- An online self-paced training on digital accessibility, titled Beyond smart cities = Smart for ALL: Towards building inclusive and digitally accessible environments and communities to meet the needs of present and future generations was launched during WSIS Forum 2022.
- International Girls in ICT Day was celebrated with a focus on ‘Access and Safety‘. An interactive global dialogue was part of WSIS Forum 2022 and ITU regional offices held Girls in ICT Day events to encourage girls and young women everywhere to learn about technology and find STEM career paths.
- In collaboration with the Fund for the Development of the Indigenous Peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean (FILAC) two editions of the training programme on Innovative communication tools to strengthen the capacities of indigenous communities with a focus on how to develop, manage, and operate a network were delivered.
- A training programme to develop Technical Promoters in telecommunication and broadcasting in Indigenous Communities was held for indigenous peoples in November.
In Focus
Generation Connect
The first-ever Generation Connect Global Youth Summit took place in Kigali, Rwanda, from 2-4 June. The Summit brought together young leaders, entrepreneurs, social change-makers, engineers, policy specialists, students, business leaders, influential decision makers, and community advocates. The Summit addressed the digital divide and related topics, including digital skills, gender, climate change, online safety, the future of work, entrepreneurship, digital dependencies.
23 Generation Connect Youth Envoys organized youth events during PP-22 in Bucharest, Romania. The ‘Youth at PP-22’ initiative is the first in ITU’s history.
ITU and Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF): Tech as a driver of women’s economic opportunity
Over 1 000 women entrepreneurs from Burundi, Ethiopia and Haiti were trained in digital skills while 200 public officials were trained on policymaking tools to mainstream a gender perspective across their countries’ digital economies. National assessments on digital inclusion were conducted in the three countries.ITU and EIF conducted EQUALS Her Digital Skills workshops in Muzinda and Bujumbura in Burundi. These digital skills workshops focused on e-commerce for women and girls from rural backgrounds, enabling them to market and sell their produce online. By helping to build resilient and prosperous communities, the workshops contribute towards improving food security in the country. Watch this video to learn what these workshops mean to the participants – and how they help improve their lives!
Network of Women
NoW in ITU-D was featured for the first time at WTDC-22, with a series of events to promote women’s leadership opportunities in the digital sector and in the broader international arena.
WTDC-22 revised Resolution 55 on mainstreaming a gender perspective in ITU to enhance women’s empowerment and equally noted the launch of the Network of Women in ITU-D. The Resolution supported the continuation of the NoW advisory board composed of two women representatives per region, designated in collaboration with the regional groups.
The NoW in ITU-D Mentorship programme continued to grow and it featured 318 enrolments from 100 countries and matched 119 pairs of mentors and mentees.