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Structure and network: Together for women’s rights

The charitable association medica mondiale has an Executive Board and a volunteer Supervisory Board. More about the organisational structure.

A multi-colour net of threads fixed with colourful pins.

medica mondiale was founded in 1993 by a small group of activists. At the time there were very few initiatives working to support survivors of sexualised wartime violence. Today the organisation is part of a worldwide network. Together with partner organisations, activists and supporters, we are working to assert women’s rights and eliminate violence against women.

Our organisational structure

medica mondiale is a registered non-profit association with its head office in Cologne, Germany. There is also an office in Dohuk that coordinates the activities in northern Iraq, and an office in Bujumbura (Burundi) for the African Great Lakes region.

General Assembly, Supervisory Board and Board

Our governing bodies are the General Assembly, the Supervisory Board and the Board. The General Assembly is the highest supervisory body and elects from its members the Supervisory Board. The General Assembly receives and approves the Annual Report from the Board and the Supervisory Board.

The three association members Beate Vinke (Chair of the Supervisory Board), Britta Maier and Christiane Borup (left to right) currently form the Supervisory Board. The members of Supervisory Board appoint the Executive Board, advise it and monitor strategy and the budget. They do this in a voluntary capacity.

The Executive Board consists of Elke Ebert (Executive Member of the Board for Finances & HR), Sybille Fezer (Executive Member of the Board for Programmes) and Dr. Monika Hauser (Chair of the Board). The three Board Members manage the work of the association and represent it externally.

Advisory Board

The Advisory Board supports medica mondiale on the issue of sexualised violence and on political and societal issues affecting the work of the organisation. The founding members of the Advisory Board are Prof. Dr. Ulrike Lembke, Jagoda Marinić, Dr. Regina Mühlhäuser, Prof. Dr. Rolf Pohl, Prof. Dr. Luise Reddemann and Barbara Unmüßig.

Staff in the head office

The head office of medica mondiale had 72 staff in 2022. They support the establishment of women’s therapy centres in crisis regions, advise our partner organisations during project implementation, and monitor the proper use of funding. Furthermore, they convey political demands to politicians and state institutions in Germany, inform the German public about the issue of sexualised violence and its causes and consequences, and raise funds and donations. The majority of the team are based in Cologne, but two colleagues also work from an office in Berlin.

Regional Offices in the Great Lakes region and Iraq

The Regional Office in Burundi was set up in 2015 to represent medica mondiale in the region of the African Great Lakes. Its staff members network regionally with activists, relevant organisations and political institutions. The focus of the work is on Burundi and the South Kivu region. The office is managed by Maria Massaro.

In northern Iraq, medica mondiale maintains a presence in the form of the Coordination Office. Led by Wedad Ibrahim, the team represents medica mondiale to institutions and partners, ensuring that all projects can be implemented smoothly. It also coordinates its own programmes.

Worldwide networking

medica mondiale is active within various national and international networks and works together with other women’s and specialist organisations. The aim is to further develop our work and together bring about changes in society.

Partner organisations

With partner organisations on four continents, medica mondiale is supporting survivors of sexualised wartime violence. Together we plan projects, carry them out and voice political demands. Our partner organisations are led by local specialist staff, which gives the organisations a high level of credibility.

Networks

The Association of Women in Development (AWID) is the largest feminist development-oriented network in the world. It encompasses 5,000 activists, organisations and funders from over 160 countries who are actively committed to women’s rights and equal rights.

Memberships

As a member of VENRO (Association of German Development NGOs), medica mondiale has committed itself to upholding the VENRO Code of Conduct and contributes to numerous working groups, including the AG Fragile States that deals with the challenges of working in contexts of crises.

In 2011 medica mondiale joined the Transparent Civil Society Initiative. As a member, we commit to transparent accountability and impact orientation, we inform in an open manner about the aims and impacts of our work, the source and allocation of all financial resources, and decision making within our organisation.