1. Telecommunication Development Bureau REGIONAL SEMINAR ON WOMEN & ICT Cairo, Egypt 17 – 19 December 2003 presentation by Patricia Faccin Secretary, Working Group on Gender Issues ITU

2. Telecommunication Development Bureau In no region of the world are women and men equal in social or economic rights  115 million children do not attend primary school and 60% of them are girls  66% of 876 million illiterate adults are women  only 15% of women hold decision- making positions in national parliaments

3. Telecommunication Development Bureau Extremely limited access for women and girls Training in technical skills: majority boys and male teachers Content & language:limited content produced by women Why is ICT a Gender Issue?

4. Telecommunication Development Bureau What is ITU doing?  Working Group on Gender Issues (WGGI)  Mainstreamaing gender in ITU- D programmes & projects

5. Telecommunication Development Bureau Working Group on Gender Issues (WGGI) promoting gender equality in and through telecoms GENDER WORKING GROUP AIMS TO promoting gender equality in and through telecoms GENDER WORKING GROUP AIMS TO:  increase awareness of developmental impact of telecoms on women  promote mainstreaming of gender issues into telecom policy & programmes  ensure that the benefits of telecoms are equally available to women and men

6. Telecommunication Development Bureau Major Accomplishments  Annual WGGI meetings and recommendations to ITU-D  WGGI Publications and promotional materials  Gender Questionnaire Survey and Database Development  Memoranda of Understanding  Gender-Expert Presentations  Gender Web-site  Regional Seminars on Women & ICTs  Gender Training Curriculum and Guidelines for policy and regulatory bodies

7. Telecommunication Development Bureau World Telecommunication Development Conference: Istanbul, March 2002 Reinforced gender mainstreaming in ITU-D Reinforced gender mainstreaming in ITU-D by  Gender initiatives in all programmes in the Action Plan  Gender perspective in ITU-D strategic, operational and budgetary plans  Gender indicators in ITU statistics  Assistance to Member States by promoting access to rural ICT facilities providing advice and support on gender mainstreaming in telecom policy

8. Telecommunication Development Bureau Gender in the World Summit on the Information Society  UNITED NATIONS INTER-AGENCY NETWORK ON WOMEN AND GENDER EQUALITY linking gender and ICT  GENDER CAUCUS:  GENDER CAUCUS: multi-stakeholder group of gender and ICT advocates to promote the gender perspective  ULTIMATE GOAL: a gender dimension integrated into WSIS Principles and Action Plan www.itu.int/ITU-D/gender/GenderWSIS

9. Telecommunication Development Bureau Bridging the Gender Digital Divide Working Group on Gender Issues (WGGI) Telecommunications Development Bureau (BDT) International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

10. Telecommunication Development Bureau For more information visit our website: www.itu.int/ITU-D/gender www.itu.int/ITU-D/gender