Pamoya

WOUGNET Update Newsletter - March 2005
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A monthly electronic newsletter from Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) -
http://www.wougnet.org
For comments or queries, contact info [at] wougnet [dot] org
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This month's contents:
1. Women Organisations in Uganda
2. ICT Policy
3. Links & Resources
4. Project News and Events
5. WOUGNET News
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WOMEN ORGANISATIONS IN UGANDA
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= NVIWODA Annual General Meeting, December 2004
http://www.wougnet.org/wo_dir.html#NVIWODA
On December 11, 2004, Ntulume Village Women's Development Association
(NVIWODA) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in which member
entrepreneurs had a review of what had transpired in the organization
throughout the year. In her brief welcome message the Chairperson, Ms.
Margaret Tinka, explained the purpose of the meeting. She also noted that
the AGM had coincided with the Re-Union Day since NVIWODA entrepreneurs and
members from the various parts of the country had assembled to share
experiences and to learn more from NVIWODA.

The AGM meeting was different from the traditional ones, as this time round
it focused more on creation of awareness on use of ICTs (Information and
Communication Technologies) among the women and to promote and facilitate
the advancement of their human rights. Facilitators of the day came from
different organizations namely, Kompyuta Africa, Women of Uganda Network
(WOUGNET) and Ntulume Village Women Development Association (NVIWODA).

A copy of the AGM report including photos taken during the AGM events as
well as brief profiles of some of the NVIWODA members is available online
at: http://www.wougnet.org/Profiles/nviwoda.html#AGM04 (WORD format, 1.5MB
in size)

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ICT POLICY
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= WOUGNET ICT and Gender presentation, Junior Node ICT Holiday Camp,
January 17, 2005

An ICT Holiday Camp was organised by the I-Network Junior Node and held at
St. Henry's College Kitovu, Masaka, Uganda, from 16 - 23 January 2005. The
ICT camp was organised to raise awareness of the youthsÂ' about how ICT
relates to various aspects of life such as: Education, Agriculture, Gender
and Commerce/Entreprenuership. WOUGNET was invited to make a presentation
addressing the ICT and Gender.
WOUGNET's presentation sought to mobilize the youths to appreciate the
linkage between ICT and Gender; the challenges that boys and girls face and
the differences within the sexes in use of ICT. The presentation also
described WOUGNETÂ's mission, activities and gender concerns in the ICT
sector and also addressed questions including the following:
· Are there any gender differences in access to ICT?
· How does the use of ICT affect men-boys and women-girls differently?
· Are both men-boys and women-girls included in ICT decision making?
A copy of WOUGNET's presentation is available online (PowerPoint format) at:
http://www.wougnet.org/Meetings/WOUGNETevents#Kitovu

= UNDP WSIS Project - ICT for Poverty Reduction: A Multistakeholder Approach

Leading up to the first phase of the World Summit of the Information
Society (WSIS) ­ Geneva 2003, WOUGNET in partnership with Radio Apac, and
funded by the United Nations Development Programme, held a series of public
meetings in Apac with civil society, private sector and government to
encourage public participation in the WSIS process. As the preparatory
committee (PrepCom) meetings for the second phase of the WSIS ­ Tunis 2005
began, a public meeting was held 22nd July 2004 in Apac to present the
outcomes of the first phase and to lay strategies for next steps. Available
online are copies of the report presented at WSIS I and also the reports
presented during the July 2004 public meeting.
http://www.wougnet.org/WSIS/ug/ugandawsis.html#WUW

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LINKS & RESOURCES
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a) Development

= Mengo Youth Development Link (MYDEL)
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/development.html#MYDEL
Operating in Kampala, MYDEL's mission is to empower the less privileged
communities, school dropouts, youth and women with practical managerial and
marketable skills, valuable information which enhances their ability to
influence changes in the community and determine a new course of
development through self-help projects and participatory methodologies
aimed at alleviating poverty.
A photographic report about MYDEL's 2003-2004 activities is at MYDEL's
photo gallery:
http://www.wougnet.org/Profiles/mydel.html

b) ICT-related organisations and resources

= Linuxchix Africa
Linuxchix Africa was formed in 2004 by African women and for African women.
It is a chapter in Africa affiliated to Linuxchix worldwide. The aim of the
African chapter is to help toward building the critical mass of Linux
skills among African women, and to advocate for the use of Free and Open
Source Software for the many community development challenges being faced
by Africans, especially African women.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/ictresources.html#LCHIX

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PROJECT NEWS AND EVENTS
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March 2005

= Prix Ars Electronica: Digital Communities Award (Application deadline
extende: March 18, 2005)
For the second time, Prix Ars Electronica will honor important achievements
by digital communities. This category focuses attention on the wide-ranging
social impact of the Internet as well as on the latest developments in the
fields of social software, mobile communications and wireless networks.
The "Digital Communities" category is open to political, social, and
cultural projects, initiatives, groups, and scenes from all over the world
utilizing digital technology to better society and assume social
responsibility. It is meant to recognize the initiators and propagators of
these communities as well as the developers of the relevant technologies,
and to honor those whose work contributes to the establishment and
proliferation of Digital Communities as well as provide understanding and
research into them.
http://www.wougnet.org/Events/projectnews05.html#PAE05

July 2005

= 2005 AISI Media Awards
The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and its partners are pleased to
announce the 2005 AISI Media Awards. The AISI Media Awards were introduced
in 2003 to encourage more informed coverage of the information society and
ICT for development issues in Africa as part of ECAÂ's Information Society
Outreach and Communication Programme. The Awards are aimed at individual
journalists and media institutions based in Africa that are Â"promoting
journalism which contributes to a better understanding of the information
society in Africa".
http://www.wougnet.org/Events/projectnews05.html#AMA05

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WOUGNET News
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= Launch of WOUGNET CD

WOUGNET is a non-governmental organisation initiated in May 2000 by several
women's organisations in Uganda to develop the use of information and
communication technologies (ICTs) among women as tools to share information
and address issues collectively. The goal is to improve living conditions
for women by enhancing their capacities and opportunities for exchange,
collaboration and information sharing.

In as much as WOUGNET's initial emphasis was directed towards Internet
technologies, there has always been a strong interest and need from members
in how these technologies can be integrated with traditional means of
information exchange and dissemination including radio, video, television
and print media.

The WOUGNET CD is in response to the call to increase the diversity of
media with which information is exchanged and disseminated. The CD includes
the entire WOUGNET website (as of December 31, 2004), the 2004 WOUGNET
Update Newsletters, and reports of the WOUGNET workshops held in 2004. It
is expected that a new edition of the WOUGNET CD will be produced annually.

Production of the WOUGNET CD has been made possible with the generous
funding of the Humanist Institute for Cooperation with Developing Countries
(Hivos). For information on how to obtain a copy, contact the WOUGNET
Information Officer at info [at] wougnet [dot] org or call +256-41-256832.

= Call for articles for WOUGNET News, April 2005 issue

A call for contributions to the April 2005 issue of WOUGNET News -- While
the overall focus of the newsletter is on ICT for development in Uganda, we
are particularly interested in articles related to ICT policy issues, say
at national level, or about the WSIS. We are also interested in stories of
how organisations (or individuals) have used ICTs to support their work
activities, for example, the challenges and benefits that you have realised.

For more information, contact news [at] wougnet [dot] org. The deadline for
submissions for the April issue is March 18, 2005. Following below are some
guidelines for submission:
- Articles should not exceed 800 words.
- Relevant figures, tables or photographs should be sent.
- Soft copies of imagery should preferably be scanned at 300dpi at a
minimum width of 4 inches.
- Details of the author, whether an individual or organisation, must be
enclosed with the article.

Copies of the maiden issue of the quarterly WOUGNET News (January 2005) are
available at the WOUGNET Office. For information on how to obtain a copy,
send email to info [at] wougnet [dot] org or call +256-41-256832. Production of
WOUGNET News has been made possible with the generous funding of the
Humanist Institute for Cooperation with Developing Countries (Hivos).

= Call for expressions of interest: Refurbished Computers

As a result of the WOUGNET ­ Computer Aid International Partnership, a
shipment of refurbished Pentium II and III computers has arrived in
Kampala. A total of 210 computers are available for NGOs, civil society
organisations and schools. The computers are priced at 100 Pounds Sterling
each and come with a 1-year warranty. All interested please contact the
WOUGNET program officer, Milton Aineruhanga, by email at info [at] wougnet [dot] org
or call 041 256832 for more details and to make a booking.

= WOUGNET/AFC Workshop: "CYBER ­ FORUM: ICT Training for Women
Entreprenuers - TOT Workshop", October 22-23, 2004

Due to the convergence of the goals and aims of the Associates for Change
(AFC) ICT project with those of WOUGNET, AFC and WOUGNET collaborated to
host a two-day workshop under the theme of Â"Women Entrepreneurs: The role
of ICTsÂ". The core objective of the WOUGNET-AFC workshop was to develop the
capacity of both rural and urban women entrepreneurs in Uganda to use ICTs
in strengthening their enterprises and market shares in local, regional and
international trade. It was organised in collaboration with Council for
Economic Empowerment of Women in Africa (CEEWA-Uganda), Uganda Women
Entrepreneurs Association Limited (UWEAL), and Networked Intelligence for
Development (NID), and with support from Hivos and UNIFEM.
A copy of the workshop report (WORD format) is available online at:
http://www.wougnet.org/Meetings/WOUGNETevents#WAFC

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