WOMANKIND recognises that the underlying causes of gender inequality and discrimination against women will not be solved simply by providing services and running small-scale projects for women in developing countries.

These efforts must be complemented by investing time and money into shaping and influencing the laws and policies of decision-makers at all levels, as well as changing the way people think. Our third strategic aim is therefore to ''inform and influence policy and practice at the local, national, regional and international levels''.

Our policy efforts at the national and international levels are informed by our programme work and draw on the experiences and challenges faced by women in their everyday lives. We seek to bring about lasting improvements in women''s status and well-being through a combination of:

research and analysis
training and education
lobbying decision-makers
sharing learning and working with others
And we have a particular focus on reducing violence against women and empowering women to play a meaningful role in the civil and political life of their communities and countries.

Influencing policy & decision-makers
A very important part of WOMANKIND''s work as an international organisation is ensuring that the voices of the women we support and broader issues of concern to women are raised at the highest levels of policy and decision-making around the world. For example, we raise women''s key concerns and highlight the importance of women''s human rights in discussions with policy-makers, such as the Commission for Africa and with other key players in development, such as the Make Poverty History coalition. We ensure that partners have the opportunity to raise their concerns directly with international decision-makers. And in each case we seek to ensure that our policy efforts are shaped and informed by thorough research and clear policy positions.

Sharing learning

The exchange of learning, knowledge, strategies and experience, with our partners and with other organisations, enables us to strengthen the impact of our policy efforts and our programmes. For instance, in October 2004 we brought together partners from South Africa, Albania and Zimbabwe to discuss strategies for increasing women''s representation at local and national levels of government. In 2003, we organised an international learning exchange on the topic of improving policy responses to domestic violence, with WOMANKIND partners and representatives of the UK voluntary and policy sector. And, in December 2004, WOMANKIND hosted a conference, which brought together international experts, policy-makers, partners and other organisations to debate the global challenges to women''s human rights, twenty-five years after CEDAW - the principal legal instrument addressing women''s human rights and equality - was adopted.

Forming alliances

Our policy work is also strengthened by working closely with organisations that share our common interest in tackling inequality between women and men. In this way, we are able to share expertise and lessons learnt, provide support to each other and jointly lobby decision-makers. In the UK, WOMANKIND currently hosts and co-ordinates the Gender and Development Network, a collection of organisations and individuals working on gender and development issues. We also participate in a number of different forums, including the Women''s National Commission, the Network on Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights, the Zimbabwe NGO Coalition and the Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, amongst others. At the international level, we have close links with other like-minded organisations, such as the Association for Women''s Rights in Development and the Center for Women''s Global Leadership. We also participate in a number of UN forums, such as the annual UN Commission on the Status of Women, through our special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.