[Wil-mailing] Mapping Women's Networks

[wil-mailing at freecharity.org.uk]

Mapping Women's Networks

* Do you meet regularly with other women?
* Are you part of a women's e-group?
* Do you subscribe or contribute to a women's newsletter?

If you do, Women in London (WiL) hopes you will be willing to share
this information to create a 'map' of where and how women are working
together and supporting each other.

We strongly believe that whilst there is internal discussion that is
not for public consumption, it is vital that women's networking should
be made visible to highlight women's concerns and issues as well as
create a representative picture of where and how women are working
together.

By making women's networks known and public it not only makes a
positive statement that women need and want then to exist, but it also
makes it easier for other women with shared needs or interests to have
the opportunity to make contact and get involved.

In addition we hope it will provide the opportunity for women's
networks with common concerns to more easily link up or to come
together to campaign or exchange policy work etc., whether for a one
off response to a specific issue or as an ongoing strategy.

There may also be women's networks who want to take part in
consultations, so by making them more visible there is no excuse for
local 'task forces' or central government policy makers to say they
had difficulty getting feedback or opinions from a cross section of
women.  No more excuses from researchers for only contacting 'the
usual suspects' to interview for their reports.  And even if you feel
you've been 'consulted to death' without any apparent influence or
impact, any future research contributors could be matched against the
diverse range of women's networks a map would make visible, which
would act as a bench mark to judge how credible a report's contents
are.

And although this is NOT about funding bids, it could be useful in a
region such as London where commissioning comes with the need to show
a pan London coverage, to help local groups network to form a
federation or association to put in a bid based on how each group's
local work compliments or combines to make service coverage regional.

Even if your network or e-group is closed and / or private, if you
agree to contribute the reasons and purpose that you have come
together as women, it will help create a broader, truer picture of
women's concerns.

Once we have collated the responses to this survey they will be made
public via the internet so as to be shared and accessible.

If you are willing to take part, please complete the form below and
return it to post at womeninlondon.org.uk - and please do forward a copy
of this survey to any other networks or forums you are part of

Or if you prefer you can download a Word document version from
http://www.womeninlondon.org.uk/download/MappingWomensNetworks.doc

With thanks for your contribution and time.

Women in London gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the
Maypole Fund.

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Mapping Women's Networks Form:

Women Network to:
* provide mutual support
* campaign
* share skills and expertise
* build feminist analysis
* challenge local and central government policy
* have an active presence in the work place
* get angry and fight back
* give our selves a place to find out who we really are, rather than
who society wants us to be
* and to ... ???

Please complete the sections of the form that apply to you and return
it via email to post at womeninlondon.org.uk

With thanks for agreeing to take part in this project.


Network Name

Purpose





Activities





Region or specific community

Membership criteria if any

Membership fee if any

Contact Name

Contact Address

Contact Postcode

Contact Phone

Contact Mobile

Contact Email

Contact Web

Funders if any

Any other information you would like to add





Or download copies from
http://www.womeninlondon.org.uk/download/MappingWomensNetworks.doc

women in london : po box 52145 : london e8 9ah :
post at womeninlondon.org.uk