FAQ

ABOUT THE FORUM

What is the Eurasian Women’s Forum?

The Eurasian Women’s Forum is an influential international platform that enables women leaders from all continents to engage in a dialogue and adopt joint decisions on key issues concerning international cooperation, sustainable economic development, the assimilation of new technologies, a healthy lifestyle, environmental safety, and the promotion of social charitable projects.

The Forum is attended by women parliamentarians, representatives of the executive authorities, international organizations, the business and scientific communities, public organizations, charitable projects, and respected members of the international women’s movement from numerous countries around the world.

More information is available in the About the Forum section.

When and where will the Forum take place?

The Fourth Eurasian Women’s Forum will take place on 18–20 September 2024 at several major convention and cultural venues in the historical centre of St. Petersburg:

• Tavrichesky Palace (47, Shpalernaya Street)
• Universe of Water museum complex (56, Shpalernaya Street)

More information can be found in the Forum venues section.

How to get to the Forum venue?

Participants and media representatives will be able to reach the Forum venue by one of the following means:

• by free shuttle buses
• by car rented from the EWF transportation service operator
• by accredited private car
• by non-accredited vehicles or cabs (without parking privileges)

Who is organizing the Forum?

The organizers of the Eurasian Women’s Forum are the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

For a complete list of members of the Eurasian Women’s Forum Organizing Committee, please go to the Organizing Committee section.

The operator of the Forum is the Roscongress Foundation, a socially-oriented non-financial development institution and major organizer of international conventions, exhibitions and business, public, sporting and cultural events, founded in cooperation with and by decree of the President of the Russian Federation.

FORUM PROGRAMME

What events will be included in the Forum business programme?

The Forum business programme includes plenary sessions, strategic and expert sessions with international organizations, discussion platforms including with opinion leaders, parity discussions, public-private and business dialogues, webinars, workshops and business breakfasts.

The programme utilizes a platform-based approach that helps systematize discussion topics dedicated to women’s mission of shaping a new agenda of peace and trust, protecting people’s health, developing the economy and digitalization, preserving the planet, and implementing social transformations.

The Forum participants have access to all events on the EWF business programme from 18 to 20 September excluding plenary session and the invitation-only events.

The full programme of the Forum is published in the Business programme of the Forum section.

What issues will the business programme address?

The main theme of the Fourth Eurasian Women’s Forum is ‘Women for Strengthening Trust and Global Cooperation’. The discussions will be held within thematic platforms:

• Women Shaping a New Agenda for Peace and Trust
• Women in the New Economic Reality: Technologies and Innovations
• Women for a Healthy Society and Social Well-Being
• Women for a Clean Planet and Food Security
• Women for the Preservation of Traditions and Cultural Diversity

The BRICS Women's Forum will be held on the sidelines of the Forum on 20 September 2024 as part of Russia’s Chairship of BRICS.

PARTICIPATING IN THE FORUM

How much does it cost to participate in the Forum?

Participation in the Forum is free of charge.

How do I apply to take part in the Forum?

A Forum Organizing Committee invitation is required to take part in the Eurasian Women's Forum.

How do I confirm participation?

Participants invited by the Forum operator (the Roscongress Foundation) will receive an email with the login and password to their personal web office. After receiving your invitation to participate in the Forum, please confirm your participation in the personal web office on the official Forum website. If you decide not to attend the Forum, please inform the organizers of your decision through your personal web office or by contacting the Forum information centre.

If possible, please confirm you will attend no later than 10 days before the start of the Forum.

How to cancel participation in the Forum?

If you are not planning to attend the Forum, please inform the organizers through your personal web office or contact the Forum information centre at:

Tel.: +7 (812) 640 5904
Email: info@2024.eawf.ru

PERSONAL WEB OFFICE

What is the personal web office on the Forum website?

Thepersonal web office is a personalized section of the official Forum website where participants can confirm participation or indicate that they cannot attend, edit personal data, upload a badge photo and book services offered by the Forum operator.

To access the personal web office please enter the username and password found in the information letter you received along with your invitation to the Forum.

How is the confidentiality of data in the personal web office protected?

The organizers of the Fourth Eurasian Women’s Forum adhere strictly to legal requirements on the protection of all participants’ personal data.

personal web office has been developed using SSL data encryption to ensure the highest levels of security and confidentiality of participants’ personal data.

How do I change my personal data in the personal web office?

Should you wish to edit your personal information, go to the ‘Personal information’ section of the personal web office.

If you need to make changes to uneditable fields, please contact the Roscongress Foundation specialist whose contact information can be found in your Forum invitation letter, or call the Forum information centre on +7 (812) 640 5904.

What should I do if I forget my username and password for the personal web office? (For invited participants)

• The username and password used to access the personal web office are indicated in the information letter you received along with your invitation to the Forum.
• Participants can also find out their username and password by contacting the Forum information centre at +7 (812) 640 5904 or by email at info@2024.eawf.ru.

Where do I fill in the information about my arrival and departure in the personal web office?

To provide information about your arrival to and departure from St. Petersburg, please go to the ‘Personal information’ section and complete the relevant fields.

ACCESS TO THE VENUE

How do I access the Forum venue?

An accreditation badge will be required to access the Forum venue.

Badges are issued to specific individuals and are not transferable. You must keep your badge and ID with you at all times while at the Forum venue.

More information is posted in the Badge collection section.

What is prohibited to bring into the venue?

A range of items will be prohibited from the event venue. In order to avoid any inconvenience when accessing the venue, participants are advised to leave any such items at their accommodation or in their vehicle.

A full list of prohibited items is published in the Access to forum venue section.

BADGE COLLECTION

What should I check before collecting my badge?

Before collecting their badges, participants are advised to ensure the following:

• participation in the event is confirmed via the personal web office
• personal information provided in the personal web office matches participants’ ID exactly
• a badge photo has been uploaded to the personal web office
• a scanned copy of your passport (pages 2 and 3) has been uploaded. Please note that you can't edit or replace your photo once you've saved the scanned copy of your passport

What are the requirements for the badge photograph?

Photograph requirements:

• colour photograph on a light background
• 480 x 640 pixels in size
• image format – JPG or JPEG
• front view of the participant’s entire face, without head covering
• subject’s face must take up at least 70% of the image

How can I check that my badge is ready for collection?

You will receive an email notification, when your badge is ready. You can check whether your accreditation badge is ready for collection in the personal web office via the Roscongress Foundation specialist you are in touch with regarding your participation in the Forum, or by calling the Forum information centre on +7 (812) 640 5904.

What documents are required to collect participant badge?

A participant badge can be collected in person upon presentation of:

• ID (info must match that in the personal web office)
• the original copy of the personal data processing consent form

If information contained in the participant’s ID has changed in the time since a participation application was submitted, the participant’s personal web office must be updated accordingly.

If changes need to be made to uneditable fields, please contact the Roscongress Foundation specialist you are in touch with regarding your participation in the Forum.

Before issuing a badge, a member of staff at the accreditation point will check that the information in the personal web office matches that on the document provided. Should there be any discrepancies, it will not be possible to issue a badge on the same day.

How do I collect a badge for another participant?

If the badge is being collected by an authorized representative, they must provide the following:

• Authorized person’s passport
• Original of standard power of attorney
• List of participants (attached to the power of attorney)
• Copies of participants’ passports
• Originals of personal data consent forms

The power of attorney form and an example of how to complete it is available for download from the Badge collection section.

Where do I get my badge?

Badges can be collected from one of the Forum accreditation points.

The locations and operating hours of the accreditation points will be published in the Badge collection section of the website nearer the time of the event.

Can I replace a lost or damaged badge?

If your accreditation badge is lost or damaged, please go to the Help Desk or any accreditation stand immediately. The badge will then be blocked, and a replacement badge will be issued to the holder upon written request.

SERVICES

Where can I find a list of hotels for Forum participants?

Will there be food at the Forum venue?

Coffee break areas with free catering services will be organized at the Forum, as well as several cafés that will operate on a paid basis.

All catering areas for participants and media representatives will be organized in accordance with Rospotrebnadzor requirements on organizing and holding convention and exhibition events.

More information – Dining section.

Will transport services be organized for participants?

Free shuttles will be organized for participants and media representatives during the Forum.

More information – Shuttle buses section

Will it be possible to rent a vehicle?

Participants can use the accredited vehicle with driver rental service. More information is available in the Car rental section.

ARRIVAL

Can Forum participants apply for a Russian visa in a simplified manner?

Participants can obtain a visa through an invitation for foreign arrivals – is not an invitation to the Forum, but a special document from the Forum organizers, which can be downloaded in the personal web office closer to the dates of the event.

Detailed information is available in the ‘Visa support’ section nearer the time of the event.

What is the weather like in St. Petersburg at the end of September?

St. Petersburg has a temperate and humid, close to maritime climate. The average daytime temperature at the end of September is +7 ... +14 °C.

Due to the city’s geographic position and its proximity to the Baltic Sea, the weather can change unexpectedly. The combination of high humidity and wind means that it always feels colder. We advise guests to bring warm clothing and an umbrella.

What time zone is St. Petersburg in?

Local time in St. Petersburg is the same as in Moscow (GMT+3).

CURRENCY AND BARK CARD TRANSACTIONS

What is the best way to pay for goods and services?

We do recommend having cash with you for the entire duration of EWF due to restricted use of foreign bank cards in Russia.

In Russia, MIR and UnionPay payment systems work without restrictions in any currency. Participants are advised to apply for a card or bring their existing card of any of these payment systems, if possible.

Please note that the UnionPay payment system has started operating in Russia only recently, so the use of UnionPay cards may occasionally fail and transactions may not be completed.

What are the currency exchange restrictions?

Please note the following currency exchange restrictions:

• you can freely exchange cash in US dollars, euros, Chinese yuan, UAE Dirhams, Turkish lira and other currencies for cash in rubles.
  About 18 currencies can be exchanged at Sberbank offices. The currency exchange rate and addresses can be found at the link: sberbank.ru;
• you must present your ID (passport) for transactions.
• there is NO exchanging non-cash currency for RUB cash using MasterCard or Visa bank cards issued outside of Russia. It is also not possible to withdraw RUB cash from these cards.

Follow currency exchange updates on the official website of the Bank of Russia at cbr.ru/eng.