This growing use of ICTs by Latin American women, although still insufficient, is closing the digital gender gap in a way that women may reduce the negative effects that result from the lack of access to information and technology.
The Report on Electronic Commerce and Development (UN, 2003) points out that in Latin America during 2001-2002, an increase of 35% of users was registered, rising from 17.6 to 35.4 million people, of which 38% are women. This amount is relatively high in comparison with the European Union where only 25% of Internauts are women, 19% in Russia, 18% in Japan and 4% in the Middle East (OIT, 2001).
A greater use of ICTs could encourage women who are organized to participate actively in support and women’s human rights defense networks, and to have access to new jobs and opportunities; to participate in interactive learning initiatives; to be involved in the electronic commerce and to have the opportunity of receiving information of quality that is not available in other traditional media.
“Considering that the production and dissemination of public information (including data on political decisions and the impact that it has on the population) is still of limited public use, ICTs can be a good tool for more transparency in public information and management, which is even more democratic, as it allows for greater citizens’ participation”, stated Valeria Vilardo, Associate Expert in Communications of UN-INSTRAW.
Public institutions are focusing primarily in helping the Government in the provision of services and electronic commerce (Reilly, 2002). These initiatives fall within the framework of e-government and e-governance, rather than the actual dissemination of information on decision-making processes.
By assuring e-democracy initiatives, governments could increase the capacity of marginalized groups, particularly women, to participate in the processes of formulating, implementating and monitoring public policies. This is encouraged by the fact that women are not only users and consumers (individually) of ICTs, but organized actors (collectively) who participate in political and decision-making processes. Public information can be included in political agendas and offered to others in order to generate change.
“ICTs in politics” implies addressing advocacy actions to open and strengthen interaction between the State and civil society. Organized women can use ICTs in this sense to modify information and communication flows.
“On one hand, organized women can use ICTs to create a virtual movement at a regional and international level, with the objective of contributing to making the information society more equitable. On the other hand, networks and women’s organizations can encourage governments to include information relevant to women in their online initiatives, and facilitate access to ICTs by poor women through supporting activities that train women and girls to be users and producers of technologies”, highlighted Vilardo.
The conference will also address issues related to the impact of corruption on gender violence, access to justice, the labour sector, the environment, political parties and women’s human rights. These issues will be analyzed and debated in the Forum through panels, roundtable discussions, videos and cultural activities.
Experts from Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria), Asia (India, Pakistan), the Americas (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, United States), and the European Union (Spain, Switzerland) will share experiences and strategies to reduce levels of corruption with their counterparts from Argentina who hold different specializations.
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