Transcript Document

WORLD SUMMIT OF THE
INFORMATION SOCIETY
DECEMBER 2003, GENEVA
CIVIL
SOCIETY
GOVT/UN
and UN
AGENCIES
PRIVATE
SECTOR
UN, CIVIL SOCIETY AND PRIVATE SECTOR
PREPARATORY PROCESSES FOR WSIS
A. PREPCOMS
WORLD SUMMIT
July 1-5, 2002
Feb. 17-28, 2003
Sep.15-26, 2003
PREPCOM
I
PREPCOM
II
PREPCOM
III
CIVIL
SOCIETY
CIVIL
SOCIETY
CIVIL
SOCIETY
WSIS
GENDER
CAUCUS
ON THE
INFORMATION
SOCIETY
Dec. 10-12 2003
NGO GENDER
STRATEGIES
WORKING GROUP
PARALLEL AND SHARED PLANNING MEETINGS
B. REGIONAL MTGS
WSIS GENDER
ADVOCATES
MIDDLE
EAST
GOVTS
ASIA/PACIFIC
GOVTS
TOKYO, JAPAN,
JAN. 12-14, 2003
WSIS GENDER
ADVOCATES
N.AMERICA
AND EUROPE
GOVTS
BUCHAREST, ROMANIA,
NOVEMBER 7-9, 2002
BEIRUT, LEBANON,
FEB. 4-6, 2003
L.AMERICA/
CARIBBEAN
GOVTS
AFRICAN
GOVTS
BAMAKO, MALI,
MAY 25-30, 2002
WSIS GENDER
CAUCUS FORMED
WSIS
GENDER
ADVOCATES
WSIS GENDER
ADVOCATES
BAVARO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC,
JAN. 29-31, 2003
REGIONAL MEETINGS
WSIS GENDER CAUCUS
-MULTI-STAKEHOLDERTHIS CAUCUS WAS FORMED DURING THE AFRICAN
REGIONAL PREPARATORY CONFERENCE IN BAMAKO, MALI,
MAY 2002.
THE MULTI-STAKEHOLDER 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 WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN THE
WSIS PROCESS.
THE WSIS GENDER CAUCUS INCLUDES MEN AND WOMEN
FROM
NATIONAL
GOVERNMENTS,
CIVIL SOCIETY
ORGANIZATIONS, NGOS, THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND
THE UN SYSTEM.
NGO GENDER STRATEGIES
WORKING GROUP
THIS IS A FORMATION OF WOMEN’S 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
NGO GENDER STRATEGIES
WORKING GROUP
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 WOMEN’S 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 WOMEN’S MOVEMENT
CONTEXT ABOUT WSIS AND THE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION
CONCERNS THAT SHOULD BE ADVOCATED FOR BY WOMEN’S MOVEMENT
ACTORS.
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 WOMEN’S 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
AT PREPCOM 1, JULY 2002, THERE WERE NO DECISIONS
TAKEN ON THE THEMES OF THE SUMMIT.
HOWEVER, 4 CORE ISSUES EMERGED…..
, ACCESS TO KNOWLEDGE, EDUCATION AND HUMAN
1. E-LEARNING
RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ISSUES.
GOVERNANCE ISSUES: HOW INFORMATION
2. E-GOVERNMENT,
AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES CAN BE USED BY GOVERNMENT
AND CITIZENS TO SECURE TRANSPARENT GOVERNANCE, ACCESS TO
COMMUNITY INFORMATION, IMPROVE CITIZEN’ PARTICIPATION AND
DIMINISH BUREACRACY.
4 KEY ISSUES (continued)
3. 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.
4. ICTs AND NETWORK SECURITY ISSUES:
ESTABLISHMENT OF EMERGENCY SYSTEMS AND COLLABORATION
AMONG COUNTRIES ON NETWORK SECURITY. ELECTRONIC SECURITY.
FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION.
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 women’s education, training and employment to promote and ensure
women’s equal access to all areas and levels of the media
Promote women’s full and equal participation in the media, including management,
programming, education, training and research
Encourage and recognize women’s media networks, including electronic networks and
other new technologies of communication, as a means for the dissemination of information 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.
TO SUMMARIZE: WOMEN WANT GENDER INPUT
INTEGRATED INTO ALL PARTS OF THE WSIS
POLICY DOCUMENT
GENDER
INPUT
5
GENDER
INPUT
Gender in
the
Information
Society
1
4
3
GENDER
INPUT
2
GENDER
INPUT
THIS WILL INEVITABLY CHANGE THE SHAPE OF
THE DOCUMENT….
GENDER
INPUT
Gender in
the
Information
Society
4
GENDER
INPUT
5
3
GENDER
INPUT
3 1
4 2
GENDER
INPUT
IN SEPTEMBER 16-18 2002, AN
INFORMAL SESSION ON CONTENT
AND THEMES WAS HELD
A CIVIL SOCIETY STATEMENT WAS PREPARED
AND DELIVERED TO THE INFORMAL SESSION.
KEY AMONGST THE POINTS IN THE STATEMENT
WERE
KEY POINTS IN WSIS
CIVIL SOCIETY STATEMENT
HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
MUST BE THE BASIS FOR WSIS.
THE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION
SOCIETY MUST NECESSARILY HAVE PEOPLE
AT ITS CENTER.
CROSS-CUTTING THEMES IN THE
CIVIL SOCIETY STATEMENT
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.
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.
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 WOMEN’S 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;
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.
AT PREPCOM 2, FEB. 17-28, 2003, CIVIL SOCIETY SUDDENLY
FOUND THAT THEY WERE BEING SHUT OUT
A FEW COUNTRIES DECIDED THAT THE VOICE OF CIVIL
SOCIETY WAS NOT TO HAVE INPUT INTO OFFICIAL
DOCUMENTS.
ALSO
FINAL DRAFTS OF THE PLAN OF ACTION DID NOT CONTAIN
A SINGLE REFERENCE TO GENDER EQUITY, GENDER ISSUES
AND/OR GENDER CONCERNS.
A GROUP OF GENDER ADVOCATES FROM EVERY WORLD
REGION, MET INFORMALLY WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE
PREPCOM, MR ADAMA SAMASSEKOU (MALI), TO SPEAK
WITH HIM ABOUT THE ABSENCE OF GENDER IN THE
LATEST DRAFT DOCUMENTS, AND TO RESPOND TO HIS
“OPEN LETTER” DELIVERED TO DELEGATES IN THE WEEK
BEFORE THE PREPCOM.
THEY RECEIVED A SYMPATHETIC HEARING AND AN
ASSURANCE THAT HE WOULD TRY TO DO SOMETHING
ABOUT THE SITUATION.
GENDER
INPUT
GENDER
INPUT
?
?
INTERSESSIONAL
WORKING GROUP
JULY,
UNESCO/PARIS
PREPCOM 3
SEPTEMBER 15-26, 2003,
GENEVA
WOMEN WORLDWIDE HOWEVER, CONTINUE TO
DISCUSS GENDER INPUT INTO THE WSIS
POLICY DOCUMENTS…….
BY REGION
BY ISSUE
TRAINING/
EDUCATION
OWNERSHIP
AND
CONTROL
RIGHT TO
COMMUNICATE
ACCESS
….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!
A GENDER PERSPECTIVE IS THEREFORE
IMPERATIVE AT ALL LEVELS AND IN ALL
ISSUES AND THEMES
THIS PRESENTATION WAS PREPARED
BY:
Anne S.Walker,
International Women’s Tribune Centre,
For the NGO Gender Strategies Working Group
UPDATED FEBRUARY 2003