International conference on women and access to information

General

Access to information, entrenched in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is critical to exercising basic civil, political, social, and economic rights. It is also instrumental to improving governance, transparency, and accountability. A genuine right of access to information is particularly important for women, as it allows women to make effective decisions regarding education, land ownership, crop production, and the promotion and protection of other rights. It enables women to participate in public life, have a meaningful voice, and hold governments and service providers accountable. Access to information is an important tool that can bridge gender gaps, encourage gender-responsive changes to law and policy, facilitate women’s access to justice, and support improved service delivery. Yet, in many countries, women are limited in their full enjoyment of the right of access to information and the myriad benefits, including the economic empowerment and meaningful public participation that it can provide. There is little discussion of the specific information needs of women, the unique obstacles women face, or the means for reaching women with meaningful information. There is little scholarship on the issue and a limited understanding of how enabling women’s meaningful exercise of the right to information can advance the goal of gender equality and build effective and accountable institutions that work for all individuals at all levels. This project will support an international conference convened by The Carter Centre, a US-based non-governmental organization founded to advance human rights and alleviate human suffering. This conference’s aim is to undertake a critical examination of the realities facing women in the right of access to information. The conference will develop a broader community of practice to highlight the obstacles facing women in exercising this right, raise awareness regarding the need to advance this right, build a strong network of advocates, and devise actionable strategies and recommendations to address the challenges.