Women'sNet
Encyclopedia
Women'sNet is a networking support programme designed to enable South African women to use the internet to find the people, issues, resources and tools needed for women's social action.
, Gender in Parliament, Health, Women and Information and communication technologies
(ICTs), Women and Enterprise, and Women and Elections.
. In the following year, the first Women'sNet webpages went live, focusing on women and human rights issues in South Africa.
It also created the first online space for South African women to reflect on, and strategise, in the lead up to the 1999 national elections. In 1999 too, the African Sisters online workshop was held. Women'sNet collaborated with FEMNET
to create an online platform for joining regional processes in the lead-up to the Beijing+5 conference.
2001 saw the creation of the first women-run internet cafe for civil society organisations at the [World Conference Against Racism, Xenophobia and related Intolerances], among other activities.
In 2000, Women'sNet launched a project to combine radio and audio production with women's NGOs efforts, to promote a women's empowerment agenda. It also won the Highway Africa ward for "Innovative Use of the New Media".
Other landmarks include SANGONeT Board's confirming Women'sNet's independent status (April 2002), its joining of the international ICT4D network the Association for Progressive Communications
, being officially registered as a non-governmental organisation (January 2003), being a core partner in the first Africa-wide Women and Electronic Networking Training (WENT) in Cape Town
(2003), launching an on-line up-datable database of South African organisations providing services targeted at girls (March 2003).
In 2004, it convened a stake-holders meet to consult South African women's NGOs on their information and technology needs; launched the GenderStats website, launching Girls'Net, hosting the first African workshop on free software
(or FLOSS
) and implementing the Recording Women's Voices project.
, and has held a photo exhibition in August 2005. Women'sNet also launched the (s)hebytes project and website as a space "where women and men talk about gender and women's empowerment". It launched digital story telling workshops "to train women and girls in story telling -- combining images, audio and text into a short documentary about their lives".
Issues
Some of the issues it has foccused on include HIV/AIDS, Beijing+5 in Africa, Women and Human Rights, violence against womenViolence against women
Violence against women is a technical term used to collectively refer to violent acts that are primarily or exclusively committed against women...
, Gender in Parliament, Health, Women and Information and communication technologies
Information and communication technologies
Information and communications technology or information and communication technology, usually abbreviated as ICT, is often used as an extended synonym for information technology , but is usually a more general term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of...
(ICTs), Women and Enterprise, and Women and Elections.
Resources
The Women'sNet site offers links to useful websites, a newsletter (launched in April 2006), links to relevant issues, and a directory of organisations.History
In 1998, Women'sNet was established as a project of the Commission of Gender Equality and SANGONeTSangonet
SANGONeT is a South African organisation, whose acronym stands for The Southern African NGO Network.It is a civil society organisation with a focus on ICT, which was founded in 1987, and has a history closely linked to the social and political changes experienced by South Africa during its...
. In the following year, the first Women'sNet webpages went live, focusing on women and human rights issues in South Africa.
It also created the first online space for South African women to reflect on, and strategise, in the lead up to the 1999 national elections. In 1999 too, the African Sisters online workshop was held. Women'sNet collaborated with FEMNET
FEMNET
FEMNET, also called the African Women's Development and Communication Network, is an organization established in 1998 to promote women's development in Africa....
to create an online platform for joining regional processes in the lead-up to the Beijing+5 conference.
2001 saw the creation of the first women-run internet cafe for civil society organisations at the [World Conference Against Racism, Xenophobia and related Intolerances], among other activities.
In 2000, Women'sNet launched a project to combine radio and audio production with women's NGOs efforts, to promote a women's empowerment agenda. It also won the Highway Africa ward for "Innovative Use of the New Media".
Other landmarks include SANGONeT Board's confirming Women'sNet's independent status (April 2002), its joining of the international ICT4D network the Association for Progressive Communications
Association for Progressive Communications
The Association for Progressive Communications is an international network of organizations that was founded in 1990 to provide communication infrastructure, including Internet-based applications, to groups and individuals who work for peace, human rights, protection of the environment, and...
, being officially registered as a non-governmental organisation (January 2003), being a core partner in the first Africa-wide Women and Electronic Networking Training (WENT) in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
(2003), launching an on-line up-datable database of South African organisations providing services targeted at girls (March 2003).
In 2004, it convened a stake-holders meet to consult South African women's NGOs on their information and technology needs; launched the GenderStats website, launching Girls'Net, hosting the first African workshop on free software
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
(or FLOSS
Alternative terms for free software
Alternative terms for free software have been a controversial issue among free software users from the late 1990s onwards. Coined in 1983 by Richard Stallman, "free software" is used to describe software which can be used, modified, and redistributed with little or no restriction...
) and implementing the Recording Women's Voices project.
Training, technology planning
Over the past two years (2005 and 2006), Women'sNet has also co-trained South African women to participate in the global cyber-dialogues on the [Beijing+10] review process, and women's NGOs on technology planning and FLOSS. Girl'sNet runs a visual literacy training project with young girls in the Eastern CapeEastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are Port Elizabeth and East London. It was formed in 1994 out of the "independent" Xhosa homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province...
, and has held a photo exhibition in August 2005. Women'sNet also launched the (s)hebytes project and website as a space "where women and men talk about gender and women's empowerment". It launched digital story telling workshops "to train women and girls in story telling -- combining images, audio and text into a short documentary about their lives".