From June 19 – 23, 2006 grassroots women from over 30 countries joined NGO professionals and institutional partners to form a Huairou Commission delegation of 250 women to the World Urban Forum 3 in Vancouver, Canada.  The World Urban Forum 3 was a global conference on urban sustainability hosted by UN Habitat and the Government of Canada that attracted 10,000 participants.  The Huairou Commission is a global coalition of networks and partners working to advance the work of grassroots women in creating sustainable communities. 

After a week of practice-sharing and strategizing at the GROOTS International-organized Grassroots Women's International Academy, members of the Huairou Commission organized 9 participatory panel discussions (Networking Events), had speakers in 3 high level Dialogues, organized one Roundtable and co-sponsored another, organized a Daily Women’s Caucus, and visibly claimed space with an exhibit of grassroots women’s Best Practices, a Marketplace of their handicrafts and a Booth for networking.  Grassroots women and their partners used these activites as platforms to make visible their expertise, knowledge and contributions in a broad range of development areas.

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Reports from the Grassroots Women's International Academy
Grassroots Women's International Academy

Reports from the World Urban Forum III
Report: Women and WUFIII

Appendices: Networking Event Reports

• Building Back Better: Rebuilding Communities after Disaster and Conflict


• Developing a Template: Partnership Models for Big Cities


• From Rhetoric to Reality: Grassroots Women's Actionable Ideas for Social Inclusion and Collaborative Problem Solving


• Gender Mainstreaming and Local Governance


• Grassroots Women and Local Authorities Partner to Fight AIDS in Africa


• Knowledge Networks for Women's Health and Safety


• Listen to Us: Grassroots Innovations for Securing Land and Housing


• Practices on Responsive Local Governance: Guidelines for Success in Partnering with Grassroots Organizations


• Sustainable Community Goverment Partnerships on Gendered Violence Prevention

Activities were organized by Huairou Commission Network Members:  GROOTS International, Women and Cities International, Women and Habitat Network – LAC, Women and Peace Network, International Council of Women.  Event support contributed by AECI, American Jewish World Service, Commonwealth Fund (GROOTS Africa), Cordaid, Ford Foundation(GROOTS), Government of Canada, UN-HABITAT, AECI and UNIFEM (Women & Habitat-LAC)