Dear Colleagues and Friends, The APC Women's Networking Support Programme is proud to announce the launch of our new Gender and ICT Policy Monitor, GenderIT.org. GenderIT.org is a practical tool for women's organisations and policy-makers so that ICT policy meets women needs and does not infringe on their rights. We hope that GenderIT.org will help to promote the need for gender advocacy in ICT policy as well as the "how to" of pushing for policy change. As a clearing house on gender and ICT policy issues, GenderIT.org is an open platform for ANY gender and ICT advocate to publish her/his resources and papers, and to register in the 'Who's who in policy' directory of key actors.
***We are looking forward to your FEEDBACK, and CONTRIBUTIONS at www.genderit.org!*** Please help us to circulate the attached press release (in Spanish, and English) as widely as possible. Find out more: [English]http://www.genderit.org/en/index.shtml?w=a&x=91258 [Spanish]http://www.genderit.org/en/index.shtml?w=a&x=91260 Visit the site: http://www.genderit.org/ Katerina Fialova, Gender and ICT Policy Monitor Project Manager ----------- **PLEASE DISSEMINATE WIDELY** **Apologies for cross-postings** ====================================================================== PRESS RELEASE, April 11 2005: NEW GENDER AND ICT POLICY WEBSITE HELPS WOMEN MAKE ICT POLICY A PRIORITY ====================================================================== PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- Gender and technology activists, the APC WNSP, have launched GenderIT.org, a new information and communications technology (ICT) policy portal for women and policy-makers. ICT policy is not just about legislation of infrastructure and operators. Good ICT policy can promote economic empowerment. It can counter the negative uses of ICTs, such as trafficking of women. GenderIT.org promotes the need for gender advocacy in ICT policy as well as the "how to" of pushing for policy change. With the growth of infrastructure and access, ICTs are beginning to permeate even the most isolated regions. Access or lack of access to a medium that in some places has become a principal means of expression, economic survival, and decision-making is vital for women. Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations, has observed that: "There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women." However, the gender implications of ICT policy are seldom taken into consideration. The Association for Progressive Communications Women's Networking Support Programme (APC WNSP) developed GenderIT.org to broaden awareness of gender and ICTs and to offer a practical tool for ICT advocates, especially women's organisations and movements to ensure that ICT policy meets their needs and does not infringe on their rights. "ICTs can assist in bringing food to the table or in promoting a reproductive rights agenda," says Ruth Ojiambo Ochieng of the ISIS - Women's International Cross-Cultural Exchange in Uganda and a member of the APC WNSP's worldwide network. What does GenderIT.org feature? The issues: GenderIT.org spell outs technology policy issues and implications so that women's activists can clearly see the links to their work in the defence of women's human rights. Worldwide perspective: GenderIT.org offers special focus on Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, and Latin America. Regular news features come from GenderIT.org's policy-writers living in those regions. Events and Who's Who in Policy?: GenderIT.org presents the main actors and arenas for ICT policy from the global level right down to the national scene. Resources and articles: GenderIT.org links local to global, to ensure that activists at home can take advantage of advances in international policy instruments and processes. It highlights local and regional ICT policy examples and implications. Policy-makers' section: GenderIT.org provides orientation for policy makers too on how to draft gender-sensitive national ICT plans. Anti-jargon: GenderIT.org demystifies ICT policy and technical language. As a clearing-house for all resources, papers, and articles on gender and ICT policy issues, GenderIT.org helps gender and ICT advocates keep informed on pressing ICT policy issues and frameworks being planned nationally, regionally and globally. Who's using GenderIT.org? GenderIT.org is an open platform for ANY gender and ICT advocate to publish her/his work. It brings together diverse actors to build partnerships and alliances. "The Monitor project is a critical and unique tool to build our technological literacy so that staff and partners have easy access to resources that help us to understand the issues related to access, content and policy," comments Deputy Director Joanne Sandler at the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). "This is important for ongoing work to support women's rights organising and particularly timely in the lead up to the World Summit on the Information Society, where we need to secure a clear and unswerving commitment to incorporating women's interests and perspectives in ICT policy-making." "Engendering policy is a hard-enough task. The ICT-gender combination makes advocacy in developing countries that much harder. You need to address multiple audiences and tailor communication to specific audiences. The APC WNSP GenderIT site is a wonderful resource that addresses these needs and provides ammunition to gender advocates like me," says Anita Gurumurthy, Director of Advocacy at ITforChange.net based in Bangalore, India. The creators of GenderIT.org hope that the portal will encourage more women to become part of the ICT policy processes worldwide. "Our participation in gender and ICT policy is critical because we need policies to enable every individual's right to communicate. If we leave it as it is, it will be very difficult for us to agree that we are building an information society - as the majority will be left out," affirms Ojiambo Ochieng. FOR MORE INFORMATION GenderIT.org: http://www.genderit.org. ABOUT THE APC WNSP The Association for Progressive Communications Women's Networking Support Programme (APC WNSP) supports women networking for social change and women's empowerment through the use of ICTs. The APC WNSP network comprises over 150 women from 38 countries. Over three-quarters of members are active in regional WNSP networks in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America. APC WNSP: http://www.apcwomen.org The APC WNSP is a programme of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC). APC is an international network of civil society organisations dedicated to empowering and supporting groups and individuals working for peace, human rights, development and protection of the environment, through the strategic use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), including the internet. APC: http://www.apc.org CONTACT Katerina Fialova, GenderIT.org project manager [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---------------------------------------------------------- COMUNICADO DE PRENSA Abril 11 2005 NUEVO SITIO WEB DE GENERO Y POLITICAS DE TIC AYUDA A LAS MUJERES A PRIORIZAR LA POLITICA DE TIC PRAGA, Republica Checa -- Activistas de genero y tecnologia del PARM de APC lanzaron GenderIT.org, un nuevo portal sobre tecnologias de la informacion y la comunicacion (TIC) para las mujeres y los y las responsables de la formulacion de politicas. La politica de TIC no se limita solo a la legislacion sobre infraestructura y operadores. Una buena politica de TIC puede promover el empoderamiento economico. Tambien puede contrarrestar los usos negativos de las TIC, como el trafico de mujeres. GenderIT.org promueve la necesidad de contar con el activismo de genero en las politicas de TIC, asi como el "como" de la presion por el cambio en dichas politicas. Con el crecimiento de la infraestructura y el acceso, las TIC estan empezando a permear las regiones mas aisladas. El acceso, o su falta, a un medio que en algunos lugares se ha convertido en uno de los principales medios de expresion, supervivencia economica y toma de decisiones, es clave para las mujeres. Kofi Annan, secretario general de la Organizacion de las Naciones Unidas, observo que: "No existe otra herramienta de desarrollo mas eficaz que el empoderamiento de la mujer". Sin embargo, rara vez se tienen en cuenta las consecuencias de genero que tienen las politicas de TIC. El Programa de Apoyo a las Redes de Mujeres (PARM) de la Asociacion para el Progreso de las Comunicaciones (APC) desarrollo GenderIT.org para ampliar la conciencia de genero y TIC. Se trata de una herramienta practica para los activistas de TIC, en particular las organizaciones y los movimientos de la mujer, a fin de lograr que las politicas de TIC respondan a sus necesidades y no violen sus derechos. "Las TIC pueden ayudar a llevar comida a la mesa o a promover la agenda de los derechos reproductivos", dice Ruth Ojiambo Ochieng, de ISIS - Women's International Cross-Cultural Exchange de Uganda y miembro de la red mundial del PARM de APC. ?Que ofrece GenderIT.org? Los temas: GenderIT.org detalla los temas de las politicas tecnologicas y sus consecuencias para que las activistas puedan ver con claridad las relaciones existentes en su trabajo en defensa de los derechos de la mujer. Perspectiva mundial: GenderIT.org brinda un panorama con el foco especialmente puesto en Africa, Asia, Europa central y oriental, y America Latina. Recibimos notas de representantes regionales de GenderIT.org sobre politicas de TIC en esas regiones. Eventos y ?Quien es quien?: GenderIT.org presenta a los principales actores y escenarios de politicas de TIC tanto en el plano internacional, como nacional. Recursos y articulos: GenderIT.org vincula lo local con lo global, para que los y las activistas puedan aprovechar los avances en los instrumentos y procedimientos de politica internacional. Tambien presenta los ejemplos y las consecuencias de las politicas locales y regionales de TIC. Seccion de los responsables de formular politicas: GenderIT.org tambien le brinda orientacion a los y las responsables de la formulacion de politicas respecto de como disenar planes nacionales de TIC que sean sensibles a las cuestiones de genero. Anti jerga: GenderIT.org desmistifica el lenguaje tecnico de las politicas de TIC Como centro de distribucion de todos los recursos, documentos y articulos sobre temas de genero y politicas de TIC, GenderIT.org ayuda a la comunidad de activistas de esa area a mantenerse informadas sobre las cuestiones candentes y los marcos de TIC que se estan elaborando a nivel nacional, regional y mundial. ?Quien esta usando GenderIT.org? GenderIT.org es una plataforma abierta para que todos los y las activistas de genero y TIC puedan publicar su trabajo. Reune a diversos actores para crear asociaciones y alianzas. "El proyecto Monitor es una herramienta clave y unica para llevar adelante nuestra alfabetizacion tecnologica a fin de que tanto el personal como nuestras socias puedan acceder facilmente a los recursos que nos ayudan a entender los temas relativos al acceso, los contenidos y las politicas", comento Joanne Sandler, subdirectora del Fondo de Naciones Unidas para la Mujer (UNIFEM). "Esto es importante para el trabajo que ya se esta haciendo de apoyo a las organizaciones que defienden los derechos de la mujer y, ademas, cae justo en los preparativos de la Cumbre Mundial sobre la Sociedad de la Informacion, cuando se precisa un compromiso claro y firme con la incorporacion de los intereses y perspectivas de las mujeres en la formulacion de politicas de TIC". "Ponerle genero a la politica es una tarea bastante dificil. La combinacion de genero y TIC hace que el activismo sea mucho mas duro en los paises en desarrollo. Hay que dirigirse a publicos multiples y disenar una comunicacion especifica con cada uno de ellos. El sitio GenderIT.org del PARM de APC es un recurso estupendo que responde a estas necesidades y le ofrece municiones a las activistas de genero como yo", explica Anita Gurumurthy, directora de cabildeo de ITforChange.net, de Bangalore, India. Las creadoras de GenderIT.org esperan que el portal aliente a mas mujeres a integrarse a los procesos de TIC del mundo entero. "Nuestra participacion en las politicas de genero y TIC es clave porque las precisamos para poner al dia el derecho de cada individuo a comunicarse. Si dejamos las cosas como estan, nos resultara muy dificil ponernos de acuerdo para construir una sociedad de la informacion ^ ya que la mayoria quedara afuera", afirma Ojiambo Ochieng. POR MAS INFORMACION GenderIT.org: http://www.genderit.org. ACERCA DEL PARM DE APC El Programa de Apoyo a las Redes de Mujeres (PARM) de la Asociacion para el Progreso de las Comunicaciones (APC) apoya a las redes de mujeres por el cambio social y el empoderamiento de la mujer mediante el uso de TIC. La red del PARM de APC incluye a unas 150 mujeres de 38 paises. Las tres cuartas partes de las integrantes del PARM trabajan en redes regionales de Africa, Asia, Europa central y oriental, y America Latina. APC WNSP: http://www.apcwomen.org El PARM de APC es un programa de la Asociacion para el Progreso de las Comunicaciones (APC). La Asociacion para el Progreso de las Comunicaciones (APC) es una red internacional de organizaciones de la sociedad civil dedicadas a apoyar y empoderar a los grupos e individuos que trabajan por la paz, los derechos humanos, el desarrollo y la proteccion del medio ambiente mediante el uso estrategico de las tecnologias de la informacion y la comunicacion (TIC), incluso internet. APC: http://www.apc.org CONTACTO Katerina Fialova, coordinadora de proyecto de GenderIT.org [EMAIL PROTECTED] =========================== Katerina Fialova Gender and ICT Policy Monitor Project Manager Association for Progressive Communications Women's Networking Support Programme, (APC WNSP) URL: GenderIT.org (http://www.genderit.org), APC WNSP (http://www.apcwomen.org); APC(http://www.apc.org); GEM Project(www.apcwomen.org/gem) [EMAIL PROTECTED] Prague, Czech Republic =========================== ------------ ***GKD is solely supported by EDC, a Non-Profit Organization*** To post a message, send it to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: <http://www.edc.org/GLG/gkd/>
