No subject

across the globe will connect in an electronic forum to

discuss strategies for the integration of gender dimensions

and empowerment of young women and girls at all levels of

the ICT for development field.

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Their goals will be to identify challenges, prioritize needs

for support and uncover strategies for building communities

of learning that will allow young women to begin or advance

their engagement with ICTs.

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Background documents and case studies will supplement the

discussions by summarizing the involvement of young women and

girls in policy processes such as the World Summit on the

Information Society, and by examining the existing global and

regional communities available to young women in ICT for

development.

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*~*~*~*~* Discussion Themes *~*~*~*~*

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=A7  Pre-conference: Introductions (24-31 October)

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Participants will be encouraged to introduce themselves, their

perspectives on information communication technologies, and=20

their experiences in using ICT for development.  Participants=20

will also be presented during this time with a background on=20

the WSIS process and the Action Plan of Youth Creating Digital=20

Opportunities.

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=A7  Week 1:  Supporting young women involved in ICT4D policy-making

   (1 - 7 November)

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Discussions will focus on why/how young women choose to (or not to)

participate in ICT4D policy processes.  Case studies of the WSIS=20

and CSW Youth Caucus, as well the CSW, will be used to explore what=20

effective participation in decision-making means for young women=20

and how it might be fostered.

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=A7  Week 2: Supporting young women involved in ICT4D projects

   (8 - 14 November)

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Guided by pointed questions, participants will be encouraged to=20

a) share stories of specific ICT4D initiatives led by young women=20

and girls, and b) identify strategies for enabling young women=20

and girls to act as leaders in ICT4D at the grassroots level. =20

This discussion should touch on the design of support mechanisms=20

(e.g. internships, mentorships,training, recognition, and=20

financing) which take the specific needs of young women into account.

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=A7  Week 3: Community and conclusions

   (15 - 21 November)

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While there have been many initiatives to empower young women and

girls in the field of ICT4D, there has been little visible effort

on a continuous basis to enable these young women act as a community

of learning, supporting each other's ideas and encouraging the

involvement of new girls and young women.  This week will help to

assess how a structured community might emerge within the overall

YCDO framework, enabling the continuity of young women's work in the

field.

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For more info and to sign up, please visit:

http://groups.takingitglobal.org/ycdogender

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or email Maja Andjelkovic, at mandjelkovic at iisd.ca

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This online discussion is facilitated by

Youth Creating Digital Opportunities (YCDO),

a coalition of organizations committed to

enabling young people to achieve their full

potential in the field of information

communication technologies.

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The YCDO Community gathers hundreds of

young people in a variety of contexts, including

the online space at www.ycdo.net