UTWANTNews and InformationFFNT changes its name to Women's Academic Network Twente (WANT)

FFNT changes its name to Women's Academic Network Twente (WANT)

After member consultation within the Female Faculty Network Twente (FFNT), the network will change its name to the Women's Academic Network Twente (WANT). 

Throughout the last two years, conversations have been raised at various events and among FFNT members about the suitability of our network name.

Established in November 2005, the FFNT began as a group of 50 women who came together for the inaugural conference Professional Women. At that time, the FFNT was the first professional society at UT to raise awareness of the importance and organisational advantages of supporting academic leadership among women. Since its inception, the network has become a prominent voice for academic women at UT, leading efforts to promote diversity and inclusion across the university.

As we reflected on nearly 20 years of progress, we recognised the need for change. While our focus has always been on empowering women, we felt it was time to adopt a name that reflects the evolving understanding of, and broader attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The network will continue to prioritise academic women, as the need is urgent to keep the light on this specific area. However, we felt the term "female" needed to be reconsidered to ensure that our definition of 'women' is inclusive.  

The need for change is more than just semantics. The word "female" often implies a limitation based on biological sex, rather than gender identity. In today’s society, the use of "female" can be seen as reductive, focusing narrowly on reproductive ability. Recent discussions have emphasised the importance of using "women" instead, as it is a more inclusive and respectful term.  

We want to make it clear that our network is inclusive of all individuals who identify as women, while continuing to align with and support other diversity groups at UT, such as Th!nk with PRIDE.

FFNT members vote on proposed network name change

In October 2024 we opened a member poll to vote on a proposal to rename our network to the Women's Academic Network Twente (WANT). The FFNT Board felt that this change better reflects current societal values, and is in aligment with international gender equity organisations (e.g. UN Women, Dutch Network of Women Professors (LNVH), Netherlands Gender Platform (WO=MEN), and follows the example of events such as the UN International Women's Day.  

We received 113 member votes, with 94 votes (85%) in favour of changing the name, 13 votes against, preferring to keep the current name, and 6 votes indicating the desire for further discussion.

Given the strong support, the board decided to move forward with the name change. 

Key Points Moving Forward

  • The name change will not diminish our focus on issues specific to women/females in academia.
  • Why not be even more inclusive? The board believes it is critical to maintain focus on women’s equity and inclusion, particularly in these challenging times when attention to women-specific challenges may risk being diluted within broader DE&I frameworks. Our goals can only be achieved via a close collaboration with other networks at UT, like Th!nk with Pride, and the DE&I team.
  • Regarding concerns about the potential loss of the current FFNT “brand,” we view this as an opportunity to spotlight the transition through targeted communication and renewed visibility efforts.
  • We will invite your input during the upcoming review of our vision and mission.

We will celebrate this milestone on 21 January 2025, from 12:30 to 13:45, at the Design Lab. Register HERE and join us!