Fermanagh Women's Network Fermanagh Women's Network (FWN) was formed in 1992 with the overall aim of supporting women's development in Co. Fermanagh. Our offices are currently based in Enniskillen and are staffed by our Project Officer Margaret McCanney and Office Administrator Carrie Benn Fermanagh Women's Network initially worked in a solely voluntary capacity for it's first three years during which time it conducted a social audit to determine the needs of women in the county, ran a women's community based education programme, produced newsletters and prepared for the employment of Development staff. This, it saw as being critical to supporting the development of new women's groups. Staff were appointed in 1995 (one Development Officer and one Administration Secretary). Since then, it has supported the development of women’s groups in the county from 4 to 28. These groups include community based groups for women with disabilities, two older women's groups and a group for women from ethnic minorities. It also provides developmental support to some Women's Institutes. FWN has represented the needs and interests of women's groups and the wider gender equality agenda on and with a wide range of agencies and organisations, both on a regional and county wide basis. It has a policy agenda which is focused on promoting equality for women and the inclusion of women in rural development and has striven for a strategic and policy led approach to this. In 2002 FWN celebrated a decade of work by employing an independent consultant to evaluate the work of the Network. Participants in the research indicated that despite the enormous progress made by the FWN at a community level, the advancement of the position of women in the county had not progressed in any significant way during the lifetime of the network. As a result of this finding, the network in devising a strategic plan for the period 2004-2007, developed an aim 'to lead on the development and implementation of a Gender Equality Strategy in Co. Fermanagh (within a promotion of equality for women framework)'.