Women in Cities International WICI / Femmes et Villes

Women in Cities International (WICI) was founded in 2002 as a not-for-profit network focusing on gender equality and the participation of women in urban development. It was incorporated in June 2003. Based in Montréal, WICI grew out of work undertaken in Canadian cities in the 1990s on women’s safety in urban settings, and the participatory potential of women’s safety audits to empower women and create dialogue and change within city governments. International interest on these topics developed among participants in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and UN-Habitat conferences in Paris and Istanbul in 1994 and 1996, resulting in an informal network linking researchers, activists and practitioners in Canada and around the world. Network members began exchanging knowledge, expertise and experience on women’s safety and empowerment with a wide range of local authorities and institutions, including the International Union of Local Authorities. Members of this network, with the support of the City of Montréal and other funders, collaborated to develop the First International Conference on the Safety of Women in 2002.

Since that time, WICI has grown considerably and expanded its project work internationally. It has also embraced a broader concept of women’s safety beyond safety in public space, extending its focus to work with girls, and on a range of issues including diversity and disability, and women’s access to water and sanitation. WICI always uses participatory approaches to create dialogue and change. It continues to disseminate information on gender equality, the role of women in cities and the application of a gender approach in community and municipal decision-making, and the public policy process. WICI and its network acts as a consultant to local and national governments and international organizations in promoting gendered policies and programmes, furthering the greater participation of women, and increasing the effectiveness of action undertaken by women’s organizations at the community level