to unite globally to become more visible and speak with a global voice.
And we could not stop talking about our experience, exchanging knowledge and expertise from different parts of the world. We still do…

In 2012 we proudly presented the interim board of the Global Network of Women’s Shelters - with members from all over the world -  at the 2nd World Conference in Washington DC.

Since 2013 Bandana Rana of Nepal is the chair of the Global network of Women’s Shelters (see photo).

At the 3rd World Conference two more networks joined GNWS: the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) and the Network of First Nation Women’s Shelters.
All of our chairs of the regions/continents took the Call for Action - which was adopted at the Conference- home to their own region/continent.

In between we developed our vision, purpose, goals and the (member)organization we want to become in the near future. We gathered in Ottawa to discuss vision, purpose and future structure.
We had a meeting in New York where we did a presentation during the Meeting of the Commission of the Status of Women and in Amsterdam we we worked on a future membership organization.

In 2015 the GNWS-Foundation was founded in the Hague, with the support of the municipality of The Hague. It is a small office and the work is done by volunteers and active members of the Global Network all over the world. For more information see: Join Us for information about our continental and regional networks.

Our Vision

An equal world where women and their children live free from violence.

Our Purpose

To unite the women's shelter movement globally to end violence against women and their children.

Guiding Principles and Core Values

  1. Governments and societies are responsible for ensuring women's human rights.
  2. Violence violates women's human rights and equality.
  3. The women's shelter movement plays a critical leadership role in the global effort to end violence against women and their children.
  4. We recognize that women and their children can experience multiple forms of violence and oppression.
  5. Our work is guided by the diverse experiences of violence and oppression faced by women and their children.
  6. Perpetrators must be held accountable for their violence.
  7. "We recognize that violence against women is a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between men and women" [3] which perpetuates violence and discrimination against women and their children.
  8. Our work is guided by the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
  9. We work to advance women's leadership in the global movement to end violence against women.
  10. Our core values are consistent with feminist values and include: accessibility; autonomy; dignity and respect; empowerment; equality and equity; inclusiveness; integrity; safety; solidarity; and transparency.

Goals

  1. To be a strong and active global network with a recognized international voice.
  2. To ensure global awareness of violence against women and their children.
  3. To support and strengthen the women’s shelter movement.
  4. To promote effective policies and their implementation in order to prevent violence and protect and empower women and their children.
  5. To promote social change that ends violence and oppression against women and their children.