WOUGNET Update Newsletter - June 2003

[Dorothy Okello <dokello@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

WOUGNET Update Newsletter - June 2003
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A monthly electronic newsletter from Women of Uganda Network
(WOUGNET) - http://www.wougnet.org
For comments or queries, contact info@xxxxxxxxxxx

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This month's contents:
1.    Women Organisations in Uganda
2.    Documents on women's issues in Uganda
3.    ICT Policy
4.    Links & Resources
5.    News & Events
6.   WOUGNET News
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WOMEN ORGANISATIONS IN UGANDA
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= WOUGNET evaluation of mailing list and website
WOUGNET is conducting an evaluation of the website and mailing
lists. The evaluation will conducted with the support of GEM Africa.
Gender Evaluation Methodology (GEM) is an evaluation tool that
integrates gender analysis into the evaluation of ICT initiatives for
social change.
WOUGNET would like to evaluate the impact of email and the web in
enabling information sharing and outreach by women and women's
organisations in Uganda. The outcome of this evaluation will help
WOUGNET design programmes and activities to strengthen and further
promote the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs)
for information sharing and dissemination in order to effectively
address national and local problems of sustainable development.
Kindly download and complete the evaluation questionnaire available
in WORD and PDF formats at:
http://www.wougnet.org/eval/wevaluation.html
Alternatively, send email to info@xxxxxxxxxxx to request a copy of
the questionnaire by email.



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Documents on Women's Issues in Uganda
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= Gender implications for opening up political parties in Uganda
    Sylvia Tamale, Faculty of Law, Makerere University
Political indicators in our country today point to an impending
opening up of political parties that will allow for the uninhibited
operation of parties that are free to compete for state power. The
question that I address myself to is whether this is good or bad news
for Ugandan women. Will pluralism translate into better governance or
into more democratic institutions? Will it help in closing the gap of
gender inequalities that presently exist in all spheres of our
society?
http://www.wougnet.org/documents.html#GPPU



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ICT POLICY
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= Online Forum: An Information Society for Uganda (ISUG)
Over the period April 14 - 30, WOUGNET conducted an online forum to
facilitate contributions to the WSIS working documents and Uganda's
input to the WSIS. An ISUG report of the forum contributions has been
compiled, and copies of the report provided to the WSIS Africa Civil
Society Caucus, the WSIS Gender Caucus and the NGO Gender Strategies
Working Group.
For information about the ISUG forum and a copy of the draft report,
visit:
http://www.wougnet.org/WSIS/ug/isug.html


= National Directory of ICT Initiatives
The Uganda National directory of ICT projects, initiatives and
resource persons is a joint project between I-Network Uganda and
UgaBYTES Initiative. The UgaBYTES Initiative, which is the initiator
and co-financier of the 4 months project, is also the implementing
agency. The project is also co-financed by I-Network Uganda in
association with IICD Netherlands. The compilation project will run
from May 1, 2003 to August 24, 2003.
The Directory is targeted to benefit and ease the ICT activities
carried out by the following persons/organizations: ICT developers
and designers, ICT development agencies, ICT policy makers and ICT
projects, initiatives and resource persons in and around the country.
http://www.wougnet.org/ICTpolicy/nationalictdir.html


= Report of the meeting of the African Regional Group WSIS Gender
   Caucus May 4, 2003, Kampala, Uganda
Active participants in the WSIS Gender Caucus hailing from the
African region met in Kampala on Sunday May 4th for a strategy and
brainstorming meeting. The WSIS GC participants had come to Kampala
to participate in the Bridging the Gender Digtial Divide through
Strategic Partnerships organised by UNIFEM and other partners.
Available online are the following documents:
1) Report of the meeting of the African Regional Group WSIS Gender Caucus
2) Statement of the WSIS Gender Caucus at the Africa Launch of the Digital
Diaspora Initiative
3) Presentation: Panel - Out of the poverty trap: Potential of ICT for women's
rights and empowerment, Gillian Marcelle. Africa Launch of the DDI
4) WOUGNET participation in the WSIS, Presentation at Africa Meeting of the 
WSIS
Gender Caucus.
http://www.wougnet.org/WSIS/wgc_africameet.html



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LINKS & RESOURCES
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a) African & International Women Organisations

= Emunyak Women Group (EWG)
    http://www.wougnet.org/Links/africa_int.html#EWG
Based in Kenya, EWG's mission is for the social and economic
empowerment of women by addressing women's education, economic
status, and human rights. EWG is also involved in conservation
activities, for example, the group has ceased the practice of cutting
and burning charcoal.
http://www.wougnet.org/Profiles/ewgke.html


b) Development

= Rapha Outreach Ministries (ROM)
Rapha Outreach Ministries (ROM) is a Community Based Organisation
based in Mbale District. ROM's mission is to bring hope to vulnerable
children through educational opportunities & spiritual growth through
bible teaching. Among its activities is a vocational training Centre
for HIV/AIDS orphans and school dropouts to aquire lifeskills for
sustainability. ROM is seeking partners and donors to support its
mission to provide educational opportunities for vulnerable children.
http://www.wougnet.org/Profiles/raphaom.html


= Charity for Orphans and Widows (COW-Kayunga)
Based in Kayunga District, COW-Kayunga's mission is to improve and
change the livelihoods of women, widows, girls and orphans.
Activities address economic empowerment, aids counseling  and
information, sanitary improvement and education.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/development.html#COWK



c)  HIV/AIDS

= Report shows Uganda Girl Child commercial sexual exploitation
    on the increase.
In a report that was recently released by Women and Youth Services,
females are accounting for 97% of children most hit by commercial
sexual exploitation along truck driver stop over towns.  Truck
drivers stop over towns of Idudi, Naluwerere, Lukaya and Ntungamo
town council were studied to estimate the nature and magnitude of
commercial sexual exploitation in Uganda, identify the categories of
children most affected, examine the social economic dynamics leading
children into sex business, identify the perpetrators and explore
scope of interventions.
http://www.wougnet.org/HIVAIDS/girlchildexploitation.html



d) ICT-related organisations

= iNETWORK Uganda - April 2003 issue
iNETWORK Uganda is a quarterly newsletter of I-Network Uganda. The
primary target audience consists of I-Network members, IICD project
holders and beneficiaries, practitioners who use ICT to promote
development and poverty eradication in these sectors - education,
agriculture, health, local and central government.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/ictresources.html#INUG



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NEWS & EVENTS
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June 2003

Young Women's Leadership Institute: Tackling HIV/AIDS and Poverty in Africa,
June 30 - July 4, 2003
Are you a young African woman, an emerging leader, and committed to
tackling HIV/AIDS and poverty in your community? If so, AWID welcomes
your application to participate in the first regional leadership
institute of AWID's Young Women and Leadership Program, to take place
in Cape Town, South Africa, June 30 to July 4, 2003. The Leadership
Institute is a unique opportunity for dynamic young women to come
together to hone their skills, articulate their own visions for a
women's rights agenda, and work collaboratively to launch strategic
and cutting-edge campaigns.
http://www.wougnet.org/Events/projectnews03.html#YWL


To list your event/news on the WOUGNET website, send details about
the event/news including contact information to: news@xxxxxxxxxxx


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WOUGNET NEWS
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= WOUGNET website was selected winner of the 2003 AISI Media Awards -
   "On Promoting the Information Society in Africa" -
      in the IICD Local Content Applications category.

As stated on the Awards website:
"The judges selected the website of the Women of Uganda's Network
(WOUGNET) as a winner for this year's IICD Award on Local Content
Applications. The site is a good source of information, knowledge,
best practices and lessons learned on women's issues, and a variety
of socio-economic issues. The collection of information and web
resources on ICT policies, for example, informs the audience of key
ICT for development issues, such as open source and the World Summit
on Information Society (WSIS) Gender Caucus. It also serves as an
entry point and hub for their engagements and participation."
http://www.uneca.org/aisi/mediaawardWinners.htm


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