Documents

AIPWA Constitution

Constitution

Name of the organization shall be All India Progressive Women’s Association, AIPWA in brief. In hindi, अखिल भारतीय प्रगतिशील महिला एसोसिएशन संक्षेप में ऐपवा.

Objectives

AIPWA is committed to equality, freedom, and democratic rights of women in the country and is a centre for struggle against every kind of oppression (gender-based, social, political oppression) and violence against women. AIPWA opposes religious, casteist, regional or any other kind of discrimination against women and is committed towards equal rights for every woman in India.

AIPWA stands in solidarity with civil rights, environmental protection and peaceful citizens’ movements for justice.

Members: Any Indian woman aged 16 years or above who is in agreement with AIPWA’s objectives and programs can become a member of AIPWA. Those associated with fundamentalist organizations are not encouraged to be a member of AIPWA.

Conferences:

AIPWA Naional Conference will be held once in every 3 years. In special circumstances the National Council can take a decision to advance the conference. The National Conference shall elect the National Council. The National Council shall elect the Executive, President, General Secretary and other office-bearers. It shall decide the number of Vice Presidents and Secretaries and elect them. The President, General Secretary and Secretaries shall be members of the Executive. This is not mandatory for the Vice President but she should necessarily be a member of the Council.

Membership Fee: The National Executive shall fix the membership fee with the approval of the National Council.

National Executive: This shall be the chief executive committee. The National Executive shall take decisions related to the running of the organization between two conferences.

General Secretary: She shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the organization. She shall present the minutes and audit reports in the Executive meetings. In the intervals between Executive neetings she shall take decisions related to movements and the organization. 

President: She shall preside over Executive and Council meetings.

Vice President: She shall assist the President and preside over meetings in the absence of the President.

Secretary: She shall assist the General Secretary and shall be responsible for the organization in the absence of the General Secretary.

State Committee: In order to hold a conference or constitute a committee in any State, AIPWA must have a structural presence in a minimum of 3 Districts in that State. A State conference will be held in the presence of an observer appointed by the National Executive. A State shall have the posts of President and Secretary. Like the National Executive, the State Executive shall be the chief executive institution in the State.

District Committee: District Conferences and election of District Committees shall be held in the presence of an observer appointed by the State Executive. There should be a minimum of 1000 members for a District Conference. In special cases the State Committee can make concessions in this. There should be a minimum of 500 members for a Block Conference, and a minimum of 300 members for a Panchayat Conference. In the event of less than minimum membership, a convention can be organized to constitute a convening committee.

Each committee shall be under its immediate superior committee, shall be in active contact with the superior committee, and shall be active within its scope in movements and organization building. Committees at all levels shall strive to take decisions with the unanimous agreement of committee members. In the absence of unanimous agreement, decision by majority vote shall be valid.

Members: Members shall pay the fixed membership fee. Any member shall have the right to be elected to committees, express her opinion and give suggestions to the concerned committee, but will have to abide by the committee’s decision. She shall have the right to approach a superior committee against any committee’s decision.

Funds: For conducting movements and organizational work AIPWA shall be dependent on membership fees and contributions from supporters and citizens who sympathize with the women’s movement. Block, district or state conferences will give funds to the centre depending on the number of members.

Disciplinary Action: The concerned committee shall have the right to take action against any member/office-bearer engaged in anti-organization activities. However, the concerned committee shall have to take permission from the superior committee. The accused member/office-bearer shall have the right to present her side of the matter.

Central Office: U-90, Shakarpur, Delhi-110092