Pallitathya, an innovative Mobile Help-Line programme via cell phones for underprivileged women in rural Bangladesh beat thirty other entries from all over the Asia-Pacific to win
this year's Gender and Information & Communication Technology (GICT) Awards sponsored by the Association for Progressive Communications Women's Networking Support Programme (APC WNSP) and the Global Knowledge Partnership
(GKP).
Two other projects were selected as runners up: Putting ICTs in the Hands of the Poor, an interactive community ICT centre in India; and eHomemakers, an online network for home-based business from Malaysia.
The GICT Awards 2005 ceremony will be held during the 10th AWID International Forum on Women's Rights in Development on October 27 to 30, 2005 in Bangkok, Thailand. A knowledge-sharing session will also be organised in conjunction
with the award ceremony.
The 2005 GICT Awards focused on information and communication technology initiatives which promote women's economic empowerment and development in Asia Pacific.
Economic empowerment was defined as the ability to overcome
marginalisation and oppressive social norms, provide choices and opportunities for women, provide strong encouragement for women to fulfil their potential, and enable women to acquire the voice and capability to counter their lack of socio-economic-political power in the community.
Emphasising this focus are three major criteria: the use of ICTs to promote women's economic empowerment and gender equality; upscaling of initiatives and community-centred technologies; and the promotion of cooperation and
social networking.
Source:bytesforall
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