WRA India - Introduction

-	Raise awareness among citizens, international NGOs, national NGOs and governments of the need to ensure safe pregnancy and childbirth.
-	Build alliances through wide-ranging, intersectoral partnerships with non-traditional groups (such as teachers and religious organizations), recognizing that a large and united effort is critical to effect change.
-	Act as a catalyst for action to address the tragedy of maternal deaths and sustain current Safe Motherhood effort

Alliance members believe that a broad-based coalition can make Safe Motherhood a priority issue for governments, NGOs, donors and international organizations. Alliance partners collaborate to decrease maternal mortality through shared resources and experiences. The efforts go a long way in increasing awareness of the issue with policy makers, legislators, NGOs, health service providers, families and communities. The WRAI strategies are to identify and share existing material and best practices, mobilize involvement and endorsement from political figures and policy makers, implement innovative projects and campaigns through partners and networks, disseminate messages and information through the mass media and mobilize celebrities to talk about the issue.

At present, WRAI at the national level has 78 Institutional Members and 4 State Alliances.

Structure of the White Ribbon Alliance India

The WRAI has a Secretariat, a Coordinator, two chairpersons, and a Treasurer along with working sub-committees. Leadership is democratically elected and is purely voluntary. The chairperson/s and the treasurer are elected by the WRAI members. While the chairperson/s are individuals, WRAI elects only an organizational member as the treasurer. WRAI is not registered, and thus has no legal status. WRA does not collect Membership Fees, or has a corpus fund.

The WRAI follows several guiding principles: volunteerism, inclusiveness and open membership, commitment to the cause of reducing maternal mortality paramount, stress on sharing of experiences, best practices, materials and information, and collaboration. A facilitative leadership approach is used and other members are strongly encouraged to take the lead in various activities and initiatives. No funding is provided to individuals or organizations to participate in activities or events. These principles have been pivotal to maintaining and increasing the membership.

WRAI has a number of sub committees working on different issues. These sub committees are formed when the need is felt to focus on a particular area. Individuals/organizational representatives volunteer to work within these sub committees. Members are given a specific mandate. i.e. an issue to work on the sub committees are mostly transitory. Once the mandate given is completed, the sub committee ceases to exist.

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