Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) serves as a secretariat for Uganda Women’s Caucus on ICT (UWCI) to undertake advocacy activities geared towards addressing gender concerns within the ICT policies and Programs.  The Gender and ICT policy advocacy program in WOUGNET aims at building capacity of network members to effectively influence the formulation and implementation of gender sensitive ICT policies and programs such that the benefits may trickle down to both men and women.

The Month of the Woman Entrepreneurs’ (MOWE) celebrations has been scheduled to take place in November 2009. Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association Ltd (UWEAL) with support from ILO – WEDGE is spear heading this event whose theme is “Unleashing the untapped potential of women entrepreneurs for economic development”. The main objective of celebrating this month is to widely promote the role of the woman’s entrepreneurship development in the national development by recognizing their potential and achievements.

WOUGNET’s INVOLVEMENT.

Basing on the fact that Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) empowers women and women organizations through the use of ICTs for sustainable development, it was chosen as a member of the National Organizing Committee (NOC) to work with other UWEAL partners so that MOWE is used as an avenue to promote the use of ICTs among Women entrepreneurs in Uganda.

As UWEAL celebrates the month of Women Entrepreneurs, Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) with support from the Association of Progressive Communication will be holding a training on Feminist Tech Exchange from 4^th to 7^th November In Kampala - Uganda, for Women and Women organizations to enable them acquire ICT skills for information sharing, networking, lobbying and advocating to end violence against women. The skills that will be acquired by participants especiallywomen dealing in violence realted fields and some  entrepreneurs who will be invited to attend the training will greatly benefit other partners they will share with this information.

The Feminist Tech eXchange (FTX) in Uganda will give activists, service providers, women’s rights advocates in the field of violence against women, practical skills to employ the strategic use of information and communication technologies in ending violence against women, as well as in addressing situations where ICTs are used as  tools for violence.

The FTX is part of an APC WNSP 2 year project titled: ‘Strengthening Women's Strategic Use of Information and Communications Technologies to Combat Violence against Women and Girls’. WOUGNET is the country partner for the project being implemented in 3 regions across 12 countries.

Some women entrepreneurs who are in  the category of service providers will have an opportunity to gain skills developing digital stories, using social media tools and mobile technologies for advocacy.

 By Muwesa Ruth Ssenjobe

Intern, Gender and ICT Policy Program