Across the globe, women have historically been a vulnerable group, susceptible to the impacts of conflict, systemic oppression, and fewer economic and social opportunities for development participation. FCT recognises the important role that women play in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of communities emerging from conflict, as they build the resilience of their own lives and those of the next generation. Women face unique social and economic challenges that come from being the head of households impacted through conflict, and provide opportunities to share experiences of both struggle and success. This has proven important to strengthening their capacity to engage in emerging governments and their growing economies.
Specifically, the FCT Women’s Network will work within the framework of the Forum and its subsidiary networks to focus on helping women, and women’s organisations in the hosting city, to deal with the problems they define as most oppressive. It is not enough to listen to their challenges; it is vital to learn about the strategies they use to cope with them.
As a network that is designed by women and for wome and that is supported by other members of the affected communities, the FCT Women’s Network is a structure that hosts all members’ ideas and values, and their initiatives and projects, in order to facilitate dissemination, visibility, implementation and cooperation with other networks and institutions that aim to empower women further and the important role that they play in peace, reconciliation, and development.