As the world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, we at the Federal Communications Commission honor women who play an increasingly important role in the information and communication technologies (ICT) field. Last week, I attended a Global Telecom Women’s Network (GTWN) event in Barcelona celebrating 20 years of women in telecommunications. The GTWN began with a handful of members and has grown to hundreds, an example of how many more women are choosing careers in telecom.
As the month of March is Women's History Month in the U.S., we hope our initiative encourages women in the ICT field as they take on prominent roles that will be celebrated in future years.
While women have made great strides in ICT, we also recognize the women who remain on the wrong side of the digital gender divide, who are unable to harness the true potential of ICTs in their lives. Two weeks ago, Commissioner Clyburn announced the Women’s Initiative: Going Mobile and Connecting Womenthat highlights the unique role of ICTs to promote economic opportunities for women and girls around the world.
The FCC is helping to bridge that divide through the Women’s Initiative. We are excited to announce the next steps in our initiative:
- WISENET: Launched in 2010, the “Women in ICTs Shared Excellence Network” platform will be redesigned and reconfigured to highlight research, events, and news about ICTs and women in order to promote an open and constructive dialogue space.
- ITU Collaboration: Commissioner Clyburn will be participating in two upcoming International Telecommunication Union(ITU) events:
- International Girls in ICT Day, April 26, 2012 in New York City
- Women and Girls in ICT, World Telecommunication and Information Society Day in Geneva, Switzerland, May 16, 2012.
The digital gender divide inhibits the socio-economic potential of women and girls worldwide. The FCC is excited to be a part of this movement to increase access, participation, and ultimately, economic opportunities for women and girls.