19 September 2005 - Gender Caucus Meeting (1:00pm – 2:00pm)

Admittedly
I was late for this because I got hopelessly lost at the Palais de Nations Building.
When I finally arrived, still hungry and panting, the meeting was in
full-swing. Kind of.

They
were discussing about events and plans that was going to happen in Tunis in November. Huh? But we’re
in the middle of Prep Com 3! Shouldn’t we be strategising about how to input
gender in the process? But okay, I was slightly impatient, as strategies were
discussed after that.

The
chair summarised the points discussed as such: it was decided that
daily meetings needed to happen beyond the four officially scheduled one to
better strategise on actions, the WSIS Gender Caucus (WSIS GC) work had to be
linked to the Millenium Development Goals, the intersectionality and
relationality of gender had to be stressed (so gender does not equate to women)
and to examine the role of WSIS GC and civil society to influence the WSIS committee
as it goes on. Finally, a drafting and document committee was formed
through a system of volunteering.

Lenka
Simerska (also from APC WNSP) and myself have agreed to be part of this
committee, and to take turns between ourselves. However, I confess I am unsure
what this committee’s objectives or roles are, since as Heike Jensen (member of
WSIS GC) mentioned earlier, at this late stage, it is unlikely that huge
strides can be made in changing the documents. Or maybe in my befuddled brain,
I have gotten the message wrong. Watch this space…



jac smk