Azerbaijan marks World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

On 17 May 2012 the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan held a solemn ceremony dedicated to the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD). Speaking at the opening ceremony of the event, the Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technologies of Azerbaijan Iltimas Mammadov stressed that the World Telecommunication Day had been observed since 1969.

‘This year WTISD is marked under the motto “Women and girls in ICT’ said the Deputy Minister. This motto was chosen in order to create such conditions in the world, in which women and girls can easily and freely use information and communication technologies. It is very important to turn propaganda activities in the right direction to prevent misuse of ICT.

Enlightenment activities are being implemented in Azerbaijan so that people would more efficiently use wide opportunities provided by ICT. Today, electronic services are being widely introduced in Azerbaijan.

The more our women and girls use these services the stronger they feel assured that their rights are protected. This year the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies made a decision to lay optic cable to all villages to provide them with high speed internet’.

The Deputy Chair of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs (SCFWCA) Sadagat Gahramanova also made a statement at the ceremony. ‘Today, the whole world is using communication technologies. There is an opportunity for all family women to connect to any corner of the world from their homes. But this opportunity must be given to them.

By using modern communication technologies the women, whose rights have been violated, will be able to apply to the relevant agency for help. At present, the committee is executing the project for creating the Women’s Recourse Center in Sabirabad region. Within this project, the committee will conduct activities on enlightenment of women. The issue of importance of ICT for women and girls must be included on the agenda. ICT services will be particularly beneficial for the women living in rural areas of the country’.

The statement was followed by presentations made on various topics. At the conclusion of the ceremony, 8 women, whose names were presented by SCFWCA to the Ministry of Communication and IT, and the winners of the Olympiad on Informatics among university students were awarded special prizes.