Feminist dialogue urges women to embrace ICTs

The African women’s movement, which is meeting at the Bamako World Social Forum (WSF) Feminist Dialogue, have recognised the access to new technologies as one of the strategies, they need to use to advance themselves as movement.

Opportune Santos, the Togo-based board member of Femnet , said there is need to use information communication technologies (ICTs) strategically to advance women engaged within the movement. She pointed out that ICTs could help a lot in what women are trying to achieve. In order to make things better the feminist dialogue highlighted need to train women and youth in ICTs.

Traore Oumou Toure, coordinator of NGO Association of Mali, emphasized that globalisation brings competition that leads to clear divisions between the rich and poor. She see the forum as a place where women could express themselves and bring in their development strategies to put forward. “We have to make sure that women’s rights advocates take seriously the matter of using new technologies. We have to advance and learn new skills. No one can develop us if we do not develop ourselves,” said Traore.

Traore invited all women and feminists attending the dialogue to take advantage of the new technologies. She also stressed the complications arising from lack of schools and access to information.

About 300 women from Africa and the world attended the feminist dialogue.