The Beijing Platform for Action Meets the World Summit on the Information Society

11. CONNECTING WSIS ICT POLICY WITH ENVIRONMENT IN THE BPFA

BPFA STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES:

1 Involve women actively in environmental decision-making at all levels.

2 Include gender concerns and perspectives in policies and programmes for sustainable development.

3 Strengthen or set up ways to assess the effects of development and environmental policies on women at the national, regional and international levels.

ICT POTENTIAL:

Rural women farmers are using ICTs for information on weather forecast, environmentally friendly techniques and other information that affects their crops.

l Women scientists are participating in virtual environmental laboratories that allow women from different countries to develop collective research projects.

WHAT GENDER ADVOCATES ARE FIGHTING FOR IN THE WSIS POLICY DOCUMENTS

An equitable information society needs to be based on sustainable economic and social develpoment and gender justice, It canot be achieved solely thorugh market forces.

Eradication of poverty based on sustainable economic growth, social development, environmental protection and social justice requires the involvement of women in economic and social development.

Many of the more entrenched socio-political injustices cannot be redressed through economic or market-based solutions.

Use of traditional and new ICTs as enabling tools would ensure that all members of society benefit from economic grpowth on a holistic approach to all aspects of development: growth, equality between women and men, social justice, conservation and protection of the environment, sustainability, solidarity, participation, peace and respect for human rights.