The First International Symposium on Women and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) took place June 12-14, 2005 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Two hundred and fifty participants representing six continents and 28 developing and developed countries, including leaders from business, government, non-government agencies, and education, gathered to explore concrete ways to increase girls' and women's participation and leadership with Information and Communication Technology in order to effect economic, social, and political change.

The symposium was organized and co-hosted by the Center for Women and Information Technology (CWIT) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore Country (UMBC), the World Trade Center Institute, the World Bank, and Women in Global Science and Technology (WIGSAT); it was held in cooperation with the ACM (Association for Computing Machinery). The U.S. Ambassador to the UN Commission for Women, Ellen Sauerbrey, served as honorary Chair.

Through the exchange of ideas and experiences, the symposium's participants created an action agenda to significantly increase the international participation of girls and women in ICT - including leadership of women in technology business - in the next five years.

Supplementing the material below are the Conference Proceedings in the ACM Digital Library, including abstracts and full text versions.

Sunday, June 12, 2005

• Reception photos

Monday, June 13, 2005

• Opening Plenary:
  • Ms. Claudia Morrell   (QuickTime video available)
  • Dr. Freeman Hrabowski
  • Ambassador Ellen Sauerbrey   (QuickTime video available)
  
  
• Women and ICT: Global Issues and Actions Panel (Part A):
  • Dr. Sophia Huyer   (QuickTime video available)
    • "Women, ICT, and the Information Society" (powerpoint)
  • Dr. Sue Rosser
    • "Global Issues and Actions in Academia" (powerpoint)
  • Ms. Jennifer Jones  (QuickTime video available)
  
  
• Women and ICT: Global Issues and Actions Panel (Part B):
  • Ms. Beth Perlman, Panel Chair
  • Dr. Celine Shen, China   (QuickTime video available)
    • "Women and ICT: Perspectives in China" (powerpoint)
  • Ms. Nancy Pascall, Europe   (QuickTime video available)
    • "Gender Equality in the European Union" (powerpoint)
  • Ms. Charity Binka, Africa
    • "The Virtual Newsroom (VNR) Project" (powerpoint)
  • Dr. Sophie Vandebroek, USA   (QuickTime video available)
    • "Helping People Find Better Ways to Do Great Work" (powerpoint)
  • Dr. Claudia Bauzer Medeiros, Brazil   (QuickTime video available)
    • "From Object of Change to Agent of Change: Women in ICT in Brazil" (powerpoint)
  • Ms. Noora Abdullah Al Mulla, UAE
  
  
• Lunch and Keynote Speakers:
  • Ms. Shirley Collier
  • Ms. Marguerite Sullivan   (QuickTime video available)
  • Mr. Frank Miller
    • "How Corporations are Removing Barriers to Women in Technology" (powerpoint)
  
  
• Roundtable Discussions, Part A:
  
  • Policy and Action   Notes (Word document)
    Women and ICT: A Global Summary
    
    • Ms. Jo Sanders, Facilitator
  • Research and Collaboration   Notes (Word document)
    Global Narratives for Success
    
    • Dr. M. Bernardine Dias, Session Chair
      • "Technology and International Development" (.pdf file)
    • Ms. Marina Larios
      • "Research and Collaboration: Global Narratives for Success" (powerpoint)
    • Dr. Catherine Hill
      • "An Overview of Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics in the United States" (powerpoint)
    • Dr. Carol Frieze
      • "Diversifying the Images of Computer Science" (powerpoint)
    • Dr. Almudena Moreno Mínguez
      • "Gender and the Digital Divide in Spain" (powerpoint)
  • Dissemination and Communication   Notes (Word document)
    Linking Efforts: Women and ICT International Organizations
    
    • Dr. Suzanne Brainard, Session Chair
      • "Linking Efforts: Women & ICT International Organizations" (Word document)
    • Dr. Sophia Huyer
    • Ms. Chat Garcia Ramilo
    • Dr. Monique Frize
    • Dr. Irina Khomeriki
    • Ms. Anne-Mari Rannamae
      • "QUIN - Network of Creative and Innovative Women" (powerpoint)
    • Ms. Lucy Sanders
    • Dr. Heiki Schelhowe
    • Dr. Annette Williams
    • Dr. Behjat Al Yousuf
      • "Linking Efforts: Women & ICT International Organizations" (powerpoint)
    • Ms. Claudia Morrell
  • Resource Development   Notes (Word document)
    Ideas, Information, and Interests: Identifying Common Ground
    
    • Dr. Carol Muller, Session Chair
    • Ms. Lea King
    • Dr. Dunja Mladenic
      • "Challenges and Creativity in IT Research" (powerpoint)
  • Context and Culture   Notes (Word document)
    Access and Use of Technology in Developing Countries
    
    • Ms. Neeran Saraf, Session Chair
    • Ms. Nicole M. Melander
    • Dr. Josephine Alumanah
      • "Access and Use of Technology in Developing Countries" (powerpoint)
    • Ms. Margarita Salas Guzman
    • Ms. Jayshree Mehta
    
    
• Roundtable Discussions, Part B:
  
  • Policy and Action   Notes (Word document)
    WIIFM (What's In It For Me?): Methodologies for Change
    
    • Ms. Carolyn Baker, Session Chair
    • Dr. Ruta Sevo
    • Ms. Linda Zecher
    • Ms. Colette Vesikula
      • "What's in IT for Me?: Methodologies for Change" (powerpoint)
  • Research and Collaboration   Notes (.rtf document)
    Building an Online Community
    
    • Dr. Beverly Bickel, Session Chair
    • Dr. Eva Fabry
      • "Building an Online Community for Sustainable Results" (.pdf file)
    • Dr. Heidi Schelhowe
      • "Digital Media in Education (DiMeB)" (powerpoint)
  • Dissemination and Communication   Notes (Word document)
    Creating a Global Consortium
    
    • Dr. Suzanne Brainard
      • "Global Alliance for Diversifying the Science and Engineering Workforce" (powerpoint)
    • Dr. Kelly Lyons
    • Dr. Sophia Huyer
  • Resource Development   Notes (Word document)
    Funding Your Program: An Entrepreneurial Exercise
    
    • Ms. Carol Sholes, Session Chair
    • Dr. Carol Muller
    • Ms. Tegwin Pulley
      • "Funding Your Initiative Through Collaboration" (powerpoint)
    • Ms. Lucy Sanders
  • Context and Culture   Notes (Word document)
    Women, Family, and Technology
    
    • Dr. Nezhat Olia, Session Chair
    • Dr. Jane Long
      • "'There's No Place Like Home'?: Domestic Life, Gendered Space, and Online Access" (powerpoint)
    • Ms. Margaret Zunguze
      • "Women, Family, and Technology" (powerpoint)
    • Ms. Samia Melhem
      • "Women, Family, and Technology" (powerpoint)
      • Note: The video clips in this powerpoint presentation are viewable only if you are in slide show mode. They are part of a series produced by the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, and are being used with their permission. For further information, please contact Ludi Joseph e-mail: ljoseph@ifc.org, telephone: 202-473-7700.
    • Ms. Kayoko Shibata - joint presentation with Melhem, above

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

• Power Networking
  • Ms. Sarah Revi Sterling, Facilitator
  
  
• Roundtable Discussions, Part C
  
  • Policy and Action
    Planning for WSIS and Other Policy Efforts
    
    • Ms. Nancy Pascall, Session Chair
    • Ms. Tomoko Moriya
    • Dr. Maria Palasik
      • "How Far is the Target?" (powerpoint)
    • Ms. Charity Binka
      • "WSIS Gender Caucus" (powerpoint)
    • Mr. Fred Tipson
  • Research and Collaboration   Notes (Word document)
    Creating and Using Collaborations
    
    • Dr. Ann Holmes, Session Chair
    • Dr. Stella Odebode
    • Ms. Margaret Ashida
    • Dr. Irina Khomeriki
  • Dissemination and Communication   Notes (.rtf document)
    Evaluation of Outcomes: Identifying Success
    
    • Ms. Debra Richmond, Session Chair
    • Dr. Joanne McGrath Cohoon
    • Ms. Chat Garcia Ramilo
      • "Gender Evaluation Methodology: A Learning Tool for Change and Empowerment" (powerpoint)
    • Mr. David Rowlands
      • "Lean Six Sigma" (powerpoint)
  • Resource Development   Notes (Word document)
    Creating a "Center" for Women: Understanding the Issues
    
    • Ms. Marion Esch
      • "Supporting Female Leadership Potential in the Field of Engineering and Natural Sciences" (powerpoint)
    • Dr. Annette Williams
      • "Creating a Centre for Women: Understanding the Issues" (powerpoint)
    • Mr. Dillip Pattanaik
      • "Engendering Knowledge Networks - Empowering Women Through ICT" (powerpoint)
  • Context and Culture   Notes (Word document)
    Women in ICT Leadership
    
    • Dr. Nancy J. Hafkin, Session Chair
    • Dr. Olga Savinskaya
    • Dr. Monique Frize
      • "Women in Leadership" (powerpoint)
    • Dr. Behjat Al Yousuf
      • "Ingredients for Success: Women in Leadership" (powerpoint)
  
  
• Plenary/Roundtable Discussions, Part D
  Thinking Outside the Box, Around the Corner, and Over the Edge
  
  • Dr. Joanne McGrath Cohoon, Facilitator
    • "Thinking Outside the Box, Around the Corner, and Over the Edge" (powerpoint)
  
  
• Closing Plenary and Final Thoughts
  • Dr. Nezhat Olia, Introductions
  • Dr. Nancy J. Hafkin
    • "Closing Plenary: Wrap Up" (powerpoint)
  • Dr. Barbara Waugh
    • "8 Tools for Global Transformation" (powerpoint)

Outcomes of the symposium include the following:

1)  Rather than create a new organization, create a document that outlines shared goals/beliefs that we can each formally or informally agree to.

• Nancy Paschal from the EU agreed to take a first stab at this.

2)   Together we will create a map of activities being done by persons or organizations to further the cause of women in IT.

• This will help educate us, make us stronger proponents of each other's programs, help to identify gaps in activities, and finally help to fill those gaps with collaborative efforts.

• Revi Sterling of Microsoft and soon to be graduate student at the University of Colorado agreed to provide leadership on this.

3)  Develop a web hub for key stakeholders to communicate and coordinate existing global data base links.

• Rather than create something new, the group interested in this initiative will look at how to connect current resources and expand what exists for what we need.

• This idea follows the example Barbara Waugh (HP) expressed in her talk about identifying resources within the community of stakeholders.

• This will help us develop strategies for collaborating cross-culturally.

4)  Expand and collaborate to strengthen current public policy initiatives, including providing information on key meetings which we can attend and/or support.

• Women need to be directly involved in decision making/leadership as it relates to ICTs, not just participate on the sidelines.  Women need to have a voice at conferences like WSIS, IEEE, etc.

• Knowing which are the decision-making meetings and which are less important is critical to targeting our joint efforts.

• Barbara Waugh agreed to host a conference call to discuss this, and Kayoko Medlin (World Bank) offered to host video conferences.

• Sophia Huyer agreed to send out information about key meetings, highlighting those that women should make a point to attend.  She will also build a calendar of events, which we can all use for our own calendars.

5)  Build links with and among professional organizations.

• Building connections helps to strengthen all the organizations and means more people are informed about the many different issues and the current research and practices developed to address the challenges.

6)  Plan face-to-face strategy meetings specifically for women and girls and ICT as a side effort at existing conferences, such as INWES's conference in Seoul Korea in August, the CASCON Conference hosted by IBM in Toronto, Canada, etc.

• This will help support face-to face communication within pre-existing efforts, without adding the cost and bureaucracy for more meetings.

• Monique Frize offered space at any and all the INWES conferences for meetings.

• Kelly Lyons also offered space at CASCON this October.

In addition, CWIT, Lockheed Martin, and the ACM are working collaboratively to publish proceedings from the symposium.

There was also a discussion about organizing an event formally in two years to follow up on outcomes, what has worked and not worked (and why not), and decide on course adjustments. 

Keep in mind, while all these activities are great, they are just the means to an end.  The data CWIT (Jo Sanders) has provided in the Fast Facts on Women and ICT is the bar at which we are striving.   The goal is to see measurable improvements in those numbers in five years! 

Evaluation data from the symposium is available here.

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