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The WSIS Gender Caucus

The WSIS Gender Caucus is a multi-stakeholder group consisting of women and men from national governments, civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and the United Nations system. The strategic objective of the WSIS Gender Caucus is to ensure that gender equality and women’s rights are integrated into WSIS and its outcome processes. UNIFEM is a participant in the WSIS Gender Caucus.

The mission of the Gender Caucus is to urge the International Community to ensure that women enjoy the huge potential for social and economic empowerment offered by information and communication technologies (ICT) and participate effectively in all aspects of the Information Society. Achievement of this goal will help promote gender equality and further eradication of poverty, promotion of peace and security and the enjoyment of human rights.

WSIS Gender Caucus recommendations for the WSIS Plan of Action include: gender-equal participation in decision making; increase access to new and traditional communications technologies (such as community media) that reflect the needs of women in developing countries and local needs in general; design ICTs to serve people; strengthen women and girls’ capacity for ICT design, use and application; include gender in all research and evaluation of Information Society development.

The WSIS Gender Caucus was formed during the African regional preparatory conference (Bamako 2002), which took place in Mali from 25 to 30 May 2002. The WSIS Gender Caucus is committed to working towards the goals of the WSIS by sharing information and ideas on strategies for including gender equality goals and ensuring women’s participation in the WSIS process and follow-up programmes.

This page will monitor Gender Caucus activities conducted or sponsored by UNIFEM during WSIS.

• Visit the WSIS Gender Caucus Web site
• Gender Caucus Events
• Gender Caucus Position Paper on the WSIS Plan of Action (PDF, 403KB)
• Gender Caucus Key Recommendations for Action
• Statemement by Noeleen Heyzer (PDF, 21KB) at the WSIS Gender Caucus High Level Panel Towards an Action Plan for an Equitable Information Society