International Women's Club of Lausanne

A Social Club for Women Settling in Vaud

The International Women's Club of Lausanne (IWC) is a social and networking organization founded in 1968 for English-speaking women living in the canton of Vaud and the surrounding region. The club currently has over 200 members of diverse nationalities and cultures, and operates as a non-profit, volunteer-run organization. Unlike the International Protestant Church or professional networks, the IWC is explicitly social: it exists so that women relocating to the Lausanne area can build friendships quickly and find community through shared interests and activities.

For many women relocating internationally with families or partners, or relocating on their own, finding friendship is often harder than finding housing or opening a bank account. The first weeks and months can feel isolating even in a welcoming city, and most friendships take time to develop naturally through work or children's schools. The IWC compresses that timeline by gathering women with the explicit shared interest of building friendship. This is arrival-specific value: the club's homepage states plainly, "We help our fellow members who come to live in this beautiful area to settle in, by providing fun, friendship and support."

The club runs more than a dozen activity groups, which are the actual mechanism of friendship formation. The site lists art appreciation, international cooking, wine meet-ups, literature and book groups, language conversation groups, pickleball, downhill skiing, and mountain hiking as examples of ongoing groups. The site notes "and many more," suggesting that the list is illustrative rather than exhaustive. Members can join existing groups or start new ones if their interests are not yet represented. This matters for arrival: someone joining in January is not stuck waiting for a group to form; the infrastructure already exists.

Beyond activity groups, the IWC holds regular coffee and apéro meet-ups (five o'clock somewhere, a casual gathering), monthly meetings with a guest speaker, and annual events. The monthly meetings appear to be the core gathering point where the broader membership convenes, whereas activity groups are smaller, ongoing. The site specifically mentions a "5 O'Clock Somewhere" event described as "a great place to try out the club before joining," signaling that the organization is deliberate about making new members feel welcome at low-pressure gatherings. Contact for attending this event is events@iwc-lausanne.org.

The site does not publish a calendar of upcoming activity group meetings, which is the main gap in planning for someone considering joining. You can see that wine meet-ups and skiing exist, but not when they meet or how to sign up. The club has a membership application process and requires an application form, which is available on the site, plus a "Participation & Responsibility Disclaimer for Applicant." New members do not simply attend once; membership involves a formal step. The site does not state whether there is a membership fee, dues, or a waiting period. Someone seriously interested needs to contact the club and fill out the application to learn these details.

The club's tagline is "Unite with women from various cultures and backgrounds. Together let's create unforgettable moments and make a meaningful impact." The stated values are personal and professional growth, supporting one another's ambitions, and creating a thriving, inclusive community. The site emphasizes three reasons to join: exploring and connecting (described as a journey of discovery into diverse activities), making friends (described as building meaningful connections with women of various backgrounds), and volunteering (giving back through a charity the membership selects annually).

This framing suggests the club is not primarily a charity or service organization but a fellowship of women supporting one another's lives. The annual charity is member-chosen, which means the cause changes based on what the community cares about in a given year. This is low-friction service: members contribute by volunteering, but the club does not push a fixed agenda.

Organizationally, the club maintains an elected leadership team (chair, vice chair, treasurer) and is powered by Wild Apricot membership software, a platform designed for volunteer-run membership organizations. The club has a members-only login area on its website, which means registered members can access calendars, activity group details, or event registration online. For prospective members evaluating whether to join, this is a signal of organizational sophistication, but it also means the public-facing website intentionally limits what a visitor can see. You must become a member or at least contact the club to see the full activity calendar and make an informed decision.

The club's reach extends beyond Lausanne proper. The site states members live in the canton of Vaud "and beyond," and the presence of activity groups like skiing (which would likely occur in the Alps or nearby mountains) suggests the membership geography is flexible. Someone relocating to a town within an hour or two of Lausanne could potentially join. The site's language is explicitly English, and the club is described as connecting "English-speaking women of all nationalities."

The IWC does not appear to offer childcare or children's activities as part of its structure. For mothers of young children, this could be a limiting factor: joining a monthly meeting or a book group might require finding separate childcare. The site focuses entirely on women's activities and community, not family community. This is not a drawback if you are relocating without children or with school-age children old enough to stay home, but it is worth knowing.

One feature worth noting is the login requirement and the implied discretion of the membership. While the club's public purpose is social and welcoming, the members-only login structure creates a boundary between members and the general public. The site publishes the names of the leadership team and some social media presence, but details about who belongs to which activity group or when and where they meet are private to the membership.

Who the IWC Suits

The IWC is the right fit for English-speaking women relocating to the Lausanne region with at least some flexibility in their schedule. If you value friendship and social connection highly and want to build it quickly through structured activities, the club offers a low-risk entry point: you can attend a 5 O'Clock Somewhere event before committing to membership, and the multiple activity groups mean you can find activities that match your interests. If you are skilled at a language and want to practice it, the conversation groups offer that. If you are active and enjoy outdoor pursuits, the hiking and skiing groups exist. If you prefer cultural and culinary activities, art appreciation and international cooking serve that.

The IWC is less suitable if you are relocating with young children and need integrated family community, since the club does not appear to offer childcare or children's programs. It is also not the right fit if you prefer to keep social life and work life separate, or if you are skeptical about formal membership processes: joining requires filling out an application and presumably some vetting. Finally, if you need a detailed calendar to make a decision about joining, the public website does not provide one, and you will need to engage with the club directly before you can see the full picture.

For women relocating solo or with older children or partners, the IWC is a substantial asset for building a life in the Lausanne area. Over 200 members mean the club is established and stable, not an experiment. The fact that it has run since 1968 and is entirely volunteer-led speaks to the depth of commitment the membership brings to it. The club is not affiliated with any employer or university, which means the friendships built there are not contingent on a job or enrollment, and networks survive career changes or family transitions.