WOUGNET

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WOUGNET staff at the secretariat WOUGNET Staff.jpg
WOUGNET staff at the secretariat
WOUGNET
Women of Uganda Network
AbbreviationWOUGNET
FormationMay 2000
FounderDorothy Okello
Founded atKampala, Central Region
PurposeTo develop the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) among women as tools to share information and address issues collectively.
HeadquartersKampala, Uganda
Location
  • Uganda
Region
East Africa
Membership
30
Executive Director
Sandra Aceng
Angela Nakafeero
Peace Musiimenta
Ednah Karamagi
Julie Agum
James Oriekot
Fridah Mutesi
Shubey Nantege Luzinda
Staff
18
Website https://wougnet.org/

Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) also known as Women of Uganda Network Development Limited is Ugandan non-governmental organization that aids women and women's organisations in the use and access of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to share information and address issues their concerns such as gender norms, advocating for their rights and building communities and businesses through education. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Contents

History

WOUGNET was founded in May 2000 by women's organisations from Uganda. [1] [6] Its mailing lists are hosted by Kabissa. [7]

Mission: To promote the use of information and communication technologies by women and girls for gender equality and sustainable development. [8]

Aim: To improve the conditions of life for Ugandan women, by enhancing their capacities and opportunities for exchange, collaboration and information sharing. [8]

Vision: An inclusive and just society where women and girls are enabled to use ICTs for sustainable development. [8]

Programs: Information Sharing and Networking, Technical Support, and Gender and ICT Policy Advocacy. [9]

WOUGNET does research and analysis on internet and ICT policies, [10] promotes equal access to information, intersection of gender and technology, capacity building on online safety and emerging technology trends among other activities to ensure that women are catered for in them. [1] [11] [12] [13] It also implements other programs in agriculture, digital inclusion, entrepreneurship, governance and accountability among other programs. [14] [15] [16]

Executive directors

  1. Dorothy Okello (Founder) [17]
  2. Peace Oliver Amuge (May 2020 to February 2023). [18]
  3. Sandra Aceng from March 2023 to date.

Memberships

WOUGNET is a member of;

Tools

WOUGNET uses email, social media, the web, SMS (short messaging service) [27] and "traditional means" such as radio, television and print media such as newspapers [28] to communicate and share information about online gender based violence (OGBV), online safety among other issues. [29]

Awards

In 2013, WOUGNET was awarded the Winner Of The Democracy Innovation at the closing ceremony of the second World Forum for Democracy held in Strasbourg. [30] The Innovation Award recognized the efforts taken to involve citizens in democratic processes and the general public life. [30]

Members

WOUGNET has no membership fees for its three types of memberships and these are individual, organisation (Women organisations based in Uganda) and affiliate (organisations that are not women organisations based in Uganda). To become a member you have to are required to subscribe to the WOUGNET mailing list. [7]

WOUGNET members include:

Awards and recognistions

Activities, campaigns, workshops and trainings

In 2005, WOUGNET registered Ugandans who would attend the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) that happened in Tunis in Tunisia. [34]

WOUGNET partnered with Womensnet, South Africa and APC-Africa-Women (AAW) and ran an SMS based 16 Days of Activism campaign where messages against violence against women were sent out by both individuals and organisations. [27]

WOUGNET partnered with Internews and trained Civil Society organisations (CSOs) and Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) that wanted to strengthen advocacy strategies for women's rights and privacy online. [1] [28]

WOUGNET engaged policymakers, government agencies, CSOs and lawmakers to better understand how cybercrime legislation, data protection, access to information among other issues affected women. [1]

Projects and reports

Reports

some of the reports include;

WOUGNET's current, present and past projects include: [29]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Summit on the Information Society</span>

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) was a two-phase United Nations-sponsored summit on information, communication and, in broad terms, the information society that took place in 2003 in Geneva and in 2005 in Tunis. WSIS Forums have taken place periodically since then. One of the Summit's chief aims is to bridge the global digital divide separating rich countries from poor countries by increasing internet accessibility in the developing world. The conferences established 17 May as World Information Society Day.

The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) is an international network of organizations that was founded in 1990 to provide communication infrastructure, including Internet-based applications, to groups and individuals who work for peace, human rights, protection of the environment, and sustainability. Pioneering the use of ICTs for civil society, especially in developing countries, APC were often the first providers of Internet in their member countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital rights</span> Type of human and legal rights

Digital rights are those human rights and legal rights that allow individuals to access, use, create, and publish digital media or to access and use computers, other electronic devices, and telecommunications networks. The concept is particularly related to the protection and realization of existing rights, such as the right to privacy and freedom of expression, in the context of digital technologies, especially the Internet. The laws of several countries recognize a right to Internet access.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA)</span>

The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA) was established in 1983 under the Lomé Convention between the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States and EU member states. Since 2000 CTA has operated within the framework of the ACP-EU Cotonou Agreement with a mission to “strengthen policy and institutional capacity development and information and communication management capacities of ACP agricultural and rural development organisations. It assists such organisations in formulating and implementing policies and programmes to reduce poverty, promote sustainable food security, preserve the natural resource base and thus contribute to building self-reliance in ACP rural and agricultural development.”. The centre is closed in 2020, after the end of the Cotonou Agreement and the subsequent end of its financing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorothy Okello</span> Ugandan technologist and electrical engineer

Dorothy Okello is a Ugandan electrical engineer, and professor known for founding the Women of Uganda Network or WOUGNET. In 2016, she became the first female president of the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers

BlueLink Information Network/BlueLink Civic Action Network was a virtual network of Bulgarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and activists, based in Sofia, Bulgaria. The network offered a variety of Internet-based content and tools for environment, human rights and democracy defenders, organisations, groups and organisations. Established in 1999, it was maintained by the BlueLink Foundation in Bulgaria, which implemented a broad variety of projects in pursuit of its public interest mission.


Take Back The Tech is a collaborative global campaign that connects the issue of violence against women and information and communications technology (ICT). It aims to raise awareness on the way violence against women is occurring on ICT platforms such as the Internet and mobile phones, and to call for people to use ICT in activism to end violence against women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African Gender Institute</span>

The African Gender Institute (AGI) is a feminist research and teaching group that studies issues related to gender in Africa. It has become a department at the University of Cape Town (UCT), administered within the School of African and Gender Studies, Social Anthropology and Linguistics. The AGI has its own staff and has a unique degree of independence from UCT.

The World Forum for Democracy is a gathering each November in Strasbourg, France to debate the complex challenges facing democracies today and foster democratic innovation. The Forum is hosted by the Council of Europe and brings together members of civil society, political leaders and representatives of business, academia, media and professional groups. Past editions have revolved around themes such as "Bridging the gap: democracy between old models and new realities", "Re-wiring Democracy: connecting institutions and citizens in the digital age" and "From participation to influence: can youth revitalise democracy?".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CSBAG</span>

The Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG) is a Ugandan nonprofit organization that was founded in 2004 to bring together Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) at national and district levels with the view of influencing government decisions on resource mobilization and utilization for equitable and sustainable development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uganda Women's Network</span> NGO body

The Uganda Women's Network (UWONET) is a Ugandan non-governmental organization (NGO) working to advance public policy regarding women's rights. It is an umbrella organisation of national women's NGOs and individuals operating in East Africa. The executive director is Rita H. Aciro-Lakor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human Rights Network Uganda</span>

The Human Rights Network - Uganda (HURINET) is a Ugandan non-governmental organization (NGO) whose mission is foster the promotion, protection and respect of human rights in Uganda through linking and strengthening the capacity of member organizations. HURINET works towards having a Ugandan society free of human rights abuse. It is an umbrella organization of 60 human rights organizations. Mohammad Ndifuna is the current executive director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anriette Esterhuysen</span> South African human rights defender and computer networking pioneer

Anriette Esterhuysen is a human rights defender and computer networking pioneer from South Africa. She has pioneered the use of Internet and Communications Technologies (ICTs) to promote social justice in South Africa and throughout the world, focusing on affordable Internet access. She was the executive director of the Association for Progressive Communications from 2000 until April 2017, when she became APC's Director of Policy and Strategy. In November 2019 United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Esterhuysen to chair the Internet Governance Forum’s Multistakeholder Advisory Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Radloff</span>

Jennifer Radloff is a South African feminist activist and a pioneer on Information and communications technology (ICT) for social justice. She works for the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) in the Women's Rights Programme and is a board member of Women's Net.

Valentina Hvale Pellizzer is a sexual rights human rights activist and feminist internet writer. She facilitated seminars, conferences and workshops on ICT, technology, digital storytelling, citizen journalism, digital security and privacy throughout the world. She is known for connecting women's rights, sexual rights, the internet politically and practically and as an advocate for a feminist internet in Bosnia and Herzegovina and wider. She is also known for having founded the alternative feminist portal zenskaposla.ba in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chat Garcia Ramilo</span> Womens rights activist

Chat Garcia Ramilo is a feminist activist. She has over twenty years experience in different activities with Information and communications technology (ICT). Since April 2017, she leads the Association for Progressive Communications (APC). She is the Board Chair of the Center for Migrant Advocacy in the Philippines and a Board Member of the Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Media independence</span> Absence of external control on a media institution

Media independence is the absence of external control and influence on an institution or individual working in the media. It is a measure of its capacity to "make decisions and act according to its logic," and distinguishes independent media from state media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christine Butegwa</span> Ugandan writer and activist

Christine Butegwa is a feminist, writer, entrepreneur, and gender and development activist based in Uganda. She is the author of the book titled, "The Mighty Angwech and More: Female Legends from Ugandan folklore". Christine is an interior designer and was the director of Rukundo Design Décor. In 2002, she co-produced a video, "A Tale of Ten Years: The Experience of Women and Gender Studies, Makerere University with Murerwa Rian". She is currently the founder and CEO of Jabali Consulting Ltd, a pan African gender and development consulting firm based in Kampala, Uganda.

The African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms (AfDec) has been created in order to promote an Internet environment that conforms to established human rights standards and meets Africa's social and economic development needs. The Declaration was agreed on at the 2013 African Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF) in Nairobi, Kenya and launched in 2014 at the global Internet Governance Forum in Istanbul, Turkey. It provides a normative framework on which basis recommendations for policy and legislative processes on internet rights, freedoms and governance in Africa are made. They can be applied at national, sub-regional and regional levels.

References

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