The WomenAction 2000 network is a network of regional and sub-regional focal points who act as animators for the Beijing+5 Review Process. A series of training workshops have taken place during the last six months providing training and capacity building for network members:

Global

WomenAction 2000 Training and Strategic Planning Workshop, Seoul, Korea

Regional

Asia Pacific - Asian WENT 99
A workshop was undertaken in June at APWINC for 36 participants from the region. This group is now actively using a regional electronic list for Beijing+5 preparations and regional preparatory meetings, as well as ensuring on-site reporting from key preparatory events. Key documents are collected at the AWORC website.

Africa - http://flamme.org/about/report.html
A workshop undertaken in South Africa in September to bring together 15 representatives from the main African women's NGOs involved in the assessment of the Dakar and Beijing Platforms for Action and to train them in the technical skills needed to create and maintain a web site.

Europe - http://www.iiav.nl/european-womenaction2000
A workshop was undertaken in the UK for participants from East and West Europe.

Latin America and the Caribbean
A training and information strategy workshop is planned for Latin America and the Caribbean is planned for February 2000.

BEIJING+5 INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

The WomenAction Beijing+5 Information and Communication Strategy comprises the following activites:

Global and Regional 'online consultations'
Recommendations from the online consultations will be collected for submission to regional NGO and UN preparatory meetings and to the 44th Session of the CSW and PrepCom II for Special Session.
Media relations strategy
Radio relations strategy

Global and Regional Online Consultations

Global
WomenAction 2000 in partnership with WomenWatch is facilitating the global online consultation focusing women and media (Section J). This consultation runs November 8th 1999 to December 18th 1999. Invitation details are available here.

The newly formed Young Women's Caucus has set up a list entitled Young Women Forum. Initiated during the ECE in Geneva in January 2000, it is moderated by Franziska Brantner (Washington) and will be the forum through which young women will continue to discuss young women and the Beijing +5 process (see Daily News 4 {click through}). To subscribe, send a message to listserv@nic.surfnet.nl. In the message area, write: Subscribe YoungWomenForum Yourfirstname Yourlastname.

Regional
Regional networks are hosting or planning to host online consultations focusing on 'critical areas of concern' for the region. Information about new lists will be published here.

Africa
Flame/Flamme is hosting an online consultation on how women in Africa are using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) as communicative and information sharing mechanisms. (List active)

Asia Pacific
The following online discussions are currently being planned to commence early in 2000:
Women and ICT
Women and Health
Women and Armed Conflict

Europe and North America
Eastern and Central European women and women from CIS countries are invited to join the Karat Beijing+5 list. This is a facilitated list - to subscribe, send a message to Ildiko Biro IBIRO@TECH.ibs-b.hu. If you are not from the region, please mention why you have a particular interest in the list. Ildiko Biro will be facilitating discussion on a number of subjects over the next 6 weeks: the first is Prostitution and Trafficking.
karatbeijing+5 @listserver.kibernet.hu

Gender and Water listserv
hosted by IIAV to provide a discussion forum for women working on issues related to water, linking in with the Beijing Platform for Action and the World Water Vision process. To subscribe to the listserv Gender and Water, send an e-mail to listserv@nic.surfnet.nl. In the message area type: Subscribe water yourfirstname yourlastname.

Women and Employment in the European Union /Les femmes et l'emploi

Women and national machineries (Eastern Europe)

Women in European societies(list active)

US Lists - all hosted by US WomenConnect
Visit http://www.uswc.org/workinggroups.html for details of how to join.

End Violence Against Women examines successful strategies for ending violence against women.

Women and economic security examines women's economic inequality and the broader issues of economic policy.

Women and decision-making focuses on women's leadership in national and local centers of power.

Women and health and reproductive rights discusses all aspects of women's health from a life cycle approach, including reproductive health and reproductive rights of women.

Women and Girls Education and Training examines equal access at all levels of education and the removal of gender

Girls' Forum

Women and education and training

Media relations strategy

A media outreach working group was established during the Global Training Workshop in Seoul, 1999. This group is developing a strategy to ensure maximum outreach to mainstream and alternative media. The strategy will respond to several concerns and challenges noted by participants to the workshop:

• Inability of women's groups to generate interest and excitement in mainstream media about womenís issues
• Identify cases where women's groups have been successful in engaging mainstream media attention to womenís issues
• Highlight the fact that the Beijing+5 Review is not only about processes, but about issues
• Determine a strategy whereby regional media networks can benefit from sharing one another's copy, features, press lists and maximise on their dissemination
• Develop an automated press and news release system exploiting the possibilities of internet technologies
• Develop a strategy for bridging with other media (print, radio, video. community theatre etc)

Radio relations strategy

WomenAction is working with women's community and international radio initiatives to ensure that Beijing+5 information is distributed as widely as possible. Key activities include:

• identifying regional and sub-regional information distribution focal points
• developing mechanisms to provide content in radio-ready format

Section J: Women And Media Review

The WomenAction 2000 Network members all represent organisations that have actively lobbied for improving women's access to information and communication technologies, and who will take a lead role in monitoring progress on the implementation of Section J of the Beijing Platform for Action. The following activities will be undertaken:

Alternative Global Report on Section J
Best Practice Models in the Area of Women and Media

Alternative Global Report on Section J

A global alternative report will be compiled on Section J. This document will be the main lobbying document used by WomenAction for the CSW.

Information will be collected from the following sources

• Alternative Reports from NGOs (national/regional/global) about their experiences and government actions
• Reports from NGOs that relate to Section J Women and media (historical, etc...)
• Reports from NGOs that relate to information, media, etc., in other BPFA chapters
• Summaries, feedback, etc., from online discussions (regional and global)
• DAW survey summaries, action plans, etc.

The alternative report will be divided into two sections:

• Global Alternative Report on implementation of Section J
• Emerging Issues (e.g., internet rights, telecentres, alternative/appropriate technologies, regulatory framework of telecommunications sector, etc.)

If you are interested in contributing documents, or would like more information on this activity, write to info@womenaction.org

"Best Practice" Models in the area of Women and Media

Documentation of women's campaigns, advocacies, projects, organisations and other activities that led to the implementation of any of the recommendations and actions defined in Section J of the BPFA. These experiences will be highlighted as good practice which can serve as models for government bodies and non-government actors for developing future actions that will further empower women in the filed of media and communications.

Five categories have been identified to date:

• media watch groups
  Examples of media watch groups in various coutnries that have made inroads in monitoring of women's portrayal in media and contributed to changing sterotypical and violent images of women through advocacy campaigns, gender sensitivity training of media practioners and other activities.
• codes and standards
  Looking at current codes and standards in operation or of campaigns to develop these instruments towards laying down international values and principles that will guide representation of women in media.
• women's use of ICT's
  Models of women's use of information and communication technologies that address barriers to widespread access and participation.
• outreach to media (Mainstream and alternative)
  This will include examples of how women's organizations have successfully worked with mainstream media in addressing women's issues and concerns as well as developed alternative media strategies such as the production of radio programs.
• advocacy
  Examples of effective lobbying strategies that target the media industry, media government mechanisms and media practioners.