In partnership with the United Nations (UN) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has launched the first edition of the annual "Gender Equality Mainstreaming - Technology" (GEM-TECH) awards.
The ITU will accept nominations of individuals or organizations whose activity has been distinguished in promoting gender equality in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT). Men and women may compete for this award and self-nominations may be submitted.
The nominations, which encompass civil society initiatives, private sector, Government, international organizations and academic institutions, can be submitted on the ITU website, and close 5 September 2014.
This award has seven categories, covering the following topics related to gender equality strategy:
1. ICT Applications, Content, Production Capacities and Skills for Women's Social, Political Empowerment and Women's Empowerment Linkages with Sustainable Development.
2. ICT Applications, Content, Production Capacities and Skills for Women's Economic Empowerment and Poverty Reduction.
3. Promoting Women in ICT Sector - initiatives aimed at attracting, retaining and promoting women within the ICT sector and into decision-making positions (private and public sector).
4. Enabling Girls to Become ICT Creators - initiatives aimed towards providing girls with an opportunity to become not just active users but also creators of ICTs and content.
5. Closing the ICT Gender Gap - Ensuring ICT accessibility for women, such as digital literacy training and ensuring affordable and meaningful access to ICTs by women. Initiatives aimed at measuring the ICT gender gap including research and data on women's engagement with ICTs and their impact.
6. Efforts to Reduce Threats Online and Building Women's Confidence and Security in the Use of ICTs.
7. ICT and Broadband strategies policies, framework that promote women's digital empowerment.
Winners will be contacted by 5 October and awards will take place on 21 October during the next ITU Plenipotentiary Conference (the highest body of this international organization), which will be held from 20 October to 7 November 2014, in Busan, South Korea.
Further information:
- GEM Tech Awards 2014: Nominee Proposal http://www.itu.int/en/action/women/gem/Pages/nominee-form.aspx
- GEM-TECH Awards 2014 http://www.itu.int/en/action/women/gem/Pages/award.aspx
