Gender Dimensions of e-Waste Management

Background

The session on the Gender Dimensions of e-Waste Management (25.05.2015 – 9:00 – 10:45) will raise awareness and showcase issues, solutions and benefits as well as concrete actions to empower women, as well as men, to be informed and acquire skills on proper disposal and management of electronic waste. It will also provide an overview of how international standards can help to ensure a proper e-waste management in countries.

Empowerment of women in developing countries is important both to improve the effectiveness of e-waste disposal and management, and to develop the skills.

Participants are WSIS stakeholders:

• Civil society
• ICT practitioners
• Governments
• NGOs
• IGOs

Objectives

• To provide space for hearing the voice of women and men impacted by the e-waste and raise awareness
• To specify challenges that citizens of developing countries face due to e-waste
• To propose some concrete actions and to jump start new mechanisms in the provision of e-waste management services.
• To showcase good practices, standards, policies to enhance the ability of women and men in dealing with electronic waste.
• Demonstrate that proper disposal of electronic waste it is more beneficial to the environment and the society

Expected Results

• Better understanding of needs for e-waste management
• Use of good practices standards and policies that could easily be implemented elsewhere in the world
• Highlight commitments to enable and empower women in decision making for proper disposal of e-waste.
• Strengthening women’s role as agents of e-waste management.
• Create awareness on the importance of education and capacity  building in e-waste management
• Emphasize on the importance to improving access and use of information for electronic waste.