Women in Cites International
About Us
Women in Cities International (WICI) is a non-profit network organization, based in Montreal, Canada, that
focuses on gender equality and the participation of women and girls in urban development. WICI is dedicated to the identification, study, and dissemination of good practices, tools and intervention models. With its partners, WICI facilitates knowledge- and experience-sharing on the improvement of women’s and girls’ safety and status in cities and communities. WICI specializes in the organization of networking events, the administration of training events, the advancement of technical expertise, and the production of research in order to achieve its goals.
Women’s safety is a priority issue for Women in Cities International. This is because the violence and insecurity women and girls feel everyday is a major barrier to achieving gender equality. Violence and insecurity reduce women’s mobility and restrict their ability to freely exercise full citizenship. This is a direct violation of women’s rights, as established by the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). WICI believes that women’s meaningful participation in urban development is a core requirement in the solution to this issue. Women’s experiences of violence and insecurity can only be addressed when the different needs of women and men are considered in all areas of urban management.
The violence and insecurity women and girls feel everyday is a major barrier to achieving gender equality.
Violence and insecurity reduce women’s mobility and restrict their ability to freely exercise full citizenship.
History
Women in Cities International was established in 2002 after the need for its presence was recognized at the First International Seminar on Women's Safety, held in Montreal, Canada. WICI's Board of Directors is composed of scholars and practitioners who have been internationally recognized for their outstanding contributions to gender equality. WICI has over 300 Canadian and international members.
Women in Cities International's main objectives are:
- To develop an international exchange network on (a) women's participation in urban development and on (b) the consideration of gender in municipal governments;
- To facilitate the sharing of expertise, training, and good practices;
- To encourage exchange between different actors (women's groups, non-governmental organizations, cities and municipalities, academic institutions, private sector institutions, the media, international governments, etc.);
- To promote exchange between local authorities on issues of gender equality and women's and girls' participation in urban development;
* To advise local governments, and national and international bodies working in the fields of gender equality and urban development.
For more information, visit http://www.womenincities.org/
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