Description:

This session is dedicated to sharing lessons learned from four specific gender and women’s participation strategies in enabling community-led networks in the global South.
Firstly, the session includes a conversation with women in Africa who are localising their digital experiences to define and operationalise digital safe spaces within communities. This strategy is working towards realising gender equality through open and safe participation based on their communication or internet needs.
Secondly, the session provides an example of how to build knowledge, skills and confidence through the lessons gained from a global mentorship programme that includes not only training in telecommunications policy and regulation, but also how to implement a gender perspective in community projects. The intervention has enabled women and gender diverse people to understand telecommunications and human rights intersection at hand and take further steps to engage in global policy spaces.
Thirdly, research also plays a part in the gender equality process, as recent feminist internet research reflects on the participatory action of women in a quilombola community in Brazil and lessons around sustainability of CNs in a woman-driven autonomous network.
Finally, we draw upon the implementation and integration of gender perspective in policymaking and specifically discuss the language used to document and convey such gender aware policy, such as demonstrated from the recent experiences in Brazil and Kenya (i.e. Brazil policy brief on CN & Kenya CN framework). Overall, the session reveals innovative practices that will ensure excluded groups and community-led practices are taken into account when it comes to telecommunications policymaking and regulation.