Women do not have “the old boys’ club” to help them along, so they must strive to network and support each other, according to Premier Paula Cox.She believes that women forging strong partnerships and nurturing future leaders is crucial to surviving the economic downturn.Ms Cox, who is the third woman to lead Bermuda, issued the rallying call in her capacity as president of the local chapter of the International Women’s Forum [IWF]. She also shared the top ten tips she’s learned in life, which she dubs the “Cox Rules”.Among them are “do your job — forget about keeping your job” and “do not let others set your agenda or define who you are” [see sidebar].Bermuda recently became an official member of the IWF and launched the local chapter.The IWF advances leadership across careers, cultures and continents by connecting high-achieving women so they can learn from and inspire one another.The Bermuda chapter includes what Ms Cox has described as “a stellar group of women” and “diva-warriors” from the public and private sectors, and of all political stripes.There are currently 44 local members who gathered at a blessing for the group on Sunday at St Theresa’s Cathedral in Hamilton.“As a group we have a passion for performance. We have a passion to achieve the possible. We have a passion to empower, encourage and mentor women in their journey and to help each other.“We also are committed to fostering strong enduring partnerships within our membership and the wider community,” said Ms Cox, addressing the event.She expanded on her views on Monday, when addressing a press conference about employment trends in Bermuda.She stressed the importance of women networking, and seeking “fellowship” and “balance” as they strive for success.“Yes, you have to be a matriarch for your family, but you are also wearing the hat as a breadwinner on occasion,” noted Ms Cox, who is married with a son and worked as the corporate lawyer for insurance giant ACE for eight years before she became Premier.“It is very important that as women who are seen to have accomplished and achieved some success, we reach down and help those younger women who are on a path to success.“We also need to take the time to learn from each other.”She said women do not network as much as they ought to.“Men have that old boys club. Women have to make sure that we also forge some effective, strong partnerships and that we help those who are younger.“We have got to provide opportunities for mentorship, so that is also part of how we navigate these economic times.“We have got to help each other more. We have got to cooperate more. We have got to collaborate more.”Ms Cox spearheaded moves to bring the IWF to Bermuda after being invited to global meetings by Allyson Maynard, the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Services in the Bahamas.Besides Ms Cox, the Bermuda IWF chapter includes vice presidents Caroline Foulger, a partner in accountancy firm PWC Bermuda, and Pamela Ferreira, a barrister and CEO of the MarketPlace group.The secretary is Judith Hall-Bean, who is Assistant Cabinet Secretary, and the treasurer is Vicki Coelho, general manager of internet service provider North Rock Communications.Kristi Grayson, Teresa Chatfield, Sheila Lines and Patricia Gordon-Pamplin are the other members of the executive committee.Additional members will be invited by the current members in due course.www.iwforum.org