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Mobile Help-line for Women Tops Gender and ICT Awards 2005
by alice＠apc.org 22 Sep '05

22 Sep '05

Apologies for cross posting! NO EMBARGO ========= Press Release ========= GENDER AND ICT AWARDS 2005 ========================================= MOBILE HELP-LINE FOR WOMEN TOPS GENDER AND ICT AWARDS 2005 ========================================= Manila, Philippines, September 22, 2005--Pallitathya, an innovative Mobile Help-Line programme via cell phones for underprivileged women in rural Bangladesh beat thirty other entries from all over the Asia-Pacific to win this year's Gender and Information & Communication Technology (GICT) Awards sponsored by the Association for Progressive Communications Women's Networking Support Programme (APC WNSP) and the Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP). Two other projects were selected as runners up: Putting ICTs in the Hands of the Poor, an interactive community ICT centre in India; and eHomemakers, an online network for home-based business from Malaysia. The GICT Awards 2005 ceremony will be held during the 10th AWID International Forum on Women's Rights in Development on October 27 to 30, 2005 in Bangkok, Thailand. A knowledge-sharing session will also be organised in conjunction with the award ceremony. The 2005 GICT Awards focused on information and communication technology initiatives which promote women's economic empowerment and development in Asia Pacific. Economic empowerment was defined as the ability to overcome marginalisation and oppressive social norms, provide choices and opportunities for women, provide strong encouragement for women to fulfil their potential, and enable women to acquire the voice and capability to counter their lack of socio-economic-political power in the community. Emphasising this focus are three major criteria: the use of ICTs to promote women's economic empowerment and gender equality; upscaling of initiatives and community-centred technologies; and the promotion of cooperation and social networking. GICT AWARDS WINNER: HELPING WOMEN HELP THEMSELVES The winning project, the Pallitathya Help-Line Centre (Call Centre for the Poor and Underprivileged), was conceived by the Development through Access to Network Resources (D.Net) <http://www.dnet-bangladesh.org> organisation in 2003. It was based on assessment findings which showed that lack of timely and relevant information was a major bottleneck to rural development, and a leading factor in the exploitation of the underprivileged, particularly women. The Help-Line deployed women in the community as "Mobile Operator Ladies" who move from door-to-door to enable other women ---mostly housewives--- to ask questions related to livelihood, agriculture, health, and legal rights via a mobile phone, while Help-Desk operators respond to the women's queries with the use of a database-driven software application and the internet. To expand the information database, resource persons from government, non-government organisations, health groups and human rights organisations partnered with D.Net to provide a steady stream of responses to frequently asked questions. With women's economic empowerment as its centrepiece, the Pallitathya Help-Line Centre directly addressed the community's information needs on health, education, livelihood, employment and agriculture, while keeping the beneficiaries' anonymity intact. As mobile operator ladies, women were consciously given a crucial role as "infomediaries," increasing their self-worth, their potential to earn, and their knowledge about various issues. Women help-desk operators also enhanced their knowledge of issues and considerably improved their communication skills. Women who availed of the Help-Line service professed a higher self-assessment and realisation of their potential and worth in society, increased incomes, and increased authority over spending decisions. Dr Ananya Raihan, Executive Director of D. Net said in describing his organisation's reaction to the award, " I saw the light of inspiration in their eyes. He added, "We would like to go a long way. At this early stage this recognition will facilitate us to work more and achieve the ultimate target". For its efforts, D.Net's Pallitathya Help-Line Center will receive a cash prize of US$8,000, while the two runners-up will each receive US$3,000. Representatives of each project will also be supported to attend the AWID Forum, where more than 2,000 women's rights activists, academics, policy makers and students from all other the world are expected to converge. GICT AWARDS RUNNERS-UP: BUILDING BUSINESS THROUGH ICTS IN INDIA AND MALAYSIA "Putting ICTs in the Hands of the Poor", <http://www.datamationfoundation.org/economic.htm> a theme project of the Seelampur Community ICT Centre project, is a tripartite alliance among Datamation Foundation Charitable Trust, the UNESCO, and the Babul-Uloom-Madrasa, an orthodox Muslim religious school in India. Seelampur is a Muslim minority ghetto marked by extreme poverty. A modern ICT centre was set up within the Babul-Uloom-Madrasa to provide a venue for Muslim women to learn from interactive multimedia packages on vocational skills, small businesses, and human and legal rights. The ICT Centre also established support mechanisms in the form of capacity-building, marketing and financial networking for the women to engage in income-generating opportunities. Skills and vocational modules in CDs made available to the women of Seelampur ranged from tailoring, embroidery, candle making and liquid soap making to management of courier and tiffin centres, basic literacy, confidence-building and personality development. The Centre also established a local community website called eNRICH <http://enrich.nic.in/>, where women get basic computer training and record their concerns on health, education, livelihood, and other matters related to the community's needs. The eHomemakers of Malaysia, was founded in 1988 as the "Mothers for Mothers" network which empowered home workers, teleworkers, home business owners and those who wanted home-based careers to improve their socio-economic status. Through the eHomemakers website <http://www.ehomemakers.net/en/index.php>, community members are able to network with each other via the Xchange section, print newsletters, organise activities to advertise their products and services for free, teletrade, barter exchange, and find teleworking assignments, while working within their homes. Sections such as Homebiz Management, Home-based Profiles, and IT Tips and Tricks enable women to efficiently work from home, pursue entrepreneurial ventures, and sustain home businesses. A Forum Board facilitates networking and exchange of ideas and actual experiences, while experts in business development and entrepreneurship respond to frequently asked questions. The eHomemakers network targets women in the low-income group, including unemployed single mothers with young/disabled children, the disabled and chronically ill to work at home, through the strategic use of ICTs. GENDER AND ICT AWARDS 2005 The GICT Awards 2005 <http://www.genderawards.net/> was open to civil society organisations, community-based groups, networks and social movements in Asia Pacific, with women, particularly, girls, as target beneficiaries. The Awards were founded in 2003. Sponsors The Association for Progressive Communications Women's Networking Support Programme (APC WNSP) is a global network of women who support women networking for social change and women's empowerment through the use of ICTs <http://www.apcwomen.org/>. The Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) is the leading international multi-stakeholder network committed to harnessing the potential of information and communication technologies (ICT) for sustainable and equitable development. Ranging from grassroots practitioners to policy-makers, GKP members and partners are innovators in the practical use of ICT for development <http://www.globalknowledge.org/>. The Gender and ICT Awards is supported by the the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) <http://www.sdc.admin.ch/> and the Department for International Development (DfID), United Kingdom <http://www.dfid.gov.uk/>. For more information about the Awards, please write to: Mylene Soto Coordinator mylene(a)apcwomen.org ================================================ ============= APC Forum is a meeting place for the APC community - people and institutions who are or have been involved in collaboration with APC, and share the APC vision - a world in which all people have easy, equal and affordable access to the creative potential of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to improve their lives and create more democratic and egalitarian societies. _______________________________________________ apc.forum mailing list apc.forum(a)lists.apc.org http://lists.apc.org/mailman/listinfo/apc.forum

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Tunis WSISGC Debate Announcement
by Florence Etta 22 Sep '05

22 Sep '05

DEBATE ANNOUNCEMENT Topic: ICTs and Human Rights (Women's & Men's) The WSIS Gender Caucus will hold a debate on Tuesday November 15th in Tunis as part of its programme of activities for this second phase of WSIS. This is our invitation to you to join in this activity in the following ways: As a debater, judge or e-volunteer. The debate will bring 6 intergenerational debaters from Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, US & Canada, Europe, and Asia to debate how information and communication technologies have advanced or undermined gender equality. The debate will also suggest how sustained change in the service of gender equality might be achieved through the agency of ICTs in the future Information Society. The WSIS Gender Caucus is seeking your help to identify the best debaters, judges and e-volunteers. We need to find 6 debaters, one each (the best) from Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, US and Canada, Europe, and Asia/Pacific 4 judges and 30 e-volunteers The E-volunteers will help the debaters to put the debate together so the debaters will have help from around the world with the help of the e-volunteers. Whether you choose to join the activity or not please make a nomination. Using the short form below to make your nomination, please send your nominations to: Susana Fernandes< sfernandez(a)genderwsis.org> OR Florence Etta <fetta(a)idrc.or.ke> = = = = = = = = = = = = Name & Sex of nominee: Country or Region of nominee: Task for Nominee: Debater/Judge/E-volunteer Age of Nominee in decades 20's 30's etc: (Required to balance debaters' age) Contact for Nominee: (Email address preferred) _______________________________________________

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Fwd: [DigAfrica] Econet buys back Sh6b stake from partner
by Brian Longwe 22 Sep '05

22 Sep '05

This is the company that allegedly can't get overdraft facilities ..... paying 6billion in a single transaction - business is about value, not about cash - cash follows value.... Brian Begin forwarded message: > From: "Chifu" <chifu2222(a)msn.com> > Date: 22 September 2005 05:37:29 GMT+03:00 > To: DigAfrica(a)yahoogroups.com > Subject: [DigAfrica] Econet buys back Sh6b stake from partner > Reply-To: DigAfrica(a)yahoogroups.com > > > Econet buys back Sh6b stake from partner > By Bryan Mbugua > > Econet Wireless Group (EWG) yesterday paid Allied Technologies Group > (Altech) over Sh6 billion to acquire back 50 per cent shareholding in > Botswana-incorporated Econet Wireless Global. > > The buyout was made ahead of the payment deadline that was due on > October. > > In a statement, Econet Group Chief Executive Officer Strive Masiyiwa > said the group had decided to make full payment in advance to enable > the business function normally and to begin implementing its expansion > programmes. > > Masiyiwa said following the payment, Econet will reconstitute its > board of directors to focus on a number of projects of projects in the > pipeline. > > Econonet Wireless Kenya, a subsidiary of Zimbabwean Econet Wireless > Group, won the bid to roll out the third mobile network in Kenya, but > its launch has been locked in wrangles between shareholders. > > Altech, a South African company also listed on Johannesburg Stock > Exchange, bought half ownership of Econonet Wireless Group last > November for about Sh5 billion. > > However, fallout among the shareholders led Econet to opt for an > out-of-court settlement over the disputed Botswana operations. > > Earlier, Altech had applied to the High Court in Botswana to wind up > the Econonet Wireless Group. > > In the application, Altech had sought to either buy out original > Econet shareholders, including the family of CEO Strive Masiyiwa, or > sell its stake to them for about Sh7.5 billion, incase its winding up > application failed. > > "Although the settlement agreement between the parties only required > Econet to come up with a bank guarantee by September 20, and make > final payment by the end of October, the company decided to make full > payment in advance," Masiyiwa said. Econet Wireless Global would > continue to operate as a Botswana-based wholly-owned subsidiary of the > group. > > "Econet Wireless Group today completed its payment to Altech for its > 50 per cent stake in Econet Wireless Global. > > "This will enable the business to function normally and begin to > implement its own expansion programmes. > > An early settlement also allows us to reconstitute the board and also > complete some of the projects in the pipeline. Now that we have paid > Altech, their directors on our board have also resigned and we can now > replace them which is important for our corporate governance," he > said. > > Masiyiwa said the group would continue with its expansion programme in > the telecommunications sector and with the arbitration process in > Nigeria to increase its stake in Vee Mobile, formerly Econet Wireless > Nigeria. > > Source: http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=29262 > > > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -------------------- > ~--> > Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your > home page > http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/DKgolB/TM > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > ~-> > > Dig Africa site welcomes you to join us at > http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/Digafrica > > Also if you are interested to join a Swahili/English discussion > group click > http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/kiswahili > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigAfrica/ > > <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > DigAfrica-unsubscribe(a)yahoogroups.com > > <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > > > >

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Re: Duopoly by Mobile Service Providers
by John Walubengo 22 Sep '05

22 Sep '05

"On 21 Sep 2005, at 22:06, Brian Longwe wrote: I'm not taking sides here, just asking questions that I think should straighten what is clearly spurios reasoning..." Unlike Brian, I do wish I could take sides on this one...but this issue is too complex and as outsiders, we can only make educated guesses (speculate?). Definately, the 3rd Mobile License Saga is not moving forward as planned. This has created a defacto duopoly that Safaricom and Celtel continue to exploit with impunity (High Calling rates(airtime) for Kenyans when rated Internationally, Lack of Number Portability, poorly implemented EIR (the software that disables stolen phones) system, Unreliable Emergency Service Lines (equivalent to 999 services), Delayed SMS deliveries, Retention of Unused Credit, etc, etc, etc. A 3rd Mobile Service Provider is likely to destroy un-written, cartel agreements that the current service providers are conviniently enjoying. However, the process for inviting the 3rd Operator has been halted in courts and one wonders (and speculates) on whether the delayed processing of resolving issue is not deliberate to perpetuate the status quo... walu. >>> <alice(a)apc.org> 09/22/05 11:39am >>> Brian, I think it was clear that your reference was to the conclusion arrived at by the author of the article. But you do bring into light certain aspects that the author left out which is helpful in understanding the situation. However, I think, it would be even more helpful if journalists could go the extra mile to explain the mechanisms/structures of the industry being reported on and allow readers to make the mental exercise of jumping into conclusions! thanks alice ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brian Longwe" <cto(a)nbi.ispkenya.com> To: "KIPlist" <kiplist-cl(a)lyris.idrc.ca> Cc: "Kenya ICT Policy - kictanet" <kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke>; "KIPlist" <kiplist-cl(a)lyris.idrc.ca> Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2005 9:04 AM Subject: Re: [Kictanet] Fw: [DigAfrica] How broke company won tender > > On 21 Sep 2005, at 22:06, Brian Longwe wrote: > >> I'm not taking sides here, just asking questions that I think should >> straighten what is clearly spurios reasoning... > > I don't normally reply to my own emails - but I just realised that my > mention of spurious reasoning yesterday might have been misconstrued > to be referring to the comments made by my colleagues Alice and > Florence. I would like to make a correction - I was not referring to > them but rather to the conclusion reached in the press article by the > author, which seem to have been based on questionable sources of > information. > > Apologies to all for any misunderstanding :-) > > Brian > > --- > Submitted by: cto(a)nbi.ispkenya.com 2005-09-22 02:06:01 EDT4 > (Please reply to original submitter for private communication) > --- > You are currently subscribed to kiplist-cl as: [alice(a)apc.org] > To unsubscribe, forward this message to > %%email.unsub%% > --- Submitted by: alice(a)apc.org 2005-09-22 04:44:57 EDT4 (Please reply to original submitter for private communication) --- You are currently subscribed to kiplist-cl as: [jwalubengo(a)kcct.ac.ke] To unsubscribe, forward this message to leave-kiplist-cl-102682Q(a)lyris.idrc.ca

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Fw: Gender and Development In Brief - Issue 16
by alice＠apc.org 21 Sep '05

21 Sep '05

----- Original Message ----- From: <bridge(a)ids.ac.uk> To: "BRIDGE Gender and Development In Brief" <inbrief(a)lyris.ids.ac.uk> Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 3:16 PM Subject: Gender and Development In Brief - Issue 16 GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT IN BRIEF BRIDGE BULLETIN, ISSUE 16, OCTOBER 2005 Gender and Migration - October 2005 IN THIS ISSUE: * Gender and migration: an overview * Promoting the rights of women migrating from Asia to the Middle East * Want to know about trafficking? Ask any sex worker Over the past four decades total numbers of international migrants have more than doubled but the percentage of the world population migrating has remained fairly constant. There are now 175 million international migrants worldwide or approximately 3.5 per cent of the global population, about half of whom are women. Yet internal migration in India and China combined exceeds total international migration globally. Is migration positive or negative for both gender equality and development? In fact it can be both. How can policy and practice foster the positive potential of migration and mitigate the risks? This In Brief hopes to inspire thinking on this question, with a short overview of the connections between gender and migration, an article on UNIFEM's work changing policies and supporting the rights of women migrating from Asia to the Middle East and a piece from the Durbar sex worker collective challenging us to re-evaluate work on trafficking. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gender and migration: an overview BRIDGE In 2000, 1 in every 35 people was an international migrant; and what some may find more surprising is the fact that half of these are now women. For internal migration, the total numbers are even higher (IOM 2000). Nevertheless, little progress has yet been made by development cooperation agencies on mainstreaming gender into migration interventions, and research into the gendered nature of migration has yet to hit the development headlines. People's experiences of gender are central to the patterns, causes and impacts of migration. Gender roles, relations and inequalities affect who migrates, how, why, and where they end up. Consider the following two examples: 'While working in Hong Kong I experienced many things - the way people treat a dependent or independent woman. I have gained much experience and my confidence has grown. Now, I have a say in decision-making at home. My husband does not shout at me. I have bought a piece of land and four rickshaws and I am creating a means of livelihood for four other families...' Sushila Rai, Nepalese migrant domestic worker (UNIFEM 2004 section 2, p1). 'I can't believe I did it. If I had someone to talk my problems over with, this would not have happened' twenty-one-year-old Leonor Dacular, is reported to have said this to a Philippines embassy official in a prison cell in Saudi Arabia as she awaited execution. She had complained to her employers that she had been raped twice by their sixteen-year-old son but they did not seem to care. She finally killed the son and his parents in their sleep and tried to kill herself. She was executed on 7 May 1993 (UNIFEM 2004 section 2, p4). Gender and migration connections Looking at migration through the lens of gender can show us how futile it is to try to divide up experiences of migration as either forced or voluntary, positive or negative, empowering or restrictive. Real-life stories of migration might include a family from Niger faced with famine moving for survival; a daughter in the Philippines sent by her family to work as a maid and required to send her earnings back home; a Bangladeshi woman divorced by her husband who is sent back to her parents' village; a woman fleeing feared violence from the militia to a displaced people's camp in Darfur; an English boy who runs away from home to escape sexual abuse; a transgender adolescent in Brazil thrown out by his family moving to the nearest city to seek out a transgender community; or a Serbian woman who has willingly migrated for sex work, but has been deceived into believing that she will earn good money rather than be trapped in conditions of virtual slavery. Do gender roles stay as they were when people were 'at home', or do they change? What employment opportunities are open to which genders? What specific needs or vulnerabilities may women face when coping with new countries or communities? It is true that migration can lead to a greater degree of economic and/or social autonomy for women, and the opportunity of challenging traditional or restrictive gender roles. Through migration, both men and women may develop skills or earn higher wages, some of which they can send back to their country of origin as remittances. However, migration can also entrench restrictive gender stereotypes of women's dependency and lack of decision-making power. The gendered division of labour in destination societies may result in women's skills being under-utilised, or lead women into sex work or domestic service, even if they had no intention of doing so on departure. In addition, services such as health, education and employment protection may be hard to obtain in destination countries, particularly if you are in informal (or indeed illegal) employment. Such service deficits can be particularly acute for women if they are unused to negotiating their rights to help when they need it, or if they face barriers of language and isolation. Gender, migration and development Despite the absence hitherto of development policy around migration, agencies like DFID are increasingly seeing it as a potentially important livelihood strategy for poor women and men - and one which can provide development to both sending and receiving countries. And yet, if both women and men are to benefit from migration, a shift to a gendered human rights approach is needed which ensures that development policy and practice are not limited to the economic aspects of migration (remittances or diasporic investment for example), but that they address a broader development 'picture' which includes culture, human rights and equality. This requires a much closer look at factors such as invisibility, lack of protection, illegal status, poor labour standards, violence and stigma. Such factors are critically gendered in terms of the different needs of men and women in relation to health, employment, resources, information, and power over decision-making. There are currently some positive examples that we can learn from. Government initiatives like that in Sri Lanka can provide essential pre-departure training to both women and men migrants which ensure a firm footing for all on arrival. Bilateral agreements between sending and receiving areas can also prompt receiving countries to provide a better deal for women migrants, as well as formulating policies to respond to large numbers of skilled workers leaving their countries of origin (the so-called 'brain drain'). A project of UNIFEM South East Asia is currently facilitating the establishment of a Memorandum of Understanding between Jordan and Indonesia and between Jordan and the Philippines that outlines the rights of women migrant workers. Important work can also be done by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as ALMATERRA in Turin, Italy which provides legal support, information, cross-cultural mediation, childcare and skills training for migrant women (Lean Lim et al. 2003). International rights frameworks on migration, refugees, women's human rights and trafficking are an important starting point and direction for the mobilisation of resources and efforts within government and civil society. At the end of the day, people's rights to health, education and information are inalienable. Access to and enjoyment of these rights requires an acknowledgement by policymakers and practitioners of the migration context. What (or who) has made someone migrate, where they find themselves, and whether they are in physical danger or isolation, will all partly depend on their gender. Gender affects how people are able to contribute to and benefit from their destination community - and how, therefore, they are able to ultimately play a part in achieving basic goals of both social and economic development. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Promoting the Rights of Women Migrating from Asia to the Middle East MEENAKSHI AHLUWALIA, UNIFEM South Asia 'When I was migrating to work as a domestic helper, I was told that I needed the permission of a male guardian to apply for migration. Even after obtaining the official permission, I had to cover my face and leave after sunset... When my brother migrated, everyone put red tilak on his forehead and bade him farewell. Now that I am back the discrimination continues, I am looked down upon while he is respected as a seasoned person' Nepali migrant worker migrating to Hong Kong. After her story was told in UNIFEM's briefing kit on empowering migrant workers (2004) she commented, 'My story was featured as a success story. Ever since, people approach me for information on foreign employment. Today I feel that I and my work have been respected.' Around half of those migrating within and from Asia are women, the majority of whom are concentrated in low-end stereotypical jobs such as domestic help and entertainment, often as irregular migrants. In Indonesia, irregular migrants may outstrip regular migrants by seven to one. Treating these women as victims will not help them. Instead what is needed is an empowering and rights-based approach which respects their choices, and challenges the policies and prejudices in sending and receiving countries which make their lives more difficult. Examples of UNIFEM South Asia's work to strengthen women migrants' rights are described below. Sending countries - Nepal In many sending countries, negative ideas are associated with female migration. In Nepal, UNIFEM organised a media campaign to dispel these and promote the idea of a woman's right to livelihood and mobility as part of her human rights. The campaign included articles in leading newspapers, radio programmes, panel discussions and spots on television. 'The Media campaign attracted the attention of Social Justice Committee (SJC) of the Parliament and compelled us to create pressure on the Ministry of Labour to lift the ban on women going for work in the Gulf', remarked the Honourable Ambika Pant, President of SJC and Member of Parliament. The Government has now lifted the ban on female formal sector workers migrating to Gulf countries and the Foreign Employment Act has been amended to incorporate the rights of Nepali female migrant workers. Receiving countries - Jordan There are an estimated 35,000 Sri Lankans and 7,000 Filipinos working in Jordan (according to the relevant embassies). Domestic workers in the Middle East mostly lack labour rights or protection from abuse. In Jordan, UNIFEM has facilitated efforts by the Ministry of Labour and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to develop the ground-breaking Minimum Standard Contract for Migrant Domestic Workers introduced in 2003. This contract recognises domestic work as productive labour and domestic workers as workers with legally recognised and enforceable rights. It covers migrant workers' rights to life insurance, medical care, rest days, timely payment of wages and the right to be treated in a humane way in keeping with international human rights standards. Cooperation between sending and receiving countries For sustained improvement in migrants' lives and to maximise the positive impacts on people's livelihoods and women's empowerment, sending and receiving countries need to work together. To this end, UNIFEM has been supporting cross-regional learning and cooperation both within and between countries through exposure visits and regional conferences. In a recent regional workshop, commitment was gained for multi-stakeholder collaboration within and between countries of origin to protect workers' rights - from governments, NGOs and international organisations in Indonesia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Jordan, Nepal, Philippines and Sri Lanka. UNIFEM hopes that in the longer run, both sending and receiving countries, governments and civil society, will collaborate to promote safe migration, and evolve gender- and rights-based policies and programmes which empower migrant workers. Meenakshi Ahluwalia is Program Officer on Economic Security and Rights for UNIFEM South Asia Regional Office. 223 Jor Bagh, New Delhi-11003, India Tel: 91-11- 24604351/24649752/24649165 Fax: 91-11- 24627612 Email: meenakshi.ahluwalia(a)undp.org ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Want to know about trafficking? Ask any sex worker NANDINEE BANDYOPADHYAY, PATH India and a sex workers' rights advocate My friend Bahar, who has worked as a sex worker in Mumbai and in different parts of Calcutta says, 'Ask any sex worker, what is the question that she encounters most frequently from outsiders, and she will invariably tell you, - "how did you come into the sex trade?" And you know why, because all you pious do-gooders cannot bring yourself to believe or accept that anyone can be a sex worker willingly - you want to hear a story that she had been forced into sex work, - blindfolded, gagged and dragged, just like in Hindi films, ... what is the word you use these days, ah yes, "trafficked".' I interject hesitantly, 'But do not most sex workers say that is exactly how they were introduced into sex work?' Bahar laughs, 'We sex workers are in the business of meeting our clients' demands, be they men wanting sexual gratification or social workers like you wanting to save us. So we supply what you demand - you want spectacular, gory, heart-wrenching stories - we give them to you.' 'Here you have a trade - be it brothel-based or more unorganised street-based sex work - where the workers have the least bargaining power compared to those who profit from them. Of course the controllers of the trade would try to get workers who they can exploit most easily and profitably.' Bahar explains, 'See, most of us come from very poor households, where we have had little education or training in marketable skills, not much opportunity to live a life we would like to. Take my case, I left home because I felt I was not loved enough - my brothers always got the lion's share of food, toys or parents' love. So I ran away with the first boyfriend I had - and landed up in Bombay. It was this boyfriend who took me to a brothel-manager - and of course he made a small profit out of the transaction, like any agent supplying goods would do. So I was "trafficked" into the sex trade. But I knew what I was getting into, and there did not seem much point in protesting as by that time I had realised that the boyfriend was weak-willed and penniless on top of it. 'The first few months were grim - no choice over anything then - over which client to take, what fees to charge - that was "trafficking" according to me - when I had no control over my life. But after a year, I managed to strike a deal with the brothel-manager where I could keep half of what I earned and had complete control over my movements. At that point I could have left sex work, gone back home - not that they would have taken me back, tainted as I was by then - but I stayed on. 'The only way you can stop trafficking is to make it unprofitable for employers to recruit trafficked labour. Ensure all brothel owners and managers abide by norms barring them from recruiting trafficked sex workers. You "rescuers" never consult sex workers to find out what they want, you violate our rights by evicting us from our homes and workplaces, often insult and physically abuse us during the raid and then imprison us in remand homes for destitutes and delinquents. Ensure that sex workers, or any worker in any industry for that matter, have a degree of control over our working conditions and terms of engagement.' As with most of my encounters with Bahar, I have no choice but to accept the wisdom of her words. This article is a composite of many conversations with sex workers across India and Bangladesh, and on an action research for a programme on Gender, Citizenship and Governance conducted by Durbar in collaboration with the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) in 2000-2002. For more information on Durbar's work see 'Gender, Citizenship and Governance: A Global Sourcebook' (2004) Nandinee Bandyopadhyay is an advisor for Durbar, a collective of 60,000 female, male and transgender sex workers PATH India, 53 Lodi Estate, New Delhi 110 003 India Email: nandinee(a)pathindia.org http://www.durbar.org/durbar_home.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- References and further reading BRIDGE, 2005, Gender and Migration, Cutting Edge Pack, Brighton: BRIDGE/Institute of Development Studies http://www.bridge.ids.ac.uk/reports_gend_CEP.html Deshingkar, P., 2005, 'Maximising the benefits of internal migration for development', background paper prepared for the Regional Conference on Migration and Development in Asia, Lanzhou, China, 14-16 March 2005 http://www.iom.int/chinaconference/files/documents/bg_papers/04032005_bg.pdf The Initiative Against Trafficking in Persons, 2005, Resources and Contacts on Human Trafficking, Washington: The Initiative Against Trafficking in Persons http://www.globalrights.org/site/DocServer?docID=643 International Organisation for Migration (IOM), 2005, World Migration 2005: Costs and Benefits of International Migration, Geneva: IOM Lean Lim, L., Landuyt, K., Ebisui, M., Kawar, M., Ameratunga, S., 2003, An Information Guide - Preventing Discrimination, Exploitation and Abuse of Women Migrant Workers, Geneva: International Labour Organization http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/gems/advocacy/protect.htm Martin, S., 2005, 2004 World survey on the role of women in development: women and international migration, New York: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and Division for the Advancement of Women Sørensen, N., 2005, 'Migrant remittances, development and gender', DIIS Brief, Copenhagen: Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) http://www.diis.dk/graphics/Publications/Briefs2005/nns_migrant_remittances… UNIFEM, 2004, Empowering Migrant Workers in Asia, Briefing Kit, New York: UNIFEM http://www.unifem-eseasia.org/projects/migrant/Briefing%20kit%20files.htm Valk, M., Cummings, S. and H. van Dam (eds), 2004, Gender, Citizenship and Governance: A Global Sourcebook, Amsterdam: Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) http://www.kit.nl/net/KIT_Publicaties_output/showfile.aspx?a=tblFiles&b=Fil… Useful websites: Durbar Sex Workers' Collective website http://www.durbar.org/ Human Rights Watch web pages on 'Refugee and Internally Displaced Women; Gender-Based Asylum Claims' http://hrw.org/women/refugees.html Siyanda - for gender and migration research, tools, discussions and consultants www.siyanda.org Southern African Migration Project http://www.queensu.ca/samp/ UNIFEM East and Southeast Asia Programme 'Empowering Women Migrant Workers' http://www.unifem-eseasia.org/projects/migrant/migrant.htm Please note, all internet addresses are current as of August 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IN BRIEF Tell us what you think of this issue! Email: bridge(a)ids.ac.uk or write to us at: BRIDGE, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RE, UK Fax: +44 (0)1273 621202 Also available: Cutting Edge Pack on Gender and Migration As well as this bulletin the pack includes: * Overview Report outlining the main issues, examples of good practice and recommendations * Supporting Resources Collection including summaries of key texts, case studies, tools, online resources, and contact details for relevant organisations. In Brief is available in print in English, French and Spanish and is online in all three languages on the BRIDGE website at www.bridge.ids.ac.uk © Copyright: Institute of Development Studies 2005 ISSN: 1358-0612 Editors: Susie Jolly Thanks to BRIDGE colleague Hazel Reeves for editorial support and to Judy Hartley for copy-editing. BRIDGE supports the gender mainstreaming efforts of policymakers and practitioners by bridging the gaps between theory, policy and practice with accessible and diverse gender information. It is a specialised gender and development research and information service based at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) in the United Kingdom. BRIDGE is grateful for the financial support of the following organisations in the production of this issue of In Brief: the Department for International Development, UK (DFID) Migration Team and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development - Development Assistance Committee (OECD-DAC) Gendernet, Development Cooperation Ireland (DCI), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Please read our Disclaimer BRIDGE, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RE, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 1273 606261, Fax: +44 (0) 1273 621202 Email: bridge @ ids.ac.uk For further information on BRIDGE please contact: BRIDGE, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RE, UK Tel: +44 (0)1273 606261 Fax: +44 (0)1273 621202 Email: bridge(a)ids.ac.uk Siyanda: mainstreaming gender equality web resource http://www.siyanda.org/ BRIDGE: free download of all our reports including the Cutting Edge Packs http://www.bridge.ids.ac.uk IDS is a registered charity. Charitable company no. 877338 limited by guarantee and registered in England. Paola Brambilla Communications Assistant/Consultant Bridge Institute of Development Studies University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9RE email: P.Brambilla(a)ids.ac.uk Visit our websites! http://www.bridge.ids.ac.uk/ to download our Bridge reports http://www.siyanda.org/ for a great range of gender focused development material --- You are currently subscribed to inbrief as: alice(a)apc.org To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-inbrief-217378D(a)lyris.ids.ac.uk

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Tunis WSISGC Debate Announcement
by Florence Etta 21 Sep '05

21 Sep '05

DEBATE ANNOUNCEMENT Topic: ICTs and Human Rights (Women's & Men's) The WSIS Gender Caucus will hold a debate on Tuesday November 15th in Tunis as part of its programme of activities for this second phase of WSIS. This is our invitation to you to join in this activity in the following ways: As a debater, judge or e-volunteer. The debate will bring 6 intergenerational debaters from Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, US & Canada, Europe, and Asia to debate how information and communication technologies have advanced or undermined gender equality. The debate will also suggest how sustained change in the service of gender equality might be achieved through the agency of ICTs in the future Information Society. The WSIS Gender Caucus is seeking your help to identify the best debaters, judges and e-volunteers. We need to find 6 debaters, one each from Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, US and Canada, Europe, and Asia/Pacific 4 judges and 30 e-volunteers The E-volunteers will help the debaters top put the debate together so the debaters will have help form around the world with the help of the e-volunteers. Whether you choose to join the activity or not please make a nomination. Using the short form below to make your nomination, please send your nominations to: Susana Fernandes< sfernandez(a)genderwsis.org> OR Florence Etta <fetta(a)idrc.or.ke> = = = = = = = = = = = = Name & Sex of nominee: Country or Region of nominee: Task for Nominee: Debater/Judge/E-volunteer Age of Nominee in decades 20's 30's etc: (Required to balance debaters' age) Contact for Nominee: (Email address preferred)

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Aid workers lament rise of 'development pornography'
by Alex Gakuru 20 Sep '05

20 Sep '05

=========================================================== Today's Featured Articles on http://www.idealist.org =========================================================== * From Reuters: 'Development Pornography' Debate Resurfaces Aid workers and photographers are revisiting a complicated debate that first emerged during 1980s famines in Africa. Are photos of naked, starving people accurate depictions of humanitarian crises, or are they a form of "development pornography"? Some aid groups are seeking stricter standards for photos of victims used by NGOs in their fundraising campaigns, while others say the stark images are needed to spur action.

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Nairobi Software Freedom Day Event Report
by Dorcas Muthoni 20 Sep '05

20 Sep '05

The 10th of September 2005 was designated by advocates of free and open-source software (FOSS) the Software Freedom Day. Every year on that day, campaigns are held across the world to sensitize people about the benefits and availability of open-source software. Although the concept is an initiative of the nonprofit company Software Freedom International, it's actualized by grassroots free software advocates. This year celebrations were held in over 50 countries across the globe. In Kenya, the day was marked by a career workshop to apprise high school girls of the careers and opportunities available in the information technology industry. The event was organized by the Kenyan chapter of LinuxChix Africa with the hope of encouraging more young women to pursue degrees and careers in computing at large, with the ultimate goal of narrowing the gender gap in the industry. Although the objective of Software freedom day is to promote promote public awareness and use of free and open source software, it'd would have been illogical to single mindedly pursue it when many Kenyans are still unfamiliar with Information Technology. In light of the unique circumstances in Kenya, LinuxChix Kenya has opted for a two pronged strategy that involves enlightening the public about Information technology, and informing those already familiar with it about the benefits of free and open source software. Due to limited resources the group undertook to concentrate on the former by holding a career workshop for High school girls, which fits into our objective to demystify what a career in technology is all about, and convey some of our enthusiasm for computing to young girls so we can attract and recruit them to the field. We also aim to provide them with role models, and mentors and hands-on experiences so that they can develop a vision of what a career in computing will be like. If they can see their future, they can realize their future. The workshop, held at The Catholic University of Eastern Africa, was attended by over 200 people, ranging from high school students to luminaries in the IT industry. Keynote Speakers included Jackline Bitutu of Wananchi Online, Naomi Muta of UUNET, Eva Kimani of Celtel Kenya, Edgar Okioga of AfricaDotNet, Nancy Macharia of The Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. The decision to invite more women than men as keynote speakers was a deliberate attempt to expose the girls to successful female executives, role models and to provide them with the opportunity to hear about their experiences climbing the corporate ladder. Speakers shared their backgrounds, experiences and lessons they've learned through their careers and education about the importance of knowing one's self, setting goals, looking toward the future and learning as much as they can to make informed decisions for themselves. Jackline Bitutu emphasized the insignificance of background to the pursuit of a career in computing. She related how in spite of her background as a teacher she'd been able to work her way from the bottom up through the ranks. She stressed that life long learning and hardwork are the precursors to success in the industry. Naomi Muta discussed her own experience in overcoming career obstacles in one of keynote speeches. She spoke of the importance of knowing what one prefers and standing by it, of the need to pursue excellence, not to please others but to fulfill personal goals. She encouraged the girls to believe in themselves and work hard. Eva Kimani told the girls of the diversity of opportunities in computing. She talked about the process of system development and highlighted the career opportunities inherent in it. Opportunities for System analysis, project management, database development, and programming among others. She pointed out the importance of being at ease with technology, and advised the girls to actively court technology however insignificant. She also advised them to share knowledge and help each other in order to better themselves. Her presentation was followed by that of Edgar Okioga who spoke of his academic background in engineering, subsequent start as a civil engineer and change to information technology. He impressed it upon the girls that information technology was the way of the future, that no matter what field one chose computing aptitude would be indispensable. “Therefore,” he went on, “no matter what career one chooses, it is imperative that one is familiar with information technology.” He counseled them to work start not work hard. He spoke of the importance of communities, their role in facilitating knowledge sharing, and in promoting personal excellence; and gave LinuxChix Africa as an example of a women computing community whose focus is free and open source software. Next was a presentation by Nancy Macharia who spoke about Computing courses offered at Universities. She informed the girls that the skills discussed by previous were within reach; they could be attained by pursuing computing degrees offered at various Institutions in the Country. She talked about the need for girls to aspire to excellence and emphasized its life long nature. Her presentation was preceded by project demonstration by Patience Mwasi a recent graduate from University of Nairobi. The demonstration was intended to show students what programming entails and what can be achieved through it. Patience exhibited a project that she'd developed, using FOSS, to aid biologists analyse the results of a study of the similarities and differences between the human brain and that of a baboon. Her presentation was done so simply and naturally that it must have inspired many a student to believe that they too could undertake it. That was followed by a presentation on System administration by Dorcas Muthoni, LinuxChix Africa co-founder, filling in for Pauline Ndauti of Swift Global who although scheduled to speak was unable to make it to the event. She talked about workstations, servers and networks, their nature, role in facilitating resource sharing, and described system administration as the process of ensuring a reliable, efficient, and consistently available network that allows for seamless sharing. After a lunch break of an hour and a half, the workshop proceeded with questions from the girls, which were addressed by panelists. To ensure that more people benefit from the questions raised, we will post them and the relevant responses on the LinuxChix Africa site (www.africalinuxchix.org) The subject of free and open source software was further discussed by Joy, the events master of ceremonies, who spoke passionately about the what free and open source software is, the importance of alternatives to proprietary software, and how they can benefit young people and society as a whole. At the end of the event Ubuntu LiveCDs, generously donated by Software Freedom International, were handed out to the students. Dorcas Muthoni did a live demonstration of how the students can use them. She explained that LiveCDs run without any need for installation and do not in anyway affect existing computer settings; all the computer user needs to do is put the CD into the CD drive and reboot the PC. To return to the installed settings, the user need only eject the LiveCD and reboot. The Girls were enthralled by the games available on Ubuntu, and its ease of use. They were enthused by the what they'd learned and were anxious for more information. They were provided with LinuxChix Kenya contact information for future consultations. The girls were encouraged to make copies of the CDS share them and what they'd learned with others who couldn't come to the event. They were advised to set up computing clubs, which would be supported by LinuxChix Kenya, in order to nurture their interest. Many girls said that they'd been edified about computing and had been motivated to pursue a related degree by the workshop. The event was altogether a resounding success, although only time can the extent of its actual impact. It was an eye opener in respect of the dearth of computing information that is almost endemic in schools. For this reason LinuxChix Kenya intends to hold many similar events in order to help fill the information gap. Sponsors 1. Kenya Information Network Center (KENIC) 2. Catalysing Access to ICT in Africa (CATIA), Kenya Coordinating Office 3. AfricaDotNet 4. Africa Center for Women, Information and Communications Technology (ACWICT) 5. Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) 6. Software Freedom International 7. Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANET) Kind regards, Dorcas Muthoni LinuxChix Africa

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Brazil's Statement On Internet Governance to the WSIS Prepcom III
by Dorcas Muthoni 20 Sep '05

20 Sep '05

========== Brazilian Statement On Internet Governance to the WSIS Prepcom III Geneva, September 20th, 2005 Thank you Mr. Chairman, On Internet Governance three words tend to come to our mind: “Lack of Legitimacy”. Despite the success in ensuring high availability and great stability to the operation of the network, the current structure for global governance of the Internet presents significant limitations and a clear lack of legitimacy. In what concerns Internet Governance, in our digital world, only one nation decides on behalf of us all. How those in favor of this power concentration explain this awkward situation? The most common one is the well known 1984 George Orwell type of mantra, which says: “If it is not broken, do not fix it”. Even if we agree that there is nothing to be fixed – which is not the case for Brazil – this indoctrination argument makes no sense. It makes no sense for a simple reason: we are not debating industrial mass production through assembly lines; we are trying to build a democratic, transparent and multilateral decision making process in our digital world. In order to see things from another perspective, Brazil proposes a new mantra based on an often quoted Stein's Law, a principle enunciated by the late Herbert Stein, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers during the Nixon administration: "Things that can't go on forever, don't." Mr. Chairman, the WGIG Report calls our attention to a number of issues related to Internet Governance that cannot go on forever. Allow me to quote a few of them: a) On administration of the root zone files and system, the unilateral control by one Government, as well as the lack of formal relationship with root server operators. b) On Interconnection costs, an uneven distribution of cost and an absence of an appropriate and effective global Internet governance mechanism to resolve the issue. c) On Internet security, a lack of multilateral mechanisms to ensure network stability and security of Internet infrastructure services and applications and a lack of efficient tools and mechanisms to be used by countries to prevent and prosecute crimes committed in other jurisdictions using technological means that might be located within or outside the territory where the crime caused the negative effect. d) On Spam, no unified, coordinated approach. e) In what concerns participation in global policy development, there are significant barriers to multi-stakeholder participation in governance mechanisms. There is often a lack of transparency, openness and participatory processes. f) On Allocation of domain names, there is a need for further development of policies and procedures for generic top-level domain names (gTLDs). g) On IP addressing, concerns over allocation policies for IP addresses. h) In what concerns Freedom of expression, restrictions on freedom of expression. i) In relation to Consumer rights, there is a lack of global standards for consumer rights over the Internet. The recent case of triple X domain name is a good example of lack of accountability. Mr. Chairman, we cannot ignore reality; neither should we expect magic solutions. The WGIG Report proposes a number of ways out of this dilemma. The first one is the creation of a Global Forum – a place of dialog and decision, with all stakeholders. Let me stress the world “decision” – otherwise it will be seen as nothing but a kindergarten. The second proposal is the creation of a Global Public Policy Oversight Function System. Three of the four models proposed by the WGIG report are worth being implemented. In this regard, Brazil is of the opinion that the WGIG’s report shall be a base for our work here at Prepcom III. It’s a good and sound step forward. In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, Brazil supports a new organization model for Internet Governance. One that is democratic, transparent and multilateral, as we all have already agreed upon in the Declaration of Principles, at the Geneva Summit, two years ago. Current policies on Internet Governance are unsustainable. We can't go on like this indefinitely. And things that can't go on forever, don't. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. _______________________________________________ incom-l mailing list incom-l(a)incommunicado.info http://mail.kein.org/mailman/listinfo/incom-l

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Hackers target net call systems
by Alex Gakuru 20 Sep '05

20 Sep '05

VOIP enthusiasts note: BBC News "Malicious hackers are turning their attention to the technology behind net phone calls, says a report." http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4259554.stm

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