Preface [ Global Information Society Watch 2013 - Women's rights, gender and ICTs]

Abstract

At the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, ICTs were recognised as critical for achieving women's empowerment and gender equality. In 2003, the World Summit on the Information Society reinforced that the development of ICTs will provide opportunities for women's full and equal participation in all spheres of life. Since then the internet has become a critical global resource that enables women to exercise their right to speak, impart opinions, share ideas, build knowledge and access information. Access to the internet enables women to participate in the information economy, exercise citizenship rights, get access to health information and other services, form communities, engage in formal and informal processes to determine their social, cultural and political life and more. By the end of 2013, 1.3 billion women are expected to be online. We believe this increase in the number of connected women must be, and can be, accompanied by greater empowerment of women and more widespread gender equality.