World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)

Heike Jensen, researcher and lecturer at the Department of Gender ⁱStudies of Humboldt University in Berlin, (Germany), is one of those hardworking gender advocates, whose “effort and time spent gathering information, sleepless nights, many cups of coffee , talking, training, skills sharing, lobbyⁱing and writing” focussed on integrating gender as a relevant dimension of WSIS process and outcomes. She has been involved in the process almost since the beginning, worked as member of the German Civil Society Coordinating Group, the NGO Gender Strategies Working Group and the WSIS Gender Caucus, where she is a member of the Steering Committee. In contrast to GenderIT.orgⁱ writer Jac sm Kee, she sees the results of seven years advocacyⁱ more optimistically. Here is her initial assessment of the achievements in terms of gender written few days after the conclusion of WSIS process.

Jac sm Kee grabs a conversation with Jacqueline A. Morris during WSIS PrepComm3 at Geneva, and finds out about how a girl from Trinidad & Tobago ends up being a gender ⁱ& ICTⁱ advocate, her insights about the two priority issues in WSIS Phase II – financing and internet governanceⁱ – as well as the efficacy of the WSIS Gender Caucus.

Many international NGOs taking part in the World Summit on the Information Societyⁱ (WSIS) have collectively decided to cancel their activities planned for today, November 15, at WSIS. This measure is to make governmentⁱ, private sector and civil society delegates aware of the human rightsⁱ violations that have been adding up over the last two days including beatings of journalists by police and the breaking-up of meetings since November 13. It is also a clear showing of solidarity with all independent NGOs in Tunisia who seem to have to put up with police repression on a daily basis. Markus Beckedahl interviewed APC's Anriette Esterhuysen on the reasons for this drastic decision. Listen to the interview.

Gender and ICTⁱ advocates from all world regions joined some 2,000 other women activists at the Women's Worlds Congress 2005, Korea, June 19-24. The advocates met separately for 2 days at Sookmyung Women's University to discuss gender and ICT issues at the World Summit for the Information Society ⁱ(WSIS 2005). The meeting produced the Seoul-Gyeonggi Declaration which outlines gender issues and recommendations in relation to internet governanceⁱ and financing mechanisms.