Preamble

The Civic Association (hereinafter referred to as the “Civic Association”) under the name “Fórum žen” is being established for the purpose of implementing the social activities of women in the Czech Republic and on an international basis, and deepening the professional, social and personal contacts of women.

Article I: Name of the Association

The name of the Association is:

• In the Czech language: Fórum žen
• In the English language: Women’s Forum

Article II: Registered Office of the Association

The registered office of the Association is: Široká 5/36, 110 00 Prague 1.

Article III: Legal Relations of the Association

1. The Association is a legal entity featuring independent legal personality, i.e. the Association is entitled to assume rights and obligations in its own name.
2. The Association answers for its obligations with its assets.
3. The Association is incorporated at the moment it is registered by the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic. The preparatory committee of the Association is entitled to file the application for registration.

Article IV: Goals of the Association

The goal of the Association is to organize, activate and deepen the domestic and international contacts of women, in particular:

• To associate Czech and foreign women from various fields of activity for the purpose of establishing social and professional contacts, arranging meetings and mutual inspiration;
• To organize a non-party and non-political discussion on the directions of development and legislative reforms related to the status of women in the Czech Republic and to provide information in this sphere to members of the Association, the communication media and the state administration authorities; 
• To contact and interconnect Czech, foreign and international women’s organizations; 
• To support the activities of women and men that will be helpful in utilizing the potential of women in the society 
• To execute the project for the support of solidarity and self-knowledge of women and in particular for the purpose of enhancing their participation in state administration, representative bodies and public administration.

Article V: Membership in the Association

1. Any natural person who pays the membership fee may become a member in the Association and will be registered in the list of members by the Board of Directors of the Association on the basis of her request and the recommendation of two existing members.
2. The amount of the membership fee and the due date of the membership fee will be determined by the Board of Directors.
3. Membership in the Association ceases to exist
   • Upon death
   • Upon withdrawal from the Association,
   • Upon failure to pay the membership fees for a period exceeding 3 months after the due date,
   • Upon disintegration of the Association or cancellation of the same,
   • Upon expulsion.
4. The Board of Directors may decide upon expulsion of a member if the member damages the good reputation of the Association through her actions or otherwise.

Article VI: Bodies of the Association

1. The General Meeting of the Association is the supreme body of the Association.
   1. Each member of the Association is entitled to participate in and vote at the General Meeting of the Association.
   2. The General Meeting of the Association is convoked by the Executive Director upon a motion of the Board of Directors or upon a motion of a minimum of one-third of the members of the Association, delivered to the Executive Director who is obligated to convoke the General Meeting within 14 days after the motion’s delivery date. The Executive Director is obligated to convoke the General Meeting at least once a year, even without a motion for convocation. 
   3. The General Meeting constitutes a quorum if at least 50 per cent of the members registered in the list of members as at the day of the General Meeting are attending the General Meeting or are represented at the General Meeting. Each member of the Association has one vote. 
   4. Unless the regularly convoked General Meeting constitutes a quorum, the Executive Director is obligated to re-convoke the General Meeting within one month. Such a re-convoked General Meeting always constitutes a quorum, i.e. regardless of the number of the attending or represented members. 
   5. To assume a resolution of the General Meeting, a simple majority of the votes present at the General Meeting is required, with the exception of voting on a merger, amalgamation and/or another form of cessation of the Association that requires a two-thirds majority of the votes needed. 
   6. The General Meeting decides on essential issues concerning the Association, in particular on:
      • Election and revocation of the Board of Directors of the Association,
      • Establishment of organizational units (affiliates) of the Association in the Czech Republic,
      • Articles of the Association,
      • Merger, amalgamation and/or another method of cessation of the Association.
2. The Board of Directors is the executive body of the Association.
   1. The Board of Directors has at least five members, the maximum number of members in the Board of Directors is unlimited. The particular number and the individual members of the Board of Directors shall always be determined by the General Meeting for a period of two years.
   2. The Board of Directors shall elect the Chairwoman and Vice-chairwomen from its members, who are charged to convoke the meetings of the Board of Directors. The meetings of the Board of Directors are held at least once every six months. The meetings of the Board of Directors are managed by the Chairwoman or Vice-chairwoman of the Board of Directors and the Executive Director arranges for the preparation of the minutes of the meeting. 
   3. The Board of Directors is charged with the preparation of the activity plans of the Association and with the decision-making on essential issues that are not reserved to the General Meeting of the Association. 
   4. The Board of Directors decides with the absolute majority of the votes of its members present at the particular meeting. 
   5. In the event of equal votes, the vote of the Chairwoman, Vice-chairwoman or other member of the Board of Directors managing the particular meeting shall be decisive. 
   6. The Board of Directors appoints and revokes the Executive Director of the Association and decides upon the remuneration payable to her. 
   7. In the event that no Executive Director has been appointed by the Board of Directors, the Board of Directors shall decide on the manner in which the duties of the Executive Director shall be distributed among the members of the Association willing to exercise the particular duties; in this event, the responsibility for the above mentioned activities remains with the Board of Directors.
3. The administrative activities and the ordinary agenda shall be assured by the Executive Director of the Association who reports to the Board of Directors, by which she is appointed and removed. 
   1. The Executive Director is responsible for arranging the ordinary agenda related to the activities of the Association. She is also responsible for orderly accounting of the Association. 
   2. The Executive Director exercises her function only within the scope of the authorization granted to her by the Board of Directors at the time of her appointment. 
   3. In urgent cases that may not be postponed, the Executive Director may produce a resolution of the Board of Directors per rollam. Such a resolution is valid if it is accepted by the absolute majority of all members of the Board of Directors. The Executive Director has to provide information on the per rollam resolution at the next meeting of the Board of Directors. 
4. The Executive Director, assistant and/or other workers in the Association are entitled to receive a payment. The amount of such payments shall be defined by the Board of Directors. The other offices are offices of honor. 
5. The Association may establish offices of honor in addition to the above named bodies.

Article VII: Acting on Behalf of the Association

1. The following persons are entitled to act on behalf of the Association:
   • Chairwoman of the Board of Directors
   • Vice-chairwoman of the Board of Directors, 
     and namely independently in all matters
   • A member of the Board of Directors authorized by the Board of Directors, 
     within the scope of such authorization
   • Executive Director on the basis of the authorization by the Board of Directors and within the scope of such authorization.

Article VIII: Economy of the Association

1. The income sources of the Association consist of:
   • Membership fees,
   • Donations received from members,
   • Contributions and donations received from domestic and foreign legal entities and natural persons,
   • Sources obtained through the activities of the Association.
2. The Association is entitled to use its financial means to accomplish the purposes and goals of the Association.
3. The Association is obligated to keep accounting evidence on its economy pursuant to the Czech legal system. The Executive Director is responsible for accounting and she is entitled to authorize a third party that is duly qualified to keep the books.

Article IX: Cessation of the Association

1. The Association ceases to exist on the basis of the resolution of the General Meeting, namely through dissolution or merger or amalgamation with another legal entity.
2. The Executive Director is obligated to prepare the financial statements and to settle the assets of the Association as at the day of cessation of the Association.

Article X: Final Provisions

Other matters related to the Association and not explicitly regulated by the present Articles of Association shall be governed by the relevant generally binding legal regulations of the Czech Republic, in particular by Act No. 83/1990 Coll., the Act on Association of Citizens, as amended, and by the provisions of the Civil Code.

This is the version of the Articles of Association valid after the incorporation of the changes assumed by the General Meeting of the Association on December 3, 2008.