On 23 and 24 February 2009, consultations open to all stakeholders in the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) were held to take stock of the Hyderabad meeting in December 2008 and to prepare the IGF review process. IT for Change was one of the contributors to a statement of the Dynamic Coalition (DC) on Gender and Internet Governance of the IGF that was read out during these consultations.

The statement sought to impress upon participants the crucial significance of strengthening the policy role of the IGF and of integrating gender perspectives in all Internet governance-related work if the ideal of gender justice in the information society is to become a reality. The statement also stressed the importance of a rights-based approach to Internet governance to realise this goal. The statement was received well by various stakeholders during the open consultations, and it was suggested that the Gender DC build a database of gender experts who can be drawn on to help further these processes. To read the full statement, please click here.