The Coalition Charter – A Sneak Peek

CONTENTS

1. Preamble
2. History of the Coalition 
3. Mission, Values, Mandate 
4. Purpose and Identity
5. Membership
6. Governance Structure
7. Campaigns and Collective Advocacy
8. Decision-Making
9. Amendments

1. PREAMBLE

Why does this charter exist, and what story and purpose brought us here?

The preamble sets the stage for the charter, giving context on why the coalition is formalising its governance at this moment and how this document came to be. It also places Every Woman’s work within the broader history of feminist organising and international human rights.

2. HISTORY

How did Every Woman begin, and what have been our key milestones along the way?

This section traces Every Woman’s journey from its founding to today, highlighting the milestones and accomplishments that have shaped the coalition, to see how far we’ve come and what’s been built together along the way.

3. MISSION, VALUES, COALITION MANDATE

What do we stand for, what are we working toward, and what makes Every Woman different from other coalitions working on VAWG?

Here, the charter lays out the shared vision, mission, and values that unite members across 165 countries, along with the coalition’s mandate and its own boundaries around what it will and won’t do. This section names ours plainly, so members and outside partners alike know what to expect from us.

4. PURPOSE AND IDENTITY

What is our core purpose and identity today, and how do grassroots advocacy and global diplomacy come together in our work?

This section describes the coalition’s core purpose today and the kind of space the coalition creates for its members to do this work. It also explores how grassroots advocacy and global diplomacy come together across the coalition’s efforts.

5. MEMBERSHIP

Membership is the foundation of the coalition, and this section spells out what it means to belong to Every Woman. It covers everything from who can join and how membership works to what’s expected of every member and what happens when those commitments aren’t upheld. This section lays out that architecture in full.

• Who belongs in Every Woman, and what does that membership mean?

• Who is eligible to become a member of Every Woman?

• What are the different categories of membership, and what rights and responsibilities come with each?

• What does membership ask of us in return?

• What distinguishes an active member from a dormant one, and why does that distinction matter?

• What happens when a member doesn’t uphold our shared values and commitments?

• How do we decide who belongs, and who makes that call?

6. GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE

Governance is about how the coalition organises itself and how power and decision-making are distributed at every level. This section lays out our structures – from global leadership to regional bodies to working teams – and how they connect and coordinate with one another.

• How is Every Woman coalition organised, and how do decisions flow through it?

• What are the guiding principles behind our governance model?

• Who leads the coalition globally, and how are they chosen?

• How are regional and local groups recognised and connected to global leadership?

• What kinds of teams carry out our work, and how are they formed?

• What role do member gatherings play in shaping coalition decisions?

• Under what circumstances, if any, could the coalition dissolve?

7. CAMPAIGNS AND COLLECTIVE ADVOCACY

This section covers how Every Woman selects, launches, and carries out coalition-wide campaigns and advocacy efforts. It also addresses how we balance a shared global strategy with the realities of local and regional contexts.

• How does Every Woman choose and carry out its collective advocacy work?

• What defines the boundaries of our advocacy, campaign, and capacity-building work?

• Who can propose a campaign, and how is it chosen?

• Who is responsible for turning a campaign into action, and how do teams coordinate?

• How do we balance political neutrality with direct advocacy, especially with governments and intergovernmental bodies?

8. DECISION-MAKING

Decision-making principles guide how the coalition reaches conclusions together, whether through consensus, majority, or supermajority processes. This section also addresses how time-sensitive issues arise and how disagreements are resolved.

• How are decisions made across the coalition, and how are disagreements resolved?

9. AMENDMENTS

No charter is set in stone, and this section explains how Every Woman can revisit and update this document as the coalition grows and changes. 

• How and by whom can this charter be changed in the future?