 Full minutes of the Sessions SESSION OF THURSDAY, 18 DECEMBER 2003 World Summit on the Information Society (First phase: Geneva, 10-12 December 2003) Karamanou (PSE). – Mr. President, the European Parliament recently adopted the initiative report that I prepared on behalf of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, regarding the position of women in the new information society. I am particularly pleased that the Geneva Declaration of the Conference included the need to promote the integration of the gender equality dimension, that is, Gender Mainstreaming, in the information society. However, for a proper development of new technologies, the establishment of legislative and regulatory measures is not enough, as it is well known that the financial resources available are very limited. What should have been emphasized more strongly in Geneva is the need for the renewal of the ethical rules governing the use and development of the information society. We are talking about digital democracy. The participation of women in this can be very important, as women are able to highlight a different ethical dimension, based on the different value system that characterizes them. Unfortunately, so far, in the public debate regarding the development and consequences of new technologies, the focus has primarily been on economic impacts, ignoring the analysis that addresses issues of democracy and the gender dimension, with the result that technological issues are misinterpreted as “neutral” in relation to democracy and gender. The lack of access to new technologies and digital illiteracy are increasingly evolving into new forms of social exclusion, from which women are at direct risk. In the report I have prepared on behalf of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, the causes that perpetuate this situation are recorded, such as social stereotypes and cultural prejudices, which limit women’s choices and place barriers on their careers, resulting in broader negative consequences for the economy due to the irrational use of human resources. Unfortunately, the Conference avoided analyzing in depth the social causes that contribute to the perpetuation of this phenomenon. I express the hope that the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society will contribute to the public debate about the kind of information society we want. |
