TF Background

Since its first meeting in 2005 in Baltimore MD, USA, its official launch in 2006 in Paris, France and other high profile global activities – including a major conference in Kuala Lumpur in 2007 – the ITF has mobilized over 100 stakeholders from around the globe, including high-level decision makers of the United Nations, UNESCO, the European Commission, the World Bank, the Inter American Development Bank; major multinational companies including HP, Texas Instruments, Cisco, Microsoft, IBM, AT&T, Dell and NOKIA as well as regional public key actors in universities, research institutes, global and regional NGOs from all continents.

ITF focuses on activities that directly benefit women and ICT for development by igniting new initiatives and strengthening current efforts around the world to measurably increase economic, social, and educational opportunities for women and girls in the knowledge society.

In Kuala Lumpur December 2007 ITF stakeholders identified the need to create “a bold new global multi-stakeholder strategy to bring about a major break-through in regard to women's participation in the knowledge-based society” and set up Ten Regional Centres within a global framework, which together constitute Global Women and Technology (GWT). For further information on the GWT initiative visit www.womenandtechnology.eu or contact Eva Fabry, Director of the European Centre for Women and Technology (ECWT) and Chair of the GWT Network, e-mail: eva DOT fabry AT womenandtechnology DOT eu

ITF Structure

The ITF is a community of expertise of organizations, institutions and individuals working to increase the economic, social, and educational opportunities for women and girls in the knowledge society. The members of the ITF represent a broad range of initiatives with a range of sectoral expertise and regional representation. It is a think tank that can be drawn on for expanding current efforts and identifying and filling gaps in the women and IT world globally.

Taskforce members are agreed that the ITF will remain active as long as it serves a useful function on the international stage, interacting with international organizations and/or in relation to specific initiatives, such as GWT

The ITF is coordinated by a Steering Committee whose members take on various administrative and operational functions according to resources, expertise and current activities that can be 'piggybacked'. The ITF has a rotating Chair, which is currently held by Gloria Bonder, UNESCO Regional Chair on Women, Science and Technology in Latin America (Argentina) and Member of the Steering Committee of UN GAID.

To support the new Chair and the rapidly growing ICT network the ITF leadership has adopted a new distributed leadership model, with leadership provided from regions throughout the world. An Advisory Group of key contacts further expands the Taskforce and links it with significant initiatives around the globe.

ITF Activities/Functions:

1. Leads the Community of Expertise on Gender, a network convened by UNGAID that brings together motivated and capable actors to address specific, well-defined ICTD problems in a results-oriented manner and to identify and disseminate good practices. ITF members who are also members of various GAID bodies work together to maintain this presence.
   
   Liaises with the UNGAID Community of Expertise on Gender, Development and Information Society Policies
2. Coordinates participation and/or representation at international events via Lead Organizations and nominates representatives to international organizations and contributes to international initiatives in ICT4D:
   • GKP
   • ICT4D conference
   • UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD)
   • ECLAC (Observatory of information society in LAC)
   • Gender and ICT conferences
3. Initiates and coordinates international projects, which are either independent of the GWT or Regional Centres activities (for example, gender mainstreaming) or in which ITF provides a framework for synthesising and comparing regional initiatives in the same project or sector (such as indicators).
   
   ITF experts/program leaders serve as points of connection between the regions on overarching projects like GWT, indicators and/or can work with the regions to develop cross-regional activities in these areas.

ITF Membership

ITF Membership is open to all who subscribe to the ITF Declaration of Agreement and Guiding Principles. Governed by these principles, the ITF uses five key tools and focuses on four main areas of activity: Education, Workforce, Entrepreneurship and Leadership.

The five key tools and avenues for collaboration and activity in these areas include:

1. Promoting recommendations for policy and programming through its contributions to international ICT initiatives;
2. Research and Impact Metrics: defining indicators, carrying out benchmarking and monitoring;
3. Leveraging resources, a series of collaborative activities and jointly developing new services;
4. Common dissemination, sharing of information and collaboration around information management; and
5. Adapting to regional context and culture.

For more information contact Gloria Bonder catunesco AT flacso DOT org DOT ar or visit www.ITFwomenICT.org