Under its current name, FFNT saw the light of day in 2005. The mission: to draw attention to the importance and organizational benefits of supporting female talent at the UT. With the fourth lustrum in sight, FFNT thinks it's time for a change. 'We want a name that reflects the changing understanding of diversity. The network continues to prioritise academic women, as this is an urgent need. But we believe that the term 'female' should be reconsidered to ensure that our definition of women is more inclusive', FFNT announces.
Gender identity
The network indicates that it is not a semantic change. '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. Recent discussions have emphasized the importance of using 'women', because it is a more inclusive and respectful term.'
As a result of the above insight, the network will be known as Women Academic Network Twente (WANT) from 2025 onwards. Members will be able to provide feedback on the plan in the coming weeks, after which the official name change will follow in 2025 in consultation with HR, the DE&I team and the Executive Board.
