Exploring Gender Internet Policy Gaps in the Mena Region

Topic: Exploring Gender Internet Policy Gaps in the Mena Region
Date: Monday, February 22, 2016
Time: 15:00 CET – 16:00 CET
Platform: Google Hangouts 

Speakers:

• Ms. Noha Fathi, Independent Internet governance consultant, Egypt 
• Ms. Nour El Nemr, Political Science Student at the British University , Egypt
• Ms. Dina Najm, Blogger at ‎Iraqi Network for Social Media INSN, Iraq 
• Ms. Sarah Attafi, Law Research Student, Tunisia
• Ms. Enas Kanan, Researcher in IG & IoT,BA,MSc.Computer Science,Jordan.
• Ms. Sana Ali, Internet Policy Specialist, BA, MSc. Internet Governance and Global Affairs, Pakistan  

Abstract:
Although acknowledged by the development community, many policy makers in the Mena region believe that the Internet gender gap is remarkably uncharted. This ground breaking Igmena hangout  will shed the light on internet gender policy gaps to answer questions such as: What is the size of the Internet gender gap? What prevents women from accessing the Internet? What will help more women get online access? We also want  to learn how women in developing countries are already using the Internet and how they benefit because closing the Internet gap has a tremendous potential to empower women and enrich their lives. 

200 million fewer women than men are online today. In some regions, the size of the gap exceeds  40 percent. How ICTs can be used as tools for gender equality and empowerment and the barriers women face in regards to access to ICT infrastructure ? These barriers includes: lack of access to physical infrastructure, illiteracy, social and cultural limitations, lack of finance, decision making ability, segregation in employment issues.  In Tunisia, Egypt, Palestine, Sudan, Jordan and Iraq the Internet gender gap reflects and amplifies existing gender inequalities.  

Many women still do not use the Internet to derive profound benefits through it, including economic and educational opportunities, a community of support, and career prospects. This Igmena google hangout will also explore how to expand Internet access for women to provide connected, educated, and enabled environment that contributes toward their economic and social development. 

In addition to research and advocacy on the digital gender gap, non-profit, government, and private sector actors have also to undertaken programmatic work to address gender gap in the Mena region. Often, these programs focus on finding ways to lower the cost of using the Internet, as affordability and access remain major challenges for many women (and men) in the Mena region. 


Questions:
•    How do you feel beeing a woman user of the internet and how seriously your complaint about gender gaps  in your country? 
•    What is the size of the Internet gender gap? What prevents women from accessing the Internet? 
•    What are the Root Causes of gender internet gaps in your country ? How  do you  boost the voices of women gender gaps and procedures to deal with internet gender gap ?
•    What are the legal liability policy that should be attached to website operators to create an incentive to adopt preemptive, self-regulatory measures against online gender gap ?
•    How ICTs can be used as tools for gender equality and economic empowerment against the barriers women face in regards to access to ICT infrastructure ?
•    Can mobile Internet, e-entrepreneurship and technology bridge the gender digital divide?   
•    Can gender education, government policy, media images and civil society also, gender roles change the socio-cultural and socio-economic conditions of internet gender policy ?

http://igmena.org/Hangout-with-IGMENA-February-22-2016

Link: http://http://igmena.org/Hangout-with-IGMENA-February-22-2016