 By 1978 women's cooperatives were operating in 500 villages, with a total membership of 18,000; 15 women needed to organise a cooperative and the average one today has members.Over the next three years the program hopes to add a thousand more villages to its roster.The Women's Program is divided into two major activities cooperative and population planning'both of which are supported and coordinated by ABDULLAH and her staff, under the guidance of the IRI director general.