openDemocracy.net is an independent, London-based website committed to promoting human rights and democracy through dialogue and debate. We believe there will not be a fairer or more peaceful world without gender equality. Women’s exclusion from the global debate affects both the assumption behind the policy making and the way the dialogue is conducted.
A global debate without the female half of humanity is neither global nor democratic. With this in mind, openDemocracy is launching 50.50: a series of editorial projects designed to make openDemocracy a current affairs forum which is written, read and used equally by women and men.
This builds on previous debates led by Rosemary Bechler and Sarah Lindon on Resolution 1325 and the 16 days activism against gender violence. Patricia Daniel’s blog on the World Social Forum in Nairobi had a focus on women in Africa, and our recent UN Comission on the Status of Women blog (co-written by openDemocracy’s Solana Larsen and Jane Gabriel) reported the facts and “behind the scene” stories from the UN conference in New York. Our ongoing project “Women talk to G8 blog” seeks to give NGO workers, academics, activists and bloggers a voice to adress the issues they would like the G8 to take on.
Following on from this openDemocracy is running the Women’s openSummit made up of a panel of real experts – African and international women from government ministers to grass roots activists to discuss what they would want from the G8 meeting in Germany.
A synthesis of the panel’s recommendations for action will be published by openDemocracy during the June 2007 G8 meeting. We hope that this will be the first of an annual Women’s open Summit convened and published by openDemocracy.
For more information about 50.50 please contact Jane Gabriel at jane dot gabriel at opendemocracy.net.
