1. 1. increase the participation and access of women to expression and decision-making and,
2. 2. promote a balanced and non-stereotyped portrayal of women in the media.

The number of women entering media is increasing and some of them are even holding senior positions in media organizations. Women media practitioners are now visible particularly in radio and television as presenters, announcers, journalists, reporters and newscasters. Some of these women's groups are even considered as government partners in media monitoring as in the case of Cambodia where its Ministry of Information and the Women's Media Centre, an NGO, have launched a campaign against pornography. In India, the Bombay-based women and media group has initiated action against trivializing women's image in the media. The new ICT ( information superhighway) are also serving as media distribution channels by providing women with opportunities to share information and resources and link and network with each other faster. Science and Technology enabled women to be represented in the technical aspects of the information and communication sector. Worldwide, women are putting IT to work for women's rights and empowerment, communicating among dispersed networks, mobilizing action in times of crisis, participating in policy debates and voicing new perspectives. Information and communications are playing a vital role in the women's empowerment movement.

Moreover, information technologies are also being massively used in the political empowerment of young women. The internet is offering opportunities to empower women in politics. The electronic mail offers a kinder, less intimidating environment for less aggressive women to network not only with each other , but with politically engaged others at the grassroots. Cyberspace offers a way to reduce the isolation feminists often experience and provides a place to exchange ideas from many points of view, across boundaries of gender, race, and culture. The internet serves a way for women to contact government officials, to develop a more efficient substitute for the organizer's telephone tree, and to form political coalitions across the country and the world. Women are thus able to compete equally with their male counterparts in political and analytical debates. Women, in the past, were associated with the private sphere-sexuality, natality and the human body but with today's advancing technology women have the possibility of escaping these barriers and penetrating the public sphere via the web. The internet is providing the nearest approximation our society can offer to a mass meeting of feminists.

Science and Technology has brought economic growth and well-being to people. Empowerment of women in the economic and social fields constitute a fundamental step towards the eradication of poverty and development of women of almost all countries of the world. The integration of trade, investment and financial ties with the world economy has altered the economic and social roles of women as business owners, entrepreneurs, managers, workers and family support providers. The continuing growth of the service sector and the declining importance of physical capital in the production process are also bringing new opportunities for women to improve their economic and social status. The activities of women's organizations and networks have contributed significantly in raising consciousness about the need for the economic and social empowerment of women. Since the beginning of this decade, much has been achieved in empowering women in the economic and social fields. An increasing volume of development to financial resources has been devoted to achieving that objective. Consequently, many countries of the world have been able to report increased female literacy and enrolment rates, improved gender equality in education, reduced infant and child mortality rates, declining maternal mortality rates and expanding access to reproductive health services. The participation of women in formal economic activities has also registered a noticeable improvement. This is reflected in the growing labour-force participation rates across all the countries for the period 1980 till now. Female labour-force participation rates have tended to increase more than those for men suggesting that women's economic participation has been a critical feature of the world's quest for the economic empowerment of women. Promotion of access to productive resources and social support systems constitute one of the fundamental building blocks to empower women. Access to productive resources such as credit, technology, infrastructure, marketing links and networking facilities have significantly enlarged opportunities for women to engage in formal economic activities and improve their status. In that regard, promoting access to new and emerging technologies, including information and communication technology has become a powerful tool for women's empowerment . As such, the electronic communication has increased women's productivity, given them more balanced information than the regular news media, enriched their understanding of global issues and enabled them to meet people with similar interests and hare information.

Significant progress has also been achieved in alleviating the worst forms of poverty in many countries through sustained economic growth supported by active and well-targeted public policy. Micro-credit programmes and schemes have become highly significant in empowering women in poverty through mobilization of asset-less women to engage in self-employment and income generating activities. Micro credit schemes have, in many instances, demonstrated that the poor women are bankable and a valuable source for savings mobilization. Apart from the economic impacts, access to micro credit has had far-reaching social consequences for women in poverty.

Marketing to women is another fundamental step towards the empowerment of women. Women account for up to 80% of all consumer spending. That's billions of dollars spent every year with purchasing decision made solely by women. Marketing to women represents a competitive advantage for any organization regardless of size . Women have a different management style than do men. They are less hierarchical, more deliberate in their decisions and are more collaborative than men. Women also tend to view their business holistically , and not only see where it's heading but are patient about how to get it there.

A quick survey of the history of Engineering and Technology might lead one to believe that Technology is the dominion of men. After all, there are few women technologists or scientists whose name resonate like those men such as Faraday or Edison. This is largely because, historically, women have had limited access to education, especially in fields such as sciences and engineering. Like other marginalized groups, however, women have found ways of making their presence in these fields. In their roles as workers, consumers, housewives, and later as scientists and engineers, women have been empowered to help shape the direction technology has moved in. Women have been empowered through education and since then they have been winning Nobel prizes in all categories like Marie Sklodowska Curie. It is recognized that when we educate a women , we educate a multitude , when we educate a man we educate one individual. Because of the traditional gender division of labour in all societies, where the male head of the family is expected to provide the economic means for the family and the women are left at home to give birth to children and care for the daily needs of the family, women then become the main channel communication with the baby from the moment of its birth. Therefore, their impact and influence can be decisive in fostering new attitudes in their sons and daughters, attitudes of living in peace and harmony with diverse racial and religious, fostering mutual respect in gender equity. Women's role as communicators is also enhanced by virtue of the fact that most of the teachers around the world are women. Through science and technology women have been empowered, together with their male partners, to constitute a mighty force to combat hunger, poverty, disease and environmental degradation. The inclusion of women in development is therefore indispensable. Arguably, for prosperity to flourish we need peace and security. Women are harbingers of peace if allowed and empowered to participate in peace negotiating, peace building, peace-keeping and conflict prevention activities, in other words, building and promoting a culture of peace.

Empowerment of women is not the concern of one nation only. There are many players and stakeholders in the aim to reach this millennium goal. Women's empowerment programs are working to empower women through innovative scientific program integrating action oriented literacy, sound micro-finance and micro-enterprise training as well as an understanding of legal rights and advocacy. Women of all countries around the world are being empowered for their livelihoods or well being so that they can organize and be responsible for themselves. Women are being taught skills, through science and technology, they need to improve their lives. Apart from the efforts of United Nations family of organizations, multilateral organizations and civil society, the positive role of women also depends on the supportive attitudes of their local family unit, the local community in each village and town. We just hope that women be empowered at 100% and be equal to men so that both of them may work side by side for a better world of today.

as compared to Boys

with School Certificate ( % Pass )

and Higher School Certificate ( % Pass )

and Higher School Certificate ( % Pass )

representing a net domination of females in the education arena, yet there are fewer women in the ICT and Technology sector than men. Girl's enrolment in scientific and technological subjects are far below their male counterparts in numbers. Why? This does not meet the aspirations of a developing country like Mauritius. Why are women under-represented in ICT and Technology despite their obvious abilities and success at exams. This undoubtedly lead us to think of girls under-representation in Technical and Science Education. Mauritius has nearly 1.2 million inhabitants with a female population representing more than 50%. Nonetheless, anyone who has followed the research in Education and Schooling in Mauritius can not help but be swayed towards believing that there is something to be examined here.

Though girls are better achievers than boys in secondary schools, fewer girls do Science and Technical subjects compared to Languages, Management, Accounting, Economics or Humanities. This can leave an effect in future on the number of women Scientists and Technologists representing our human workforce supposed to move the country's progress the next phase of industrialization.

Science related subjects including Agricultural Science, Design and Technology, Electronics, Dress and Textiles, Food and Textiles, Food and Nutrition and Computer Studies have experienced a relatively slow evolution because of the inherent academic bias in the education system. Students options for Technology related subjects has remained comparatively low. Why? In Mauritius, girls do not go for Design & Technology ( D & T ) and boys barely enter for Food Studies. Why? Even at teacher training level, male teachers enroll for Design & Technology whereas few male teachers opt for Food Studies, Dress and Textiles. There is inadequate Technology Education for secondary girls in Mauritius as this seem to be a male domain. A recent visit made by myself in some UK schools proved the contrary. Most UK secondary schools do offer Technology courses ( D & T ) to both boys and girls but in Mauritius, D & T is offered to boys only. Why this gender inequality?

Literature in this field identify this gender divide as an outcome of several factors such as family socialization of male and female children, family values, parental expectation for their children, parental attitudes towards technological careers, discouragement attitudes from peers, siblings, teachers, counselors and parents.

The past two decades have demonstrated the growing strength of the global women's movement in advocating issues of women's equality and empowerment. If Mauritius is to move further to achieve its millennium goal, attitudinal changes towards science and technology are required from teachers, parents, students and stakeholders in the education sector. A change in the present situation is needed in order to reduce the reliance on the male half of the population to provide the required pool of scientists and technologists to vehicle the demands of the development of the country.

Gender gap and bias in Technology is not a new issue. This has its origins in numerous places of the globe. Equal accessibility for girls can only come when Parents, Teachers, Policy Makers and School Administrators will work together for equal accessibility. Technology is part of our culture and, of course , not male dominated. The Technological revolution cannot leave girls and women behind. Women have all rights to become technocrats of tomorrow to vehicle the governments' decisions to success. Mauritian Industry requires people with a better understanding of Technology leading a labour force with more adaptable skills and the flexibility to deal with on-going rapid Technological change. Women make up more than half the nation's work force , yet they account for only 22% of employed Scientists and Engineers. Despite their being more successful at exams their contribution in Technological advancement is low. " Women need to be involved in decision making regarding the development of the new Technologies in order to participate fully in their growth and impact."
( Fourth World Conference on Women. )

( By DOOKEE Gyaneshwar )