Using ICT for gender advocacy

The final paragraph of the lengthy consensus statement issued at the end of the Sixth African Development Forum, which makes the valid point about using ICT to better effect, caught my KI eye: "Establishing sound data on all aspects of gender equality, women's empowerment and violence against women and girls is a necessary precondition for establishing the best policies and monitoring the effectiveness of actions. Data also include the life stories of women and girls who are survivors of violence and exploitation. In addition to being collected, it is equally vital that data are analyzed, disseminated and used as the basis for designing and implementing programmes and monitoring and evaluating activities. ICT should be used for better dissemination of data. All member states and partners should cooperate in strengthening the African Gender and Development Index developed by the ECA and building capacities and strengthening systems for collection, analysis, dissemination and use of sex- and gender-disaggregated data. The AU, ECA and ADB should jointly publish a regular report, “The State of Africa's Women” based on these data." It is easy to make such calls; the hard work lies in doing it!