Gender & ICT Policy Making: Current Context

Posted 1 May 2006
GenderIT.orgⁱ writers explores the current and changing of the Gender ⁱand ICT policyⁱ making environment; with articles and interviews of women advocates pioneering in this field. In this edition, Mavic Cabrera-Balleza from the International Women's Tribune Centre also shares her reflections on challenges and recommendations on the strategic useⁱ of ICTⁱs in addressing the issue of women in peacebuilding.

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GENDER CENTRED: A GenderIT.org thematic bulletin
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Gender & ICT Policy Making: The Current Context

I. New Articles
II. Guest Writer... Mavic Cabrera-Balleza from the International Women's Tribune Centre
*Reclaiming women’s space at the peace table : the Peacebuilding Cyberdialogue as a model of using ICTs for peacebuilding*
III. Call for Contributors
IV. RATE US! GenderIT.org evaluationⁱ survey

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I. NEW ARTICLES

Women, Media & ICTS: Where Do We Go From Here?
This article examines the progress made on the issue of Women, Media and ICTs at the level of international advocacyⁱ, particularly in relation to the Commission on the Status of Women and the Beijing Platform for Action. Questioning the disconnection between the fields of ICTs and women's rightsⁱ, it looks at strategies of gender mainstreamingⁱ, and the need to have women in decision-making positions, particularly in light of the UN reform process.
http://www.genderit.org/en/index.shtml?w=a&x=94164

“The Burden of The Struggle” - Engendering Change in ICT Policy
Cheekay Cinco, member of APC WNSP, interviews Nancy Hafkin, woman pioneer of networkingⁱ and ICTs development in Africa on her thoughts about the current gender and ICT policy environment. She reflects on the WSIS process and the recent Commission on the Status of Women, and articulates what is urgently needed to render visible the gender dimensions of ICTs at policy levels.
http://www.genderit.org/en/index.shtml?w=a&x=94165

Gender issues at all levels – from policy formulation to implementation
Sonia Jorge is an expert in telecommunicationsⁱ regulationⁱ, economics and public policy and have been working as a consultant in the fields of communications policy and regulation, gender and development with experience in different countries and regions. Specialized in gender analysisⁱ and ICT policies, Sonia shares in this interview to GenderIT her vision on the critical needs for gender and ICT advocates to have more impact in their advocacy work. Sonia points out some issues on which gender and ICT activists should focus their strategies and stresses the importance of the participation of gender experts in the implementation of policies, not only in their formulation.
http://www.genderit.org/en/index.shtml?apc=---e--1&x=93423

E-government: When the gender lens is missing...
The annual e-government conference taking place in the Czech Republic celebrated its ninth year of existence in 2006. Yet, for the first time in its history, equal opportunity for women and men was put on the agenda. The following is a report by Katerina Fialova - an advocate for women’s rights - about her experience in attending and co-organising a panel on gender and ICTsⁱ at this year’s e-government meeting in April 2006.
http://www.genderit.org/en/index.shtml?apc=a--e94244-1

Linking Czech women and e-government
The APC WNSP panel “ICT and Equal Opportunities of Women and Men” took place on the April 3, 2006, the first of a two-day conference on Internetⁱ in Public Administration. Most panellists spoke about information and communication literacy as key to successful implementation of e-government objectives. At the same time, they listed ICT skills as the prime barrier that leads to a gender digital divideⁱ in the Czech Republic. In particular, the majority of the Roma women do not have sufficient ICT skills to benefit from e-government and the information society ⁱgenerally. The conference took place in the Czech Republic.
http://www.genderit.org/en/index.shtml?apc=a--e94245-1

Visit the collection of a wide variety of other resources and articles related to gender & ICT policy making in the reference section:
http://www.genderit.org/en/index.shtml?apc=i90534-e--1

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II. GUEST WRITER

Featuring guest writer, Mavic Cabrera-Balleza from the International Women's Tribune Centre, shares her reflections on challenges and recommendations on the strategic use of ICTs in addressing the issue of women in peacebuilding.

Reclaiming women’s space at the peace table : the Peacebuilding Cyberdialogue as a model of using ICTs for peacebuilding
Women are particularly impacted by war and violent conflicts - both as survivors as well as, crucially, being at the forefront of conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peace building. Mavic Cabrera-Balleza shares the Peacebuilding Cyberdialogue, a collaborative effort between the International Women's Tribune Centre and Isis WICCE, that brings together 40 women's organisations all over the world through a "‘real time global town hall meeting’ using Internet chat with voice and video/visual contact". Such an initiative not only linked advocates who were working on this issue together, but was also important in making the connection between policies proposed at international levels with the realities of women working on the ground. The article ends with some reflections on challenges and recommendations on the effective use of ICTs in peacebuilding.
http://www.genderit.org/en/index.shtml?w=a&x=94240

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III. CALL FOR CONTRIBUTORS

GenderIT.org is calling for contributors! For this site to remain relevant to your diverse realities, GenderIT.org depends on emerging thoughts, current news, upcoming significant events and unsung champions in the field of gender and ICTs from all pockets of the world.

If you have something exciting to share, or if we can help communicate your event, campaign, insights and reflections to a wider audience, please send us an emailⁱ (jac AT apcwomen DOT org).

Whether it is a piece of analytical writing, an intriguing blogⁱ entry, a thought-provoking conversation, a radical initiave, or anything at all that is related to Gender and ICTs, we look forward to your contribution!

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IV. RATE US! GenderIT.org evaluation survey

After one year of operations, let us know how we are performing for you to help us improve your experience with us , and to address better the gender and ICT policy advocacy needs in the different regions. The survey will only take you 5 minutes to complete.

Click on this link to take the survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=86331332182

Your feedback will assist us in reflecting back on the GenderIT.org's objectives and roles. If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact us (ausra AT lygus DOT lt)

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*CopyLeftⁱ. 2006 APC Women's Networking Support Programmeⁱ (APC WNSP)*
Permission is granted to use this document for personal use, for
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