Press Invitation Women from across the world Together for dialogue on Gender and Innovation

Three-day workshop from January 12-14 at India International Centre, Delhi

New Delhi, January 7 2010.

It is known that women play a major role in the innovation process in developing countries but we do not know the extent of this role or the impact of innovation on their lives. Gender is an important dimension in the science and technology policy environment but there are visible knowledge gaps pertaining to the influence and impact of gender in innovation systems and processes. The wealth of a country or region is essentially linked to its innovative capacity, but the visibility of women’s work in the development process is very low, their work remaining largely unseen and unrecognised. This knowledge gap has led to women's issues being generally ignored in policy making and planning.

If we need to understand how gender and innovation feature as a strategic resource for economic growth and productivity, we need to provide women with an enabling environment to be equal partners in national innovation systems. Recognising this gap Development Alternatives (DA) in collaboration with Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is organising a workshop with representatives from eight developing countries - Afghanistan, Bolivia, India (DA), Pakistan, Palestine, Uganda, Vietnam and Zambia and leading practitioners on gender issues in India.

The focus of the workshop is on understanding the role of women in innovation processes related to development and on how to pursue research activities effectively with organisations from developing nations. It is an opportunity to learn from various agencies on issues related to innovation and development concerns from the gender perspective.

We invite the participation of media to support the initiative and contribute to a global debate in order to shape a broad framework for promoting gender and innovation that will lead to policies that have national relevance,

Date: January 12-14 2010
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12.30 PM
Venue: India International Centre, 40-Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi – 10003

Development Alternatives (DA) is a leading civil society organisation in India as well as one of the world's first social enterprises. It innovates and delivers eco-solutions that reduce poverty and regenerate the environment. DA works on spearheading and influencing major policy changes that promote sustainable development and empowerment of the marginalised. (www.devalt.org)

Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is one of the world’s leading institutions in the generation and application of new knowledge to meet the challenges of international development. For 40 years, IDRC has worked in close collaboration with researchers from the developing world in their search for the means to build healthier, more equitable, and more prosperous societies’.

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For further information, please contact:
Ms. Soma Biswas, Manager Communications, Development Alternatives
B-32, TARA Crescent, Qutub industrial area, New Delhi
Tel: +91-11-26134103, 26890380 Fax: +91-11-26130817; [email protected]; [email protected]
Ms. Prabha Sethuraman, Communications Officer, Regional Office for South Asia and China, International Development Research Centre, 208, Jor Bagh, New Delhi-110003, India
Tel: +91-11-24619411/12/13,Web:www.idrc.ca; [email protected]

Published: 13 Jan 2010

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