ASIA PACIFIC WOMEN'S INFORMATION CENTER (APWINC)
Kio Chung talked about her organization, APWINC and its projects. APWINC's training initiatives include:
Kio Chung also highlighted on the support given by the Korean government in women's use of ICT. APWINC's projects have been very successful because of the government's support and funding. She stressed the need for NGO and government cooperation for the development of women.
APWINC also has a web site that focuses on different women's activities and issues monthly. This month, the APWINC site is featuring AWORC.
BPFA REVIEW PROCESS and Korean Women's Organizations
ICT Training of women in Korea have no BPFA component and are largely on general topics like the use of various softwares, the Internet and programming. Kio Chung said that there is a need for women's organizations in Korea to participate in the AWORC Regional Training in June so that these groups can be involved in the Beijing+5 Review.
The reason for the lack of participation in the BPFA Review is due to lack of funding. Kio also said that women's groups in Korea have a hard time cooperating with each other.
REGIONAL TRAINING in June
Kio Chung briefly described the accommodations and the facilities available for the Regional Training Workshop in Sookmyung Women's University. One of the problems the group has to consider is that the university has Windows 98 in Korean. An English version is not available. Also, the university is very strict in terms of software license.
The group then decided to contact Microsoft to avail of free software
for the training.
.
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MONGOLIA & THE BPFA REVIEW PROCESS
Mongolian government committed to the BPFA but there have been no special
achievements made in Women in Decision-Making, Women's Education and Women
in the Media. In the area of Women and the Economy, the focus has
been on microcredit.
WIRC's activities are networking, research, training and advocacy. Research on the economic status of women. Research to influence the decision-making in the country.
Activities include: database, website development, research. Goal is to increase women's NGOs communication with each other. All WIRC materials translated in English. Available in the website. (can be included in the AWORC website).
Does WIRC do traning on iCT?
In Mongolia, ICT training is very basic. One womne's NGO (Women
For Progress) provides training on the Internet. Private companies
also provide training.
A 5-day National ICT Summit in June which the WIRC will facilitate. NGOs and companies are participating. Orgainized by the UN.
Are there other womne's orgainizations involved in the BPFA Review?
CSW Meeting participation very little. LEOS was the only women's
group representing Mongolia during the meeting last March.
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Justina
Not representing any women's organization but is associated with APC
(an ISP for non-profit groups). During the Beijing Conference, set
up computers for information dissemination about the conference (Melbourne
On-Line to Beijing).
Women and women's NGOs have more access to ICT. in VIctoria, every public library has at least one computer with Itenet access for public use.
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Yukika
JCA-NET is FEM-NET Mailing List. An on-line network for
women in the movement. Right after Beijing, women had no access to
ICT. The women's movement only began to use the Internet only 2 years
ago.
Mailing lists have been increasingly used by activists in JApan and not just by cyber-junkies.
Feminet has opened the women's movement to the community.
In May, the participants in the recent CSW Meeting will convene to discuss the possibility of e Fem-Net BPFA+5 project.