WORLD SUMMIT OF THE

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WORLD SUMMIT OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY
DECEMBER 2003, GENEVA
PUTTING GENDER ON THE AGENDA
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PARTNERS IN THE PREPARATORY PROCESS
GOVT/UN and UN AGENCIES
CIVIL SOCIETY
PRIVATE SECTOR
PUTTING GENDER ON THE AGENDA
UN, CIVIL SOCIETY AND PRIVATE SECTOR PREPARATORY
PROCESSES FOR WSIS
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OFFICIAL PREPARATORY STRUCTURE
A. PREPCOMS
WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY Dec.
10-12 2003
July 1-5, 2002
Feb. 17-28, 2003
Sep. 2003
PREPCOM I
PREPCOM II
PREPCOM III
CIVIL SOCIETY
CIVIL SOCIETY
CIVIL SOCIETY
WSIS GENDER CAUCUS
NGO GENDER STRATEGIES WORKING GROUP
PARALLEL AND SHARED PLANNING MEETINGS
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OFFICIAL PREPARATORY STRUCTURE
B. REGIONAL MTGS
ASIA/PACIFIC GOVTS
N.AMERICA AND EUROPE GOVTS
MIDDLE EAST GOVTS
TOKYO, JAPAN, JAN. 12-14, 2003
BUCHAREST, ROMANIA, NOVEMBER 7-9, 2002
BEIRUT, LEBANON, FEB. 4-6, 2003
AFRICAN GOVTS
L.AMERICA/ CARIBBEAN GOVTS
BAMAKO, MALI, MAY 25-30, 2002
BAVARO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, JAN. 29-31, 2003
WSIS GENDER CAUCUS FORMED
REGIONAL MEETINGS
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WSIS GENDER CAUCUS -MULTI-STAKEHOLDER-
THIS CAUCUS WAS FORMED DURING THE AFRICAN
REGIONAL PREPARATORY CONFERENCE IN BAMAKO, MALI,
MAY 2002. THE WSIS GENDER CAUCUS AFFIRMS ITS
SUPPORT FOR WSIS AND COMMITS ITS WORK TOWARDS THE
GOALS OF WSIS BY SHARING INFORMATION AND IDEAS ON
STRATEGIES FOR INCLUDING GENDER EQUALITY GOALS
AND ENSURING WOMENS PARTICIPATION IN THE WSIS
PROCESS.
THE WSIS GENDER CAUCUS IS A MULTI-STAKEHOLDER
GROUP CONSISTING OF MEN AND WOMEN FROM NATIONAL
GOVERNMENTS, CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS, NGOS,
THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND THE UN SYSTEM.
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NGO GENDER STRATEGIES WORKING GROUP
THIS IS A FORMATION OF WOMENS INFORMATION AND
COMMUNICATIONS ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE COME
TOGETHER TO DEVELOP STRATEGIES FOR GENDER
ADVOCACY WITHIN THE WSIS CONTEXT AND OTHER
RELATED ISSUES. THIS GROUP IS DISTINCT FROM,
THOUGH ALIGNED WITH, THE WSIS GENDER CAUCUS.
MULTI-STAKEHOLDER GENDER CAUCUS
NGO GENDER STRATEGIES WG
WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP TO GET GENDER ON THE WSIS
AGENDA
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NGO GENDER STRATEGIES WORKING GROUP
OBJECTIVES AND MANDATE
THIS GROUP IS SPECIFICALLY INTERESTED IN
ENSURING THAT ALL NGO DOCUMENTS AND STATEMENTS
INCLUDE GENDER CONCERNS AND A GENDER PERSPECTIVE
THROUGHOUT
RAISING THE SPECIFIC CONCERNS THAT WOMENS NGOs
MIGHT HAVE IN RELATION TO CIVIL SOCIETY PROCESSES
AND AVENUES FOR PARTICIPATION
PARTICIPATING IN BOTH CIVIL SOCIETY PLENARY AND
WSIS GENDER CAUCUS IN THEIR LOBBYING AND ADVOCACY
EFFORTS
RAISING AWARENESS WITHIN THE WIDER WOMENS
MOVEMENT CONTEXT ABOUT WSIS AND THE INFORMATION
AND COMMUNICATION CONCERNS THAT SHOULD BE
ADVOCATED FOR BY WOMENS MOVEMENT ACTORS.
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NGO GENDER STRATEGIES
IN AN EFFORT TO OPEN UP THE DISCUSSION OF IDEAS
AND STRATEGIES AROUND GENDER AND THE INFORMATION
SOCIETY, WORKSHOPS AND/OR PANELS HAVE TAKEN, OR
WILL TAKE PLACE AT
ASSOCIATION FOR WOMENS RIGHTS IN DEVELOPMENT
(AWID), INTERNATIONAL FORUM, GUADELAJARA,
MEXICO, OCT. 3-6, 2002
GLOBAL COMMUNITIES CONGRESS, MONTREAL, CANADA,
OCTOBER 7-14, 2002
UN EXPERT GROUP MEETING ON GENDER AND ICTS,
SEOUL, KOREA, NOVEMBER 11-15, 2002
UN EXPERT GROUP MEETING ON WOMEN AND
MEDIA, BEIRUT, LEBANON, NOVEMBER 12-16, 2002
FEMINIST ENCUENTRO, COSTA RICA, DECEMBER, 2002
UN COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN, MAJOR
THEME GENDER AND ICTS, MARCH 3-14, 2003
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WSIS PREPARATORY PROCESS
UPDATE!
AT PREPCOM 1, JULY 2002, THERE WERE NO DECISIONS
TAKEN ON THE THEMES OF THE SUMMIT. HOWEVER, THERE
APPEAR TO BE 4 CORE ISSUES ON WHICH MOST
GOVERNMENTS WISHED TO WORK..
E-LEARNING, ACCESS TO KNOWLEDGE, EDUCATION AND
HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ISSUES.
1.
2.
E-GOVERNMENT, GOVERNANCE ISSUES HOW INFORMATION
AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES CAN BE USED BY
GOVERNMENT AND CITIZENS TO SECURE TRANSPARENT
GOVERNANCE, ACCESS TO COMMUNITY INFORMATION,
IMPROVE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION AND DIMINISH
BUREACRACY.
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WSIS PREPARATORY PROCESS
UPDATE (continued)
E-INCLUSION, BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE ACCESS
AND PARTICIPATION FOR ALL ISSUES APPLICATIONS OF
ICTS IN DAILY LIFE, WORK AND E-HEALTH.
FUNDAMENTAL IN THIS REGARD ARE GENDER ISSUES,
AFFORDABILITY OF ICTS SERVICES AND DEVELOPMENT OF
ADEQUATE CONTENT.
3.
ICTs AND NETWORK SECURITY ISSUES ESTABLISHMENT
OF EMERGENCY SYSTEMS AND COLLABORATION AMONG
COUNTRIES ON NETWORK SECURITY. ELECTRONIC
SECURITY. FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION.
4.
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A POSSIBLE FIFTH THEME? GENDER IN THE
INFORMATION SOCIETY
(From the Beijing Platform for Action Section J)
Strategic Objective J.1 Increase the
participation and access of women to expression
and decision-making in and through the media and
new technologies of communication.
Support womens education, training and
employment to promote and ensure womens equal
access to all areas and levels of the media
Promote womens full and equal participation in
the media, including management, programming,
education, training and research
Encourage and recognize womens media networks,
including electronic networks and other new
technologies of communication, as a means for the
dissemination of infor- mation and the exchange
of views
Encourage the participation of women in the
development of professional guidelines and codes
of conduct or other appropriate self-regulatory
mechanisms to promote balanced and
non-stereotyped portrayals of women by the media.
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TO SUMMARIZE GENDER INPUT INTEGRATED INTO ALL
PARTS OF THE WSIS POLICY DOCUMENT
GENDER INPUT

GENDER INPUT
Gender in the Information Society
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1
4
2
3
GENDER INPUT
GENDER INPUT
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THIS WILL INEVITABLY CHANGE THE SHAPE OF THE
DOCUMENT.
GENDER INPUT
Gender in the Information Society
GENDER INPUT
4
5
3
3
1
GENDER INPUT
4
2
GENDER INPUT
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BREAKING NEWS!!
INFORMAL SESSION ON CONTENT AND THEMES HELD
SEPTEMBER 16-18 IN GENEVA
A CIVIL SOCIETY STATEMENT WAS PREPARED AND
DELIVERED TO THE INFORMAL SESSION.
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CIVIL SOCIETY STATEMENT
KEY AMONGST THE POINTS IN THE STATEMENT
HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT MUST BE THE
BASIS FOR WSIS.
THE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION SOCIETY MUST
NECESSARILY HAVE PEOPLE AT ITS CENTER.
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CIVIL SOCIETY STATEMENT (cont.)
CROSS-CUTTING THEMES INCLUDED 1. BRIDGING
DIVIDES AND CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EFFECTIVE
PARTICIPATION IN THE INFORMATION AND
COMMUNICATION SOCIETY AND
2. GENDER PERSPECTIVES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
MILLENNIUM DECLARATION, THE CONVENTION ON THE
ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DESCRIMINATION
AGAINST WOMEN, THE BEIJING PLATFORM FOR ACTION
AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS ADOPTED BY THE UN, THE WSIS
MUST ADDRESS GENDER PERSPECTIVES WITHIN THE
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION SOCIETY IN ALL
ASPECTS OF THE AGENDA.
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CIVIL SOCIETY STATEMENT (cont.)
GENDER PERSPECTIVES
FOCUSED ON THE BROAD THEMES OF REDUCING GENDER
DISCRIMINATION AND IMPROVING PARTICIPATION OF
WOMEN IN THE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION
SOCIETY, CAPACITY BUILDING AND TRAINING FOR
WOMEN, AND THE USE OF ICTS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES
AND LIVELIHOODS OF WOMEN WORLDWIDE.
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CIVIL SOCIETY STATEMENT (cont.)
GENDER PERSPECTIVES
SPECIFIC THEMES INCLUDE
SUPPORTING WIDE PARTICIPATION BY WOMEN ICT
SPECIALISTS IN POLICY AND DECISION-MAKING AT ALL
LEVELS IN THE ICT SECTOR
SUPPORTING WOMENS GREATER ACCESS AND CONTROL
OVER RESOURCES NECESSARY FOR THEIR EMPOWERMENT
ENCOURAGING WOMEN TO EXPLORE THE CONVERGENCE
BETWEEN CULTURAL AND TRADITIONAL FORMS OF
COMMUNICATION WITH THE TECHNOLOGIES CURRENTL
AVAILABLE
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CIVIL SOCIETY STATEMENT (cont.)
GENDER PERSPECTIVES
ENHANCING THE POSSIBILITIES OF WOMEN AT ALL
LEVELS UTILIZING ICT TOOLS TO TRANSFORM GENDER
HEIRARCHIES IN SOCIETY AND TO CHALLENGE
STEREOTYPED ROLES THAT THEY ARE EXPECTED TO
FULFILL
USING NEW AND ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF ICTS TO
COUNTER THE NEGATIVE PORTRAYALS OF WOMEN IN THE
MEDIA, EXAMINING AND ADDRESSING OLD AND NEW FORMS
OF EXPLOITATION AND VILENCE AGIANST WOMEN IN THE
INFORATION AND COMMUNICATION SOCIETY.
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WOMEN WORLDWIDE ARE DISCUSSING GENDER INPUT INTO
THE POLICY DOCUMENT.
BY REGION
BY ISSUE
TRAINING/ EDUCATION
RIGHT TO COMMUNICATE
OWNERSHIP AND CONTROL
ACCESS
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.IN FULL RECOGNITION THAT THE IMPLICATIONS OF
THE INFORMATION SOCIETY ARE BROAD AND
MULTI-FACETED, INCLUDING SUCH AREAS AS
e-governance
telecommunications
distance learning
e-commerce
e-empowerment!
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A GENDER PERSPECTIVE IS THEREFORE IMPERATIVE AT
ALL LEVELS AND IN ALL ISSUES AND THEMES
women worldwide are working hard to help make
this a reality
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THIS PRESENTATION WAS PREPARED BY Anne S.Walker,
International Womens
Tribune Centre, andKaren BanksAPC/Womens
Networking Support Programme For the NGO Gender
Strategies Working Group UPDATED JANUARY 2003