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

12. CONECTING WSIS ICT POLOCY WITH THE GIRL CHILD IN THE BPFA

BPFA STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES:

1 End all forms of discrimination against the girl-child.

2 End negative cultural attitudes and practices against girls.

3 Promote and protect the rights of the girl-child and increase awareness of her needs and potential.

4 Eliminate discrimination against girls in education, skills development and training.

ICT POTENTIAL:

Through children's broadcasting networks girls are presenting their ideas, opinions, demands and increasing their participation in community life.

Online campaigns, conferences and discussions produced by girls, alongside women who are serving as mentors, are disseminating information on equal rights and creating a greater awareness of girls' needs and potential.

Out of school girls are continuing their education through online education projects.

WHAT GENDER ADVOCATES ARE FIGHTING FOR IN THE WSIS POLICY DOCUMENTS

Spearhead initiatives that build skills through education and empowerment of women and girls.

Develop early intervention programmes in science and technology that target girls and young women in order to increase the number of women in ICT-related professions.

Ensure that the production of international e-learning programmes incorporate contents, context and vision that reflect cultural diversity. Equality of opportunity for girls and young women must be integral to the development of these programmes.

Ensure gender balance, and even positive discrimination in favour of the girl child for a period of time, in order to create a balance in trained information technology graduates.