Proposal to the fourth world conference on women of the Women's Networking Support Program of the Association for Progressive Communications -APC-

Information and communications are playing an increasingly important role in economic and social development. Meanwhile, the recent developments in communications technology have progressively reduced the barriers to communicating over distances. At the same time, computers have enormously increased the capacity to accumulate and access information sources and data.

Combined with communications technology, the possibilities for information access are almost infinite. In today's "information society", the rapid access to relevant information is indispensable for timely intervention in most realms of human activity; access to this technology is therefore a key to successful action. It is widely recognized that in order for the world to be able to advance in the quest for sustainable development, peace, social justice and racial, ethnic and gender equality, it is fundamental for citizens' groups and organizations throughout the world to have greater participation in the decisions that concern them and to develop their capacity to propose viable alternatives and priorities for economic and social development.

This possibility depends to an ever greater extent on the access of these groups to the benefits offered by new and emerging communications and information technology. In particular, new decentralized technologies such as computer networks and fax, when democratically employed, constitute powerful instruments for socializing information, which could contribute to securing the advances made by humanity, such as fuller participation of women in all spheres of activity. Nonetheless, access to these technologies is highly unequal in different geographic regions and social groups.

This inequality contributes to increasing the gap between those who have access to abundant information resources and those who are deprived of this access, thus reinforcing the marginalization that already exists in terms of development and technical resources. Women in particular, tend to be under-represented in terms of access to these technologies, and especially women from less developed regions and from marginalized groups.

Paradoxically, women from these social groups are precisely those who make up the work force that produces computer components, in working conditions that are often damaging to their health; similarly, women in low- grade technical and service jobs also make up the largest group of computer users, while many others have lost their jobs to increasing automatization. In contrast, women are less present in fields such as computer systems administration and in technical development. They are also proportionally underepresented asusers of computer networks.

As a result, women have less access than men to the information and networking resources that these networks offer; and they have fewer possibilities of orienting development of this technology to answer their specific needs. Many women's organizations have come to appreciate the importance for their work of creating and participating in regional and world- wide information exchange fora that enable them to share ideas, proposals, documents and information. Computer networks are one form of appropriate technology that makes this exchange possible.

Combined with other media forms such as fax, printed material, radio, etc., such exchange can more easily be extended to regions and groups that cannot access computer networks. Computerized exchange networks have thus arisen on diverse issues of concern to women. There is increasing recognition that the development of such networks will contribute to advancing the cause of gender equality and to promoting greater participation of the South and of marginalized groups and regions in world-wide fora and decision-making processes. Many women and women's organizations are therefore eager to access and appropriate this technology.

Nonetheless, they often face obstacles that make this endeavor more difficult for them. Such obstacles include: less access to resources (financial and technological), reduced access to training and technical assistance or non-gender sensitive methodologies, social and cultural barriers for women and girls to access technology, educational short- comings, misconceptions about technology and its use, language barriers, etc. etc. Special efforts are required to overcome these problems.

Meanwhile, the governments of the industrial powers and transnational communications corporations are involved in negotiations relating to the future of the communications industry and among other aspects, to the international distribution of cyberspace (that is, the infrastructure and legislation that will determine the operation of computer networks).

Women's and citizens' groups do not have a voice in the negotiations which will influence national and international legislation and therefore their access to technological and information resources. It is therefore imperative to create mechanisms for them to formulate and defend their needs and interests.

The following recommendations relate to strategy and lines of action that will enable women to overcome the obstacles outlined above and help to guarantee them more equitable access to new and emerging communications technologies and electronic information sources.

WITH RELATION TO THE ABOVE, WE SUGGEST THAT THE UNITED NATIONS:

1. Promote the access of women, girls and women's organizations to new and emerging communications technologies and computerized information resources

Suggested actions:

* That UN agencies and NGOs support campaigns designed to raise awareness among women about the advantages of these technologies. That budgets be assigned to facilitate access especially in areas with less technological infrastructure.

* That governments support initiatives of NGOs that facilitate women's access to these technologies, give legislative and infrastructural support and reduce cost barriers.

* That women's organizations adopt these technologies and seek ways of adapting them to their needs. And that those organizations that have access support those that do not in benefitting from the information resources available.

2. Promote the development of computerized information resources on issues related to the advancement of women

Suggested actions:

* That UN, its agencies and governments make official information accessible to existing citizen's networks; offer infrastructural facilities to initiatives that develop data banks, on-line information services, Internet resources, etc. on these issues; and assign budgets for collecting and processing information in different languages.

* That women's organizations and NGOs participate in collective endeavors to pool information and make it available electronically in different languages.

3. Support the development of initiatives of women's and citizens' groups in the field of computer networks that promote the advancement of women and gender equality.

Suggested actions:

* That the UN, its agencies and aid organizations assign budgets to assist with such initiatives, in particular those that focus on women from the South, economically depressed regions and marginalized groups, and which promote South/South and North/South dialogue between women's organizations and women communicators who promote gender equality throughout the world.

* That women's organizations further develop networking initiatives in order to strengthen their capacity to coordinate actions internationally for the advancement of women.

4. Support women's and girls' access to training in using computer networks and promote a gender perspective in training and methodology in the field of new technologies

Suggested actions:

* That the UN, its agencies and aid organizations assign budgets to promoting and developing training courses and gender-sensitive training materials.

* That women's organizations develop proposals related to the specific needs of women in the field of technical training in computer communications and appropriate methodology

5. Promote equal access of women to advanced technical training and careers in computer communications

Suggested actions:

* That the UN and its agencies promote campaigns designed to overcome barriers to women and girls entering technical careers and assign budgets for infrastructure to training centres.

* That governments actively promote equal access of women to higher education and careers in computer communications technology and organize campaigns to encourage women and girls to enter these careers.

6. Promote and support the equal participation of women in international and national decision-making relating to use of communications infrastructure and access to computer networks

Suggested actions:

* That the UN takes a more active role in defining the international distribution of cyberspace, with particular attention to the needs and rights of less technologically developed areas and of women.

* That governments ensure that national legislation relating to computer networks incorporates the right to democratic access of women and citizens' groups to electronic networks.

* That women's organizations and NGOs: actively lobby governments and the UN to ensure that their rights to access and use computer networks are guaranteed by national and international legislation and public services. February 1995