Association of Humanitarian Initiatives, Mimyi, Sakha Republic (Yakutia)
Association "Conversion and Women", Moscow
The feminist club "Women's Light", Tver
Baikal Region Women's Union "Angara", Irkutsk
Volgograd Regional Department of Interregional Social-Political Movement "Women's Forum - New Policy", Volgograd
Independent Women's Democratic Initiative NeZHDI, Voronezh
Women Information Network, Moscow
The "Initiative" Women's League, Saratov
Women's Archives, Moscow
Stimula Women's Center, Dubna Moscow region
Women's Club "Preobrazhenie", Moscow
Women's Public Association "Femina", Naberezhnye Chelny, Tatarstan
"Women from ZATO", Snezhinsk
Information Center of the Independent Women's Forum, Moscow
Karelian Centre for Gender Studies (KCGS), Petrozavodsk
The Kola Peninsula Congress of Women, Murmansk
Coordination Council of the Women of Zarechniy, Zarechniy
The Gaia International Women's Center, Moscow
Interregional Association of Women Lawyers, Saratov
Interregional Public Association "Women's Unity", Moscow
The Blue Bird Program Development and Consultation Center, Vladivostok
Moscow Center for Gender Studies, Moscow
Independent Organization of Women's Initiative "Lubavy", Kaluga
Syostri - regional non-governmental organization, independent charity sexual assault recovery center, Moscow
Independent Women's Social Center of the Pskov region, Pskov
Peterburg Women's Crisis Psychological Center, St. Peterburg
Regional non-governmental organization "Saratov Business Women's Club", Saratov
Alliance "Women of the Don", Novocherkassk
Women's Organization of Tarussa, Tarussa, Kaluzhski Region
Feminist Orientation Center,
Moscow
Center for the Integration of Women's Studies of St. Petersburg State University (TSIZHI), St. Petersburg
Centre for Women, Family and Gender Studies, Moscow
Women's Resource Center , Moscow

Women's Christian-Democratic Movement of Belarus (WCDM), Minsk
Society for Women's Initiatives Support of Western Kazakhstan oblast, Uralsk
Kharkov Center for Gender Studies, Kharkov

In 1991-1992 in Russia, at the forum of independent women's organizations held in Dubna, the network - Independent Women's Forum - with intention to support communication contacts among its members was established.

The most active women organized (and participated in) seminars in Moscow. In 1994-1995 great activities took place in connection with preparation for the NGO Forum-95 and the IV-th UN World Conference on Women's Status (Beijing, 1995). A number of organizations combined their efforts and run common seminars. During the period of a year three interregional seminars "Strategies of the Independent Women's Forum: Before and After Beijing" were conducted, with more than 30 organizations-participants in each. We invited our sisters-in-movement from CIS. More than 50 women from our network were participants of the NGO Forum-95.

In December 1995 the interregional Association of the independent women's organizations (ANZhO) was set up at the seminar "From Outcomes to Perspectives". After Beijing the women decided to unite in order to contribute jointly to social development of the society, raise their role in the national mechanizm of women's status advancement and integrate their interests into social, economic and cultural policies. Women's organizations united into the Association in order to provide information exchange, make different publications, prepare special educational courses, carry out researches, conduct social expertise of legislation and projects, perform interregional actions.

At present, 36 organizations are members of ANZhO, among them 33 - organizations from Russia, 3 - from other former USSR republics (Belorussia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine). Russian organizations include interregional organizations such as "Conversion and Women", "Women's Unity", "Association of Women-Lawyers" and regional organizations with many branches such as "Angara" (Regional Baikal Alliance of Women), "Women of Don" Alliance. Among members there are local and municipal organizations too. The Association we represent is only one of many structures existing in the women's liberation movement in Russia but at the same time it is a unique research, educational and information organization because near 40% of its organizations are engaged in gender studies, educational programs, cultural and informational activity, including publishing of books, issue of manuals and even cycles of educational telecasts dedicated to women's themes.

Women's efforts were dedicated as well to the creation of special libraries, videocenters and videothecas in many towns. The organizations collected unique libraries with literature in Russian and English containing materials on advocacy of women's rights, problems related to violence, legal status of nongovernmental organizations, development of the social sphere and other, which are not covered by public libraries. Students, teachers, researchers, lawyers and other specialists widely use our libraries. In the social association "Femina" (Naberezhnyje Chelny) videotheca was created with videofilms dedicated to various aspects of women's rights. These films are demonstrated by local television, besides they serve as a manual for women's organizations from other towns and are used at seminars and trainings.

We publish regular magazines and information bulletins for women. ("Bereginya" in Voronezh, "Girls Call for Attention" in Naberezhnyje Chelny, "Preobrazhenie" and "Vestnik" in Moscow, "Tarussa's World" in Tarussa and others). Irregular editions, collections of papers, books are also published upon materials of conferences and special researches.

We have published complete edition of "We About Ourselves" in Russian. Now, we offer to our readers brief summary in English about our net of organizations. Great contribution to this edition was made by the staff of the Information Center of the Independent Women's Forum.

We are grateful to the British Embassy and Ford Foundation for their support.