WGH Movement Building Process: The Power of Collective Action
30 July 2024
In 2025, our movement will be 10 years old. There are more of us than ever, in 58 chapters in 53 countries. As we continue to grow, it’s vital that we build a robust foundation for our future. This is why in 2023, we embarked on the Movement Building Process – an iterative, collaborative journey driven by broad and inclusive participatory methodologies. The process engaged nearly 100 members from 44 Chapters, our Board and our global team. Together we developed a shared Mandate outlining core values and a unified vision, a global Theory of Change framework and an Organizational Model promoting non-hierarchical collaboration. We held consultations in virtual workshops especially designed to create an atmosphere of inclusivity, trust, and accountability – and had great fun in the process.
In carrying out this exercise, we recommitted to growing together, reiterating the movement’s common purpose and collaborative dynamics.
The consolidated WGH Mandate outlines the shared identity and vision to enable WGH members to speak with a unified voice. Fostering inclusive spaces that are multidirectional and grounded in solidarity, it champions women as leaders who can change power dynamics in health and drive the movement toward lasting progress in gender equity.
The unified framework of the WGH Theory of Change empowers all chapters to achieve the collective mission of challenging power and privilege, advance gender equality in health, more diverse and responsible leadership, better conditions for women to grow into and stay in top positions and improved working conditions for women in health.
The WGH organizational model lays out the fundamental principles and values for the network model approach that is non-hierarchical and collaborative in service of the WGH mandate. Overarching principles apply to the culture of the movement committed to advancing gender equity and that the WGH Mandate is central to its identity. The Enabling Principles support the movement to advance the mandate through Operational Agility enabled by Chapters functioning as independent and collaborative entities, working within a Multidirectional Exchange that encourages to share learnings and disseminate knowledge as public goods.
The value of Compassionate Sisterhood & Altruism evolved in the process and represents a nurturing and empathetic bond among individuals and a deep concern for the movement’s wellbeing. WGH’s underpinning values Solidarity, Non-competitive, Collaboration, Subsidiarity and Equity equally support the WGH organizational model and underscore its power in supporting collective spaces for women.
