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A workshop on Gender and e-Government, currently underway in Maputo, Mozambique for Anglophone countries (28 to 30 May 2007), is the second for Africa. Over thirty participants from eighteen Anglophone countries composed of ICT focal points and representatives of gender machineries are in attendance. The first workshop was held in Tunis, Tunisia in June 2006 for Francophone countries. In her opening remarks, Mrs. Carla Moiana, Deputy Director of Infrastructure and Information Systems of the Mozambican Ministry of Science and Technology was the first to share the Mozambique experience. The Deputy Director advised that Mozambique had been working in implementing policies that aimed at ensuring equal access to information and education for all citizens. Participants from fourteen countries in attendance also shared their experiences in gender mainstreaming activities in ICTs and other sectors.
During the opening session, Mr. Sizo Mhlanga, Regional Advisor, ISTD, ECA, presented the background to ECA's activities in mainstreaming gender in ICT for Development. He advised that the 1996 African Information Society Initiative (AISI), and its subsequent implementation in national and sectoral e-strategies, accorded priority to disenfranchised groups, in particular women and youth.
In a message delivered on behalf of Ms. Wendy Ace, Director of Canadian ePolicy Resource Centre (CePRC), informed participants of Canada's efforts in addressing gender mainstreaming issues, as well as support to African countries in similar areas.
The present workshop is expected to conclude the process by coming up with a framework for a Pan African Action Plan for Gender and e-Government. The ECA and CePRC under the Global ePolicy Resource Network (ePol-NET), the Mozambican Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) organized the workshop.
For more details: http://www.epolafrica.org/gender-ict/
By Assefa Bahta ( assefab@uneca.org ) and Sizo Mhlanga ( smhlanga@uneca.org )
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