Women Chapter International (WCI) –Not for Profit Organization
Registered on June 4th, 2020.
Org registration no: 802531-3266
Board of Directors:
Supriti Dhar (Chair)
Sandra Wall, Member (June 04, 2020-June 03, 2021)
Camilla Carlsson, Member
Monjun Nahar, Member
Shumu Haque, Member
Wiola Rebecka (August 20, 2021- Present) , Member
Auditor: Pia Tingvall
Background Meeting Activities of making WCI
The organization had its 1st annual meeting on 15 May 2021 via zoom. Besides that, it had numerous online and physical meetings between 2020 to 2021.
21 February 2020 – First Breakfast meeting of Supriti Dhar and Sandra Wall where the concept of WCI was discussed. And Camilla Carlsson joined at that meeting.
22 February 2020 – Officially the concept of WCI was discussed between Bangladesh partner Monjun Nahar and Supriti Dhar and agreed to go ahead with the organization.
25 February 2020 – Meeting at Coffice with Supriti Dhar, Sandra Wal, Camilla Carlsson, and Pia Tingvall where the registration process of an organization was discussed, and Camilla took the initiative.
3 and 11 March 2020 – Discussed the first draft of Statutes with the presence of Sandra Wall, Supriti Dhar, and Camilla Carlsson.
24 March 2020 – First Skype meeting with all, and Monjun Nahar as a Bangladesh partner and Shumu Haque as a Canadian partner were introduced with other members in Sweden. And both of them were agreed to be Board Member of the WCI.
18 May 2020 – Finalized the statues of WCI.
04 June 2020 – There was a ZOOM meeting with all the members of WCI and the final statutes were discussed and finalized. This meeting elected Supriti Dhar as Chairman of WCI for two years, Sandra Wall as a secretary, Camilla Carlsson as a cashier, Monjun Nahar, and Shumu Haque as a Board Member. The meeting decided to appoint Pia Tingvall as an Auditor for one year. At last, the finalized statutes were signed by the Swedish Board Members Sandra Wall, Camilla Carlsson, and Supriti Dhar before some witnesses, and the final copy was sent to migrationsverket for registration.
In the meantime, Monjun Nahar has done some groundwork in Bangladesh to make a decision that will help WCI to work in the future.
September and October 2020 were full of activities, physical meetings, zoom meetings, and searching for banks.
By this time WCI had a discussion with SIDA, Forum Civ, and Swedish Art Council to know about the future funding process. Along with such meetings, WCI continued to meet and talk about the organization’s objectives and goals and working areas with other activists in Norrköping and Stockholm.
WCI got acquainted with a group of people from East European countries and Rwanda who are working on the Transgenerational Trauma of Rape victims for a long time. This acquaintance has given the organization a new look for further work spheres.
Due to the impact of COVID-19, WCI was unable to secure funding support or fully achieve its intended goals in the field. However, it has successfully laid the foundation for future work. Over time, WCI has built a strong network of like-minded organizations and individuals dedicated to advancing human rights and freedom of expression in developing countries.
As part of the Women Chapter—the first online writing platform for women in Bangladesh, founded in 2013—WCI already has a solid foundation. Women Chapter is more than just a portal; it is a movement for change. It has significantly influenced the women’s rights movement in Bangladesh and the broader Bangla-speaking world. Committed to human rights, minority rights, indigenous rights, and freedom of speech and expression, the Women Chapter has served as a powerful platform for advocacy and discourse for the past eight years.