The Global Network of Women Leaders in the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement (GLOW Red) came together as a reaction to the events and decisions that unfolded during the Red Cross Red Crescent meetings in December 2017. During that event, elections for the Movement’s top governance and leadership posts resulted in 26 men and 4 women being elected to the IFRC Governing Board – meaning women held only 13% of the positions. It was evident to the entire General Assembly that this image did not reflect the organisation’s base and composition.
A resolution was drafted, attaining widespread support among National Society representatives present and adopted by the Assembly that same year. The resolution signified a commitment by all parts of the Movement ‘to address gender equality and equal opportunities at all levels of their own leadership bodies’. However, it was clear to the group of women who initiated the resolution, based on long experience of previous resolutions and commitments made in relation to women’s leadership and gender balance, that without proper follow-up actions and mechanisms in place to hold the Movement’s leadership accountable this resolution would go nowhere.
The GLOW Red network was created in early 2018 in response to the need to ensure commitment to, and action from, the resolution. The network is a true network, driven by volunteers giving generously of their time. Investment by National Societies has supported these volunteers, allowing a small group of staff to dedicate part of their time through the GLOW Red secretariat.
The commitment to acting as and remaining a network shaped the two goals set for GLOW Red’s first period of work:
- Change the electoral face of the international governance of the Movement by 2022 with the aim to reach gender parity;
- Increase and strengthen the pipeline of future women leaders, enabling and supporting high-potential women from staff and volunteer for leadership positions beyond 2022.
Since this time, the GLOW Red model has been built organically – through participating in formal and informal meetings across the Movement, building the profile and purpose of the network, and leveraging opportunities for activism and advocacy. It has become an important voice in discussions about inclusion in the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement.
Lighting the path to women’s leadership: A review of GLOW Red’s four years of action
After four years of activities – during which the Movement has made further commitments to gender equality – GLOW Red undertook a period of review, including an external evaluation of the network’s effectiveness (Lighting the Path to Women’s Leadership: A Review of Glow Red’s Four Years of Action, May 2022). It was also an opportunity to see the impact of some of GLOW Red’s work, one of the most important being the elections held in the IFRC General Assembly meeting in 2022 resulting in a board with 51% representation of women.
Read the review here
See the presentation of the review by Pip Henty, Leader, Humanitarian Advisory Group here.
Spread the word about GLOW Red and our work to potential new members, supporters, and followers! Summary and advocacy document based on the review:
The report Working Towards Gender Parity: GLOW Red Milestones
gives an overview and a timeline of what GLOW Red has achieved from 2017 to 2021.
Read the report
The 100 voices project
The 100 Voices project gathers stories of inspirational RCRC women from the very beginning of the Movement until present day. It showcases the collective and individual commitments and contributions that women have made to the Movement in every corner of the world. We believe that these women’s stories deserve a place in our common history, and we know that without them the RCRC movement would not be the same. Women play a pivotal role throughout the RCRC movement, and their voices deserve to be heard.
100 Voices is a living project, and we hope to be able to keep sharing stories of inspirational women throughout the RCRC movement. Know of a woman who is leading change and whose story should be heard? Reach out to us at glowred@redcross.se.
Acknowledgements:
We want to thank the Swiss Red Cross Society for their generous contribution, without it the 100 voices project would have never been possible. We also want to thank the Swedish Red Cross for hosting this platform.
Thank you also to the Canadian Red Cross, the Spanish Red Cross, Mr Ahmad Zaklouta, Mr Umar Al Ayoubi and Mr Amin Al Ayoubi for helping us with translations.
Lastly, a warm thank you to the women who have shared their voices – keep glowing!