GSWG members and other civil society representatives wore t-shirts containing the message 'WSIS has a missing paragraph' on the front and the text of paragraph 11A printed on the back.
Paragraph 11A (the gender paragraph) states the following: "A focus on the gender dimensions of ICTs is essential not only for preventing an adverse impact of the digital revolution on gender equality or the perpetuation of existing inequalities and discrimination, but also for enhancing women's equitable access to the benefits of ICTs and to ensure that they can become a central tool for the empowerment of women and the promotion of gender equality. Policies, programmes and projects need to ensure that gender differences and inequalities in the access to and use of ICT are identified and fully addressed so that such technologies actively promote gender equality and ensure that gender-based disadvantages are not created or perpetuated." It was proposed by the Canadian government during the intersessional meeting in Paris on 15-18 July 2003.
Official Delegates approached some members of the NGO GSWG and inquired about the actual paragraph and where they could get copies of it. The NGO GSWG printed fliers containing paragraph 11A and distributed them to all the official delegates.
On the second day of the official meeting, the Canadian government's representative made a proposal saying: "Delete paragraph 15 (on facilitating increased access and use of ICTs by women) and replace with text on the tiny t-shirts." The reference to the tiny t-shirts was made because the NGO GSWG members and supporters were wearing the small-size baby tees.
Delegates from civil society organisations and even from governments took an interest in the message printed on the shirt, and bought some t-shirts.
The t-shirt campaign was an idea helmed and planned during the Gender and ICT Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last 20-23 August 2003. The design was done by Anne S. Walker of International Women's Tribune Centre (IWTC) while the production and distribution of the t-shirts were co-ordinated by Isis International-Manila.
Aside from the gender paragraph, a Pacific version of the shirt pertaining to concerns of small island developing states (SIDS) was also printed out.
The SIDS version states: "Special circumstances of Small Island Developing States (SIDS): These countries, with fragile ecosystems vulnerable to environmental hazards, and characterized by small, homogenous markets, high costs of access and equipment, human resource constraints exacerbated by the problem of "brain-drain," limited access to networks and remote locations, will require particular attention and tailored solutions to meet their needs."
Compiled by Libay Linsangan Cantor from reports by Mavic Cabrera-Balleza in Geneva.
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