REGIONAL NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION «SARATOV BUSINESS WOMEN'S CLUB» Saratov The organization was created in November 1993, the status is a public association. Saratov Business Women's Club was registered by the Department of Justice of the Saratov oblast Administration in December 8, 1994. Its registration number is 405.

The address: P.O. box 548, Saratov, 410035, Russia.
The contact persons: Irena Tsareva, President;
telephone: 7 (8452) 24-01-43, 91-01-59; 12-97-68 (home);
e-mail: irena sarnode.ru

Saratov Business Women's Club is the organization

• which cares for the professional growth and legal status of working women, the increase of their qualifications and expansion of their outlook;
• which protects their rights on labor and on their professional career;
• which promotes an establishment and expansion of contacts in the world of business for the women having or planning to begin their own business.

The aims and goals of the organization:

• Establishment of business and resource center for women;
• Uniting businesswomen of the Saratov city and oblast ;
• Organization of business - training;
• Supporting women in developing their own businesses;
• Social, legal protection of women.

Significant events in the Club:

Since 1995 the program on women's leadership has been carriying out the seminars on dialogue and conflict resolution. Geography of the project: Saratov and the Saratov oblast, cities: Naberezhnye Chelny,Tarusa, Sergiev-Posad.

In March 1995 the Club welcomed as guests the family center "Response" and medical class of the classical humanitarian gymnasium of the city  of Kurgan within the framework of the conference " Culture, Medicine, Education". During four days interesting meetings, workshops quizmaster activity, round table, seminar for senior students on culture of interpersonal relations and conflict resolution were carried out.

In September 1995 together with the feminist league "Initiative" the seminar "Women and Politics" was carried out, which was organized under the initiative of the former member of our Club, Peace Corps Volunteer from the USA Judith Neiman. The seminar was conducted with the financial and organizational assistance of the NIS-US Consortium of women's NGOs.

In September 1996 the Club has collected on a conference devoted to the status women in a modern society it's friends from women's NGOs of the cities of Saratov, Marx and Engels (Saratov oblast).

From April till October 1995 the psychological-legal advice bureau for women who have undergone sexual violence worked. The given program has resulted in creation of a "Hot Line " and "The Crisis Center ", which currently work as independent organizations.

At present the Club conducts legal consulting activity in the sphere of protection of the labor rights of women. The realization of the given program was possible with the financial support of the Institute of an Open Society (Soros Foundation), which has allocated to us the grant for the creation of a legal advice bureau and realization of a number of training seminars on women's leadership in rural areas of the Saratov oblast.

In December 1997, our Club was chosen by the trainers from the British charitable organization " Charities Aid Foundation" as the partner for realization of a three-day seminar and a round table on themes « Social Partnership » for the heads of Saratov NGOs.

The Club is the associate member of the Consortium of US-NIS women's NGOs, and also is a member of he regional branch of All-Russian political movement of the Women of Russia, through which we try to achieve equal representation of women in legislative and state structures.

Nowadays we are the participants of the program "Female Resource Center: Information Technologies, Monitoring, Leadership" (under the auspices of the US-NIS Consortium). Within the framework of the given program we shall take part in information interchange and in work of electronic conferences, and also in the distribution in the region of materials received within the framework of the given program.

Irena Tsareva