Women are the bedrock of our societies. They are the pillars of strength in every family and community. Yet
. Women and girls are denied access to basic health care and education and to equal opportunities at work. They face segregation in economic, political and social decision-making and often suffer violence and discrimination.
This situation is unacceptable and must be addressed with all the means available to us.
Gender equality is a basic human right enshrined in the UN Charter, and it is one of the main objectives of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). ICTs are tools that can help accelerate progress towards achieving this target, and it is for this reason that ITU Council proposed that we focus our efforts this year on women and girls, using the power of ICTs to provide new digital opportunities to end discrimination and empower the female half of the world's population to achieve their rightful place as equals in the world. And this effort with ICTs must begin not only from the cradle, but from antenatal health care, reaching out to the remotest communities - with every mother, every girl and every woman guaranteed her birthright.
The theme of this year's WTISD, "Women and Girls in ICT", aims to ensure that this vulnerable female half of the world's population will march forward as equals.
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