WOUGNET Update Newsletter - July/August 2008

[Dorothy Okello <dokello@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

WOUGNET Update Newsletter - July/August 2008
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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

To subscribe/unsubscribe to the WOUGNET Update 
Newsletter, send a message to 
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This issue's contents:
1. News and Events
2. Tech Support
3. Gender & ICT Policy Advocacy
4. ICT Training: Training Needs Assessment
5. WOUGNET News

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*** WOUGNET Website recovers from a 'hack attack' ***

In the early afternoon of 12 August 2008, the 
WOUGNET website  suffered a 'hack attack' and was 
no longer available for view for a number of 
hours. We were back online by the following 
morning, and we would like to say thank you for 
all the messages and guidance received during 
this time. We would particularly like to thank 
Kabissa, APC Tech Team, Jenny, Karel, Maartje, 
Sally, Nnenna, Andy and our own WOUGNET Tech 
Support Team (Milton and Ssozi) that worked 
quickly towards getting us back up and running.
We have indeed learned a few lessons from this 
experience - and we hope to share this with 
members as we move along. We continue to patch up 
some few parts of the site, and should you have 
any problems accessing the website or loss of 
content you had posted to the website, do let us 
know by sending email to techsupport@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Once again, thank you to everyone for all your support!

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News and Events
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= UWOPA: Update on the Women's Legislative Agenda in the 8th Parliament
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (UWOPA) is 
working around seven legislative areas in the 8th 
Parliament including the Domestic Relations Bill, 
Domestic Violence Bill and Sexual Offences Bill. 
The other areas include Maternal Health, African 
Charter on the rights of Women in Africa, 
Trafficking in Persons Bill and Peace and 
Conflict. UWOPA members are divided into teams 
which work in each of these legislative areas. 
This is an update on the progress of these legislative areas.


= FOWODE: Gender in the Budget Speech: A snapshot 
Gender Analysis of the FY 2008/09 National Budget Speech
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
The Budget is the most important policy 
instrument of government that reflects its 
commitment to fulfill specific goals and 
priorities. It determines whether or not and the 
extent to which different groups of people such 
as women and men, girls and boys will benefit 
from the services provided by the state through 
public intervention. In other words, the budget 
process sets spending and revenue patterns for 
all sectors of Government, results in the 
implementation of broad economic choices and 
priorities and affects income distribution and 
social change within the country.
Government may be committed to gender equality 
but it is through the budget that ?real 
commitment? is gauged. Forum for Women in 
Democracy (FOWODE) believes that all development 
initiatives must clearly show benefits for women 
and men and that a gender perspective should be 
integrated in policies, programmes and budgets. 
Only then can the government show accountability 
for gender equality and women?s empowerment.
The snapshot analysis explores two sides of the 
budget, the revenue side (taxation) as well as 
the expenditure side. The analysis follows the 
format of the budget speech, reviewing the budget 
priorities and then the proposed tax measures. 
The budget speech highlighted a number of genders 
sensitive issues which the government proposes to 
embark on the FY 2008/09. This is a good gesture 
on part of government to addressing gender 
inequality and also promote equitable 
distribution of resources . The budget however 
remained silent on a number of gender issues that 
have persistently not been addressed in the 
budget. Both the strength and weakness in the 
budget speech in addressing gender issues are the 
highlight of FOWODE?s response to the budget 
speech. The analysis report is available online.

= ''Apac CSOs to Submit Budgets and Workplans to 
the District Local Government"
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_mamblog&Itemid=83&task=show&action=view&id=221&Itemid=83
Civil Society Organizations operating in Apac 
District have been challenged to submit details 
of their activities to the district Local 
Government. The call was made during the 
participatory planning and budgeting workshop 
organized by the NGO Link Forum on the 28th to 
29th of July 2008 at Scouts Hall Apac Town. The 
objective of the workshop was to enable members 
of the Civil Society organization in the District 
gain skills in participatory planning and 
budgeting of the local Government and be able to 
actively participate in the development processes 
of the district and at the same time hold the 
district leaders accountable to their electorates.

= A new world by way of Apac e-Society!
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=50&Itemid=94
Technology enhances information and 
communication. It has made Apac more accessible 
to the world in a situation where distance has 
been a challenge. People in Apac can now rely on 
Communication and Information Centres equipped 
with computers, telephones and the Internet, to 
carry out their day to day activities.
The Apac e-society was formulated as a joint 
effort between IICD, Hivos, local partners Women 
of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) and I-Network.

= AIDS epidemic update 2007
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_mamblog&Itemid=83
A global summary of the AIDS epidemic including 
the number of people living with HIV, the people 
newly affected and the number of AIDS deaths.



*** UPCOMING EVENTS ***


= CEEWA-Uganda: Empowerment Session on ?Managing 
Personal Finances?, 20 August 2008
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_events&task=view_detail&agid=34&year=2008&month=08&day=20&Itemid=29
CEEWA-Uganda is hosting an Empowerment Session on 
"Managing Personal Finances", targeting women 
professionals, Entrepreneurs, Civil Society 
Organizations, Private Sector and the General 
Public. It will be held on Wednesday 20th August, 
2008 from 2:00pm to 4:00pm at CEEWA-Uganda Secretariat, Kansanga-Kiwafu Road.
The Session will empower participants with unique 
techniques and skills that will enable you manage 
your personal finances better. The main 
facilitator for this session will be Ms. Ruth 
Biyinzika Musoke of Private Sector Foundation 
Uganda, a Consultant, an Entrepreneur and a 
Motivational Speaker on Financial Management.
The fee for this session is Uganda Shillings 
20,000 (Twenty thousand shillings only) per participant.
For further information and/or registration 
contact Ms. Rosette Ndeezi, Ag. Coordinator, at 
041-4269477/507 or email: info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


= Software Freedom Day, 20 September 2008
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_events&task=view_detail&agid=33&year=2008&month=09&day=20&Itemid=29
Software Freedom Day is a global, grassroots 
effort to educate the public about the importance 
of software freedom and the virtues and 
availability of Free and Open Source Software. 
Local teams from all over the world organise 
events on the third Saturday in September.
In Uganda, this event has been hosted previously 
and has attracted varied participation from the 
community in Kampala. Last year, it was hosted at 
UICT-Nakawa and had workshops, an exhibition and 
training activities.  This year, WOUGNET has been 
able to raise some funds to also enable the 
participation of up to 10 people from out of 
Kampala in order to generate a little more 
awareness of this event beyond Kampala.
The event this year is being organised by a 
variety of partners including WOUGNET, East 
African Centre for Open Source (EACOSS) and Linux Solutions.


= 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based 
Violence, 25 November - 10 December 2008
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_events&task=view_detail&agid=32&year=2008&month=11&day=25&Itemid=29
16 Days of Activism is a global campaign against 
gender-based violence. It commences on 25th of 
November and ends on 10th December of every year. 
This year the global theme is 'Defending Rights, 
Defending Women'. The regional theme is "Our 
Strength is the Solution: Communities Can Prevent 
Sexual Violence" designed to focus on sexual 
violence not just in conflict but also in our communities.
WOUGNET will be partnering with Raising Voices 
and other organisations to conduct a series of 
activities to mark the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence.


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Tech Support
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= August 2008: 7 Online Blunders That Threaten Your Identity
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=12&id=36&Itemid=77
These common mistakes can ruin your computer or 
invite identity theft. What are they, and what you can do.

= July 2008: Steps for Recovering from a System Compromise/Intrusion
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=213&Itemid=77
Three steps to recover from a system compromise 
or intrusion addressing (1) before you get 
started, (2) regaining control, and (3) recovering from the intrusion.

For more information or for assistance in 
managing your computer and in using the Internet, 
contact techsupport@xxxxxxxxxxx


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Gender & ICT Policy Advocacy
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= Does Uganda need "Internet Governance"?
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=224&Itemid=1
Should Uganda care about how the Internet is 
"governed"? Should we be on the same page with 
much of the world which has placed issues such as 
Openness, Security, Diversity and Access among 
those that need to be addressed by the Internet 
Governance Forum (IGF), and by respective 
national and regional bodies? Or should we have a 
set of other issues that should be a priority for 
Uganda? In addition, a copy of the first National 
Internet Governance Forum (NIGF) Workshop report 
with a discussion of the IGF issues is available online.

= New APC series on equitable access
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=222&Itemid=29
Equitable access is about addressing social and 
economic imbalances when developing policy and 
rolling out ICTs , so that people from diverse 
backgrounds have more or less similar 
opportunities when it comes to accessing and 
using technology. Many Information and 
Communication Technologies (ICT) enthusiasts are 
developing innovative new solutions to bring 
access one step closer to communities but these 
pioneering efforts are currently scattered and 
largely unavailable in public domain. APC 
launches a series on equitable access to ICT infrastructure.

= Urgent call for new publications on gender and development
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=207&Itemid=32
Have you or your organization recently produced a 
book on women and socio-economic and political 
change in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin 
America and the Caribbean and Central and Eastern 
Europe? Are you in interested in marketing and 
selling your publication?  Women, Ink., a project 
of the International Women' Tribune Centre, is 
urgently seeking new publications about various 
gender and development issues ­ with a special 
focus on those produced in the last three years 
by small independent and women's presses and 
information-producing groups in the Global South. 
Both practical and academic, the Women, Ink. 
collection seeks books on various aspects of 
gender and development, including women's human 
rights; conflict and peace processes; training; 
economics and globalization; health, sexuality 
and reproductive rights; political process; 
information communication; policy and political 
process an women organizing. Deadline for submission: August 30, 2008

= "Gender issues in Apac, a nightmare to women"
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_mamblog&Itemid=83&task=show&action=view&id=214&Itemid=83
Gender issues in Apac district still requires a 
lot of redress/sensitization by all stakeholders 
if it?s to be fully understood by both men and 
women. Both women and men has failed to grasp the 
idea of gender equality as both accused each 
other of being behind perpetration of violence in 
homes under the pretext of gender equality.
For more information, please write to info@xxxxxxxxxxx




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ICT Training: Training Needs Assessment
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WOUGNET is preparing to conduct ICT training for 
its member organizations. To ensure that this 
training meets your training needs, we are 
providing a Needs Assessment Questionnaire for 
you to fill out and return to the WOUGNET Secretariat.
For more information or for a copy of the 
questionnaire, please send email to 
info@xxxxxxxxxxx, call 041-4532035, or simply stop by the office.


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WOUGNET News
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= Citizen Journalism: Organisations benefit from user generated content
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_mamblog&Itemid=83&task=show&action=view&id=223&Itemid=83
The citizen journalism genie is out of the bottle 
and is the answer to the documentation challenges 
that organisations face. Big media houses are 
taking advantage of content submitted by the 
lay-man who in most cases is not a trained 
journalist. CNN for example has the iReport whose 
pictures have sometimes been their only source of 
information in some situations. The value of user 
generated content is undeniable.


= First Lango Forum on e-Agriculture
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=217&Itemid=1
The first Lango Forum on e-Agriculture was held 
on 31st July 2008 in Omodi Hotel in Apac town. 
Participants came from different districts 
including Gulu, Lira, Oyam and Kampala. The 
Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural 
Cooperation ACP- EU (CTA ) supported the forum 
together with Hivos. This facilitated 42 women 
from Apac, Gulu, Lira, Oyam to attend the one day 
forum. Some of the organizations that attended 
the forum include the BOSCO project being piloted 
in Gulu diocese, the Refugee Law project, in 
addition to the hosting Apac community. The RDC 
of Apac town Mr. Alex Jurua opened the forum and 
the area MP Hon. David Ebong closed it.


= WOUGNET @ MobileActive08 Summit
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_events&task=view_detail&agid=35&year=2008&month=10&day=13&Itemid=83
SANGONeT and MobileActive.org will be hosting the 
MobileActive08 Summit under the theme "Unlocking 
the Potential of Mobile Technology for Social 
Impact". The event is scheduled for 13 - 15 
October in Johannesburg, South Africa.
During the event, WOUGNET and Bulk SMS will 
collaborate in "Texting for Social Action" to 
showcase both Bulk SMS and WOUGNET's campaign 
using Bulk SMS. Briefly, Bulk SMS is a messaging 
provider based in Cape Town. A number of their 
clients are the NGOs that use bulk SMS messaging 
for social action, health, and youth development. 
Through support from Hivos, WOUGNET has had 
access to SMS Bulk and will show how it has used 
this tool for supporting women's campaign strategies.


= New materials at the WOUGNET Resource Centre, Plot 53 Kira Road
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_mamblog&Itemid=83&task=show&action=view&id=218&Itemid=83
New materials include the Information Economy 
Report 2007 ­ 2008  (UNCTAD), The Uganda Country 
Self-Assessment Report and Programme of Action 
(Uganda and APRM), and Frequently Asked Questions 
about Multi stakeholder Partnerships in ICT for 
Development (APC). For information on other materials available, please visit:
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=68&Itemid=76


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The Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) website and
mailing lists are hosted by Kabissa - Space for Change in Africa

WOUGNET is supported by APC, CTA, Dimitra/FAO and Hivos

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