Following are answers to frequently asked questions we have received. Click on the topic to be brought to the explanation. At the bottom of this page is an Glossary of Terms we have used on this website that may be causing some confusion:
What is Gather the Women?
Gather the Women, a project of Women of Vision and Action, was initiated in March 2003 as a global event to bring women around the world together for a week of activities culminating in a global gathering on International Women's Day, March 8. The focus of the activities was to awaken, harness and ground the feminine energy to bring the planet into balance. The event was so successful that Gather the Women has turned into a global grassroots movement that encompasses more than just the annual week of activities held in March each year around International Women's Day. There is now an annual Gather the Women Congress (more information below) and an interactive website that includes a fully searchable online directory as well as discussion and action forums. More information about the beginnings of Gather the Women can be found in our GTW History section.
Where are the Gather the Women events held?
There is no ONE CENTRAL location where the events are held each year. Gather the Women is a week-long series of events being created in hundreds of different global locations during the Gather the Women week held each year around March 8, the date set aside by the United Nations as International Women's Day. We envision one billion women participating in some way in these activities. For an event of this magnitude to be successful we needed to initiate a chaordic system (see definition below in our Glossary of Terms) where women around the world could plan their own gatherings in their own local areas. This keeps the costs down, eliminates the need for long distance travel, enables women to unleash their creative genius and plan an event that fits their lifestyle, their space availability, their time commitment, their belief system, etc. We are calling on YOU to take a lead in creating this global event.
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What is the focus of the events?
We are coming together to set our individual and collective intentions, to celebrate the feminine, to plant the seeds of positive change and to create a miracle in the world.
At each gathering women are encouraged to focus their intentions on healing issues that are relevant to their local community. We invite participants to post their intentions on this website (through the GTW Forums). However, we are also asking that the following common intention be held by all women participants:
"It is time for women to lead the way to a more peaceful and sustainable planet. It is time for us to bridge our cultural differences and stand together in solidarity. It is time to take whatever actions are necessary to bring the masculine and feminine energies on the planet into balance. It is time for each of us to start being the change we wish to see in the world."
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What format do the events need to follow?
There is no particular format that needs to be followed. We invite women to use their creativity and plan even td that are inspiring, fun and an expression of your creative spirit. They can be as big or small as you desire (3 women in a living room to thousands of women in a stadium). They can be a weeklong series of events, or one event during the week. They can be a day long event or just a couple of hours. They can incorporate ritual and music, or prayer and meditation or inspirational talks, discussion, social or political action, or a combination of all the above. We hope you will take this opportunity to organize a gathering that is as unique as you are. Think of the Gather the Women global initiative as being a beautiful tapestry. Your event will contribute its unique color and pattern to the tapestry we all are weaving.
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What are the specific issues Gather the Women is addressing?
We have made a conscious choice not to prescribe to the women of the world what they should think or believe. We feel it is vital at this moment in human history for women to rediscover their authentic voice and take their place alongside the masculine energy. Some women are motivated to bring peace, others to end hunger and still others to protect the fragile natural resources of the planet. Some are passionate about health and healing, while others are passionate about political action. Our role is to help women connect with others who share their passion, to encourage them to step into leadership in bold new ways, to inspire them with stories and images, to let them know they are not alone.
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Are men allowed to participate?
This is a week-long women's sacred retreat. Just as men would not want or encourage women to be a participant in a men's retreat, we also do not encourage men to participate in the Gather the Women week of activities. This is a time for women to gather, to connect deeply with one another, to express their unique gifts and to bring forth their wisdom in a safe and supportive environment.
If men would like to contribute to this endeavor, we welcome their loving support through their gifts of time, talent and financial resources to help produce and fund this historic movement. We also invite our brothers to support our efforts to create a balanced world by speaking out and bringing attention to the inequities currently responsible for the imbalance and by working side by side with us to help to birth a new partnership paradigm.
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Why is the initiative focused only on women? How does that "polarity" contribute to bringing balance to the planet?
We need to begin from the truth of where we are right now in human history. We need to acknowledge the extreme imbalance that currently exists between the masculine and feminine. In many countries of the world, women's voices are literally not heard in public venues and women's faces are not seen and girl children are not valued enough to be allowed to live. While women in the United States and other industrialized nations have made some important progress over the past 100 years, the reality is we still face an enormous gap in terms of global leadership. Women make up 53 percent of the world's population, yet women hold only 10 percent of the leadership and decision-making roles in the world. Once balance is achieved, that will open the way for a partnership paradigm to emerge.
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What kind of support can I expect in planning an event?
Women of Vision and Action will support you by providing an interactive website so you can post your event, will provide the online directory so you can search, connect and collaborate with other women in your local area, will provide an ever expanding list of resources for your use, and upon request will answer specific questions you have about the initiative that are not covered in this faq's page.
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Can we charge admission for our event and do we need to send WOVA any portion of the proceeds?
We have no policy about charging a fee for
your event. We do hope, however, that events being planned will
be affordable for all women and a provision is made to not turn
anyone away for lack of funds. Funds collected, if any, can be
used by you or your organization to offset your costs or donated
to whatever cause you would like.
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Is there any funding support available for planning our gatherings?
Currently, there is no funds available to
assist those who are planning local gatherings. However, if funds
do become available for this purpose, we will post information
on this website on how you can apply for a grant.
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Can we plan a week-long event if we want?
It would be wonderful if you considered planning a week-long event following the guidelines of the Daily Activities. Bringing women together during the week is a very powerful way to anchor the energy.
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How do you plan to reach a billion women?
The Gather the Women initiative envisions one billion women participating in some way during the week of March 3-8, 2003. Some have said that this is impossible. Following is a simple mathematical chart compiled by Christine Gregory of the Gather the Women Guiding Circle that shows just how easy it is to reach one billion women in just 19 days.
If only 3 women tell 3 women we have 9. If those 9 women tell 3 women we have 27. If those 27 women tell 3 women we have 81. If those 81 tell 3 women we have 243, etc. As you can see by day 18 we have 1,162,261,467 women. Here is your call to spread the word. It is time to Gather the Women!!
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