• January 2009 – December 2011. Project "Gender Inclusive Cities: Increasing women's safety by identifying and disseminating effective and promising approaches that promote women's equal access to public spaces"

The project is being carried out in four cities around the world - International Centre and Network for Information on Crime (Dar es Salaam in Tanzania), Jagori (Delhi in India), Red Mujer y Habitat de America Latina (Rosario in Argentina), and Information Centre of the Independent Women’s Forum (Moscow, Petrozavodsk in Russia) – to understand the factors that cause and lead to exclusion in order to address them.

Different methodologies will be used to conduct this research including focus groups, surveys and the women’s safety audit tool. In addition, the project will engage with different sets of stakeholders including government, NGO’s, citizen groups, and the community in order to design and implement strategies and programs that can bring about concrete and significant change in women’s safety and right to the city.

GIC project is administered by: Women in Cities International (Canada)

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• January 2006 – April 2009. Project "Collaboration"

The goal of the project: The main goals of the project "Collaboration" devoted to partnership between ICIWF, H.Boelle Foundation and others nongovernmental organizations, are strengthening of the structures of civil society in Russia, assistance of integration Russia in Europe and international cultural and political space, support and development of activity ICIWF as social institute for supporting of women and development of women’s movement.

The main goals of this project:

• to expand the boards of our partnership;
• to develop the previous and to create new contacts between women’s organizations and grassroots women initiatives, city Administrations, youth organizations, social initiatives, academics, police, doctors, entrepreneurs, human rights organizations and others;
• to organize interregional exchange of experience; to expand the net of interregional collaboration between female teachers and girls students by engaging in participants from new regions;
• to enlarge a participation of inhabitants in the decision making process on local problems.

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• August 2006 – March 2007. Project "Weaving the information Society: a Gender and Multicultural Perspective”

Project is financed by MAMA CASH Fund, this support is a grant for participation in International Know How Conference "Weaving the information Society: a Gender and Multicultural Perspective” (21-26 August 2006), Mexico and creation of web-site about Conference in Russian and English.

The goal of a project: is to advance gender justice, and respect for every nation’s cultural diversity within the information society, and promote access to information and communication as a fundamental women’s and human right.

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• May 2006 – March 2007. Project "Complex Social Help to Women and Children from Boarding Schools"

Project is financed by Moscow Government and realized with the Center of the psychological help "Art and health".

The goal of a project: carrying out complex social and psychological help in boarding schools including special help to women-teachers and children, educators and administration of Special boarding school N 105 VIII type UVAO of Moscow and foster children in primary education.

This project is developing collaboration between the municipal boarding schools and public organizations

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Granted by the H.Boelle Fundation, (01.07.02 - 31.12.05; 01.01.06 - 31.12.06)

The basic goal of the this project - support and development of complex activity of Information Center of an Independent Women Forum (ICIWF) and its becoming as new social institute for women's support and development of a women's movement.

One of strategic directions of ICIWF activity per 2002-2003 - an establishment of partner attitudes between social activists from various social movements (ecological, human rights, trade-union, etc.) for formation at them understanding, that gender equality is the major component of construction of a civil society in Russia.
One of complexities of this work is that idea of gender equality, problems of discrimination on the basis of gender and age till now not only are not in sphere of attention of the majority of the Russian public organizations, but also are regarded as little significant in comparison with "universal".
For today only among the women's organizations work on overcoming discrimination on the basis of gender and age is conducted.
At the same time, not all the women organizations understand deep interrelation of a problem " positions of women " with other social problems, and work basically in strategy of protection of the rights of women, not leaving on a level of comprehension of roots of discrimination and violence which cannot be eradicated only by methods of the right. Therefore activity of ICIWF in the framework of the given project puts before itself two interconnected goals:

• Strengthening of women and the women organizations (i.e. the decision of internal problems of a women's movement);
• Formation of steady partner attitudes with other public organizations and movements. For achievement of objects in view activity will be carried out under three interconnected programs: innovative approaches to strengthening women; the city policy; information-publishing activity.

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Granted by CORD-AID (1.11.2004 – 31.10.2005)
Project of ICIWF "Development of Local to Local Dialogue. The second round " in the framework of the global project " From local to local, from local to global " of international coalition of women's organizations Huarou Commission at intermediary GROOTS at financial support of Dutch fund CORD-AID is directed on continuation of the work begun in the first round, training of the organization of dialogue in local territories. The given part of the global project is carried out in three countries: Russia, Czechia, Kenya
The goal of the project - expansion of opportunities of influence of local women's initiatives on management of territories; the organization of dialogues between various subjects of city policy, as constant process and as tool of the decision of local questions.

The basic goal of the project in Russia - creation in local territories (this time in subjects of territorial public self-management in the cities of Petrozavodsk and Putchino, the Moscow area) favorable conditions for the decision of local problems by means of meaningful dialogue between subjects of local policy and the responsible attitude to the decisions

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Granted by the Women Network Program, Open Society Institute-Russia (Soros Foundation), (01.06.02 - 31.05.03).

The goals of the project:

• the further development of a supply with information of a women's movement,
• expansion of access of the remote regions to the social and gender information,
• formation of need for this information,
• development of communications between the women organizations through an information exchange,
• creation of a positive image of women and women's activity, development of not state socially directed women mass media.

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Project of ICIWF "Development of Local to Local Dialogue " in the framework of the project " From local to local, from local to global " at financial support of the Program of United Nations HABITAT was directed to the international coalition of women organizations GROOTS on training of the organization of dialogue in local territories. It is carried out in five countries: Russia, Czechia, Germany, Uganda, Argentina.

The goal of the project :

• expansion of opportunities of influence of local women's initiatives on management of territories; the organization of dialogues between various subjects of city policy, as constant process and as tool of the decision of local questions.

The basic goal of the project in Russia was creation in local territories (in particular, in STOS - subjects of territorial public self-management of Saratov citiy ) favorable conditions for the decision of local problems by means of meaningful dialogue between subjects of local policy and the responsible attitude to the decisions.

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the Granted by the Canadian Gender Fund for Women (28.06.01 - 28.06.02)
Geography of the project: Moscow, Chelyabinsk, Snezhinsk, Tarusa, Dubna.

The goals of the project:

• Spread of knowledge about the rights of women;
• Expansion of access of the remote regions to the social and gender information, formation of need for this information, development of communications between the women's organizations through an information exchange;
• Creation of conditions for realization of a principle of the equal rights and equal opportunities for women and men in various areas of ability to live;
• Overcoming of barriers in a way of achievement of equality between men and women;
• Development of interaction of the women nongovernment organizations with the state structures, universities, research establishments in promotion of gender equality;
• Increase of the women status through new approaches at formation of city policy;
• creation of conditions for development of local mechanisms of improvement of position of women and creation of mechanisms of transfer of successful local experience in other regions.

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Granted by the Women Network Program, Open Society Institute-Russia (Soros Foundation), (01.10.00 - 30.09.01).
The goal of the project: development of a supply with information of the women organizations
Geography of the project: Russia, the CIS.
The goal of the project:

• the further development of a supply with information of a women's movement,
• expansion of access of the remote regions to the social and gender information,
• formation of requirement for this information,
• development of communications between the women organizations through an information exchange.

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December 2000 - April 2001. Project "Women in Urban Governance"

Partner organizations within this project: Voronezh City Forum "Independent Women's Democratic Initiative" (NeZhDI, Voronezh), Snezhinsk City Public Organization "Women from ZATO" (Snezhinsk, Chelyabinsk oblast), Information Center for Support of Public Organizations "Sodeystvie" (Chelyabinsk), Association of Self-Governance at Local Territories (Saratov), Authority of Volzhsky District (Saratov), Association of Commonwealths of Dwellers "Volhov" (V. Novgorod), Committee for Construction and Housing Reform of V Novgorod Administration, Municipal Scientific and Educational Institution "Dialog" (V Novgorod).

The goal of the project: advancement of women and women's organizations, leaders of local self-governance bodies; creation of libraries on gender issues at local territories in Saratov and V. Novgorod.

The project is aimed at the gender equality achieving in urban governance, advancement of women, women's organizations and particularly women-leader of local self-governance bodies. Realization of this project will contribute the development of gender education of the representatives of local self-governance bodies and dwellers of the self-governed territories in V. Novgorod, Chelyabinsk, Saratov. The project will be hold in the form of School of Experience Exchange, which will develop and strengthen the partnership in local territories.

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September 1999 - June 2000. The project "Local Policy and the
Status of Women"

The project "Local Policy and the Status of Women" was implemented by Information Center of the Independent Women's Forum in permanent cooperation with partner organizations (as a School of Experience Exchange).

Three problems were selected for experience exchange: violence against women, housing and communal service reform, establishment of local self-governance, budget process in cities.

The housing and communal service reform and development of local self-governance is imprescriptible part of the Russian economy transformation.

Most of decisions made within the housing and communal service reform were found the formal ones. Till present time from 30-50% of the local budget is spent for housing and communal services financing. In many Russian regions the reform is implemented by housing and communal service payment increasing, so that all the financial load is transferred to the family and this has a bad influence on social and economical status of women.

Administrations, law enforcement bodies and women's NGOs from 6 cities (Petrozavodsk, Voronezh, Chelyabinsk, Snezhinsk, V. Novgorod, Saratov) were involved in this project. V. Novgorod and Saratov presented their best practices in housing and communal service reform providing and local self-governance establishment.

The representatives of 26 women's groups, 6 institutes of higher education, 33 city administration structures and departments (including law enforcement bodies), 23 committees of local self-governance bodies and commonwealths of housing owners, 2 associations, 1 housing (professional) organization took part in the project.

266 women and men (the whole list includes more then 100 persons) participated in 10 events within the project.

50 expert works were made on the projects topics: violence against women, budget process, housing reform and etc.

The results of these works were discusses at the seminars in cities-participants of the project in the form of the School of experience exchange. The main result of the project is creation of the interregional group (approximately 50 persons), which consists of representatives of women's organizations, law enforcement bodies, administrations, education institutions, local self-governance bodies, and etc.

The project increased the status of women-leaders and women's organizations in the cities-participants, promoted the Women's Agenda to the regional level, strengthened the partnership between women's organizations and local administrative and law enforcement bodies, demonstrated the importance of gender programs including in educational courses of the universities for the representatives of administration.

The project is unique for the creation of the conditions for the development of local mechanisms for the advancement of women and creation of mechanisms of positive experience transfer to the other regions.

The project promoted the development and implementation of some new projects and ideas in the regions.

The Republic Center for Family Planning (Petrozavodsk) got and implemented the grant of the American organization "Project "Harmony". The goal of this project was providing a number of training courses for the law enforcement bodies members in Republic Karelia. About 30 policemen took part in these training courses.

In Chelyabinsk the contest of social projects for women-leaders of local self-governance was provided by the city administration. The goal of this contest was to maintain the activities of the committees of local self-governance. Three of the five nominations were got by women-leaders of the local self-governance. The funds for project realization were got from the city budget.

It was the first time the Administration of V Novgorod paid attention to the fact that 70% of the main executors of city reform programs were women. It treated the future project "Women in Urban Governance" with interest. The resonance of this program was enormous. It made an important city problem of professional significance and women's activities visible and audible. The Administration hopes for the further cooperation.

The municipal scientific-and-education institution "Dialog" is planning to use the materials got at the seminars in its education courses.

The project made it possible to provide the comparative analysis of the results of the housing and communal service reform implementation, budget process and city programs of violence against women prevention in the cities-participants. The main points of this analysis will be published.

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January 1998 - May 2000. Project "Interregional Network of the information and Educational Centers for Women.
School of Leadership and Development for Women"

Women's organizations-subgratees: Karelian Center for Gender Studies (KCGS, Petrozavodsk, Republic Karelia), Independent Social Women's Forum "Pskovityanka" (Pskov), Voronezh City Forum "Independent Women's Democratic Initiative" (NeZhDI, Voronezh), Snezhinsk City Public Organization "Women from ZATO" (Snezhinsk, Chelyabinsk oblast), Women's Information and Educational Center "Stimula" (Dubna, Moscow Region), Information Center for Support of Public Organizations "Sodeystvie" (Chelyabinsk), Business Lady Club (Zlatoust, Chelyabinsk oblast), Baikal Regional Union of Women "Angara" (Irkutsk), "Townswoman and House" (Zhukovsky, Moscow Region).

Responsible grantee - ICIWF.

The goal of the project: institutionalization of women's movement.

The project was directed to the creation of local networks of women's organizations in regions (North West of Moscow Region, South Urals, Karelia, and others). In cities Petrozavodsk, Pskov, Voronezh, Chelyabinsk, Snezhinsk, Irkutsk, Dubna, Zhukovsky, Zlatoust, Moscow were created information and educational centers for women. The network of 10 women's NGOs, equipped with all modern technique, which permanently cooperate with each other. Positive experience was got by ICIWF and organizations of the network in cooperation of with representatives of authority bodies, and experience in holding common sessions within the framework of the projects.

The work within the project was provided in the following directions: School of Leadership and Development for Women, support of regional women's initiatives, program for international cooperation, information and analytical program, resource and document center for women, publishing program (all partner organizations regularly issued newsletters within the projects).

Subproject School of Leadership and Development for Women was provided in several main directions: influence of social and economical reforms on women, independent women's media, women's history, women's agenda and international documents.

In 1998 ICIWF was the only women's organization in Russia which took part in housing and communal service reform and local self-governance. The work with in subproject "Initiating women's participation in housing and communal service reform and local self governance" was provided in cooperation with women's organizations from Petrozavodsk, Voronezh, Pskov, Snezhinsk, Dubna, Zhukovsky. Women created libraries, public reception rooms, where consultations on questions concerning housing payments were given to the dwellers. Local authority bodies also supported these initiatives.

Due to the received experience of work in local self-governance and housing reform, cooperation with women's NGOs for other cities and local authorities conditions for the development "Local Policy and the Status of Women" was set up.

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November 1996 - October 1997. Project "New Possibilities for Women"

Women's organizations-subgrantees: Karelia Center for Gender Studies (KCGS, Petrozavodsk, Karelia Republic), Independent Women's Social Center "Pskovityanka" (Pskov), Voronezh City Forum "Independent Women's Democratic Initiative" (NeZhDI, Voronezh), Association of Humanitarian Initiative (Mirnyi), Snezhinsk City Public Organization "Women from ZATO" (Snezhinsk, Chelyabinsk oblast).

ICIWF being the responsible grantee got and checked financial and narrative reports from all the subgrantees and arranged the summary financial and narrative report for presenting the granter.

The goals of the project: to promote creation and development of regional women's information centers/centers for support of women's initiatives; promote creation the mechanism for the resource supply of women's public organizations, their full participation in decision-making at local level; promote transformation of public view, creation of positive image of women and women's initiatives in mass media; promote cooperation of women's and other NGOs with authority bodies, their common work for the advancement of women.

The project had a number of directions of activity: "support of regional and local women's information centers", "women's rights, public expertise of bills", "education for women", "information and resource center".

It was the first step of ICIWF towards the network, joint by the common project, creation.

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