She Will Innovate Women in Technology Challenge

Information for Women in ICT "She Will Innovate" competition: $10K+ of funding

Intel Corporation and Changemakers have recently launched a challenge: She Will Innovate: Technology Solutions Enriching the Lives of Girls. The challenge intends to highlight and celebrate information and communication technology solutions that improve the lives of girls and women. According to the release from Intel, the challenge is interested in "programs that break down barriers to ICT access, ideas that accelerate digital literacy, and projects that use ICT to empower women to lead better lives".

Digital technologies provide tools that empower women. They enable women to break through the barriers that prevent them from improving their health, education, and well-being.

Prizes
Three prizes of $10,000 each are available to the entries that best demonstrate innovation, impact, and sustainability. Entries submitted before July 18, 2012 are also eligible for an Early Entry Prize of $500. The final deadline for entries is August 15, 2012 at 5 PM EST.


When girls and women succeed, everybody succeeds.
Communities that fail to progress are those  that promote the interests of women and see them as a source of growth. Many countries in the developing world are unable to keep up because women are being left behind. And as this blog stresses technology can be used to advance and empower women. The potential of Information and communication technologies is massive to contribute to economic growth and development, and to improve the lives of people—girls and women in particular—given the complex challenges they face that prevent them from reaching their true potential.

The challenge is a global search for the best emerging ideas that have utilized technology to realize the potential for women to be changemakers; that break down barriers to access, accelerate digital literacy, and promote economic resilience. It's about celebrating innovation for the benefit of girls and women.

Innovations could be for web based education or mobile phone services that empower women and promote innovation for woemn. If you're a tech innovator or a catalyst for change, the challenge wants to hear from you!

Submit your solution (or nominate an initiative) today! Click here for More: She Will Innovate

Call for Articles for ICT Update issue on Women and ICTs

Call for articles for ICT Update issue on women and ICTs in Agricultural or Rural Development

The ICT Update publication has announced a call for articles on Women and ICTs working on agricultural or rural development projects. The content is expected to emphasize the role and position of women in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, where ICTs (mobile phones, computers, GIS, email, internet, radio, TV, etc).

How are ICTs being employed in these areas to create jobs and improve productivity in agriculture or the rural communities. ICT Update is a bimonthly printed bulletin, web magazine, and accompanying e-mail newsletter focuses on the use of information and communication technologies in agriculture in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. It is published in English and French, by CTA (Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation) in Wageningen in the Netherlands. 

Specifically, the publication is looking for projects that focus on empowerment, female rural entrepreneurship, capacity building, etc. Are you involved in projects of this nature? If you are, send in brief details on the technology you use, how young people are involved, and the contributions to rural development in ACP countries. ICT Update will respond with an article outline and list of questions to cover in the article, or organise a time for a telephone interview. 

In addition, the publication is interested in receiving interesting information on ICTs for women in rural areas, such as background information, recently published reports, papers or other documents, etc.

The announcements states that, "We want to distinguish new trends, want to know if women have more access to ICTs compared with some years ago and in relation to men, with what kind of ICTS they mostly work, and how ICTs can improve the empowerment, job possibilities, female entrepreneurship etc. of women in rural areas in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries". 

MAKE CONTACT
Make contact and also for more information, send an email to:
Evert-jan Quak: evert-jan@contactivity.com
Chris Addison: addison@cta.int