As we continue to monitor and publish the outcomes of the recently concluded PrepCom-2 (17-28 February 2003) in Geneva, Switzerland, we will focus on the efforts by civil society groups and women’s networks.

Representing the NGO-GSWG, Susanna George presented an intervention to the Government plenary. The document highlighted the fundamental concerns the Group would like to see reflected in discussions and the outcomes of the WSIS.

The NGO Gender Strategies Working Group has just concluded the drafting of the document which details fundamental concerns that the Group would like to see reflected in the discussions and more importantly the outcomes of the WSIS.

With PrepCom 2 just around the corner, it would be best to assess just how far women's groups and non-government organizations have done so far in their objective of including gender strategies in the WSIS process.

Tokyo, 13 January 2003--- Gender-based inequity in employment in the IT industry. English language dominance of Information and Communication TechnoIogies (ICT) in software and in content that further isolates women. Lack of support for women’s effective participation in the information society.

The Gender Caucus of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) was formed during the African Regional Preparatory Conference held in Bamako, Mali from May 25 to 30, 2002. It is composed of representatives of organisations that responded to an invitation by (UNIFEM) to contribute to ensuring that gender dimensions are included in the process of defining and creating a Global Information Society that contributes to sustainable development and human security. A multi-stakeholder group composed of women and men from national governments, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and the United Nations system created the caucus.