Invitation: mWomen@State event Oct. 7

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The Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues and the GSMA
Join Tech@State for a Special Event:
mWomen@State
October 7, 2010
1:30pm - 4:30pm EST
Loy Henderson Auditorium, U.S. Department of State


Why is a woman 21% less likely to own a mobile phone than a man in the developing world?
What benefits do mobile phones bring to women, particularly in developing regions?
What can be done to close the gender digital divide?

Following an announcement by Secretary Clinton as part of the State Department's commitment to close the gender gap and increase opportunities for women, join the Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues and the GSMA for a Tech@State event on extending telecommunications technologies to women worldwide. This is an open invitation; please share with those who would benefit from the collaboration!
RSVP Join the discussion, submit questions, and follow the event live at http://tech.state.gov/group/mwomen
Get updates on Twitter from @techATstate and @S_GWI

1:15pm Arrive at State Department's C street entrance: 2201 C St NW, Washington D.C.

1:15-2:00 Tech Alley and light refreshments in the Diplomatic Reception Room

2:00 pm Welcome & Opening Remarks by: Robert Hormats, Under Secretary for Economic, Energy, and Agricultural Affairs, Department of State
Chris Locke, Managing Director, GSM Association (GSMA) Development Fund

2:15 pm Session I: Mobile Technologies as an Effective Tool for Women's Empowerment and
Global Development

* Moderator: Maura O'Neill, Senior Counselor for Innovation to the Administrator, USAID * Yvette Alberdingk-Thijm, Executive Director, Witness
* David Aylward Executive Director of mHealth Alliance, UN Foundation
* Rajiv Bawa, Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Uninor
* Ellen Blackler, Executive Director of Regulatory Planning and Policy, AT&T
* Trina DasGupta, mWomen Program Director, GSMA Development Fund

3:15 pm Break

3:45 pm Session II: Closing the Gender Divide through Innovation: Policies, Programs, Costs, and Cultural Norms

* Moderator: Sonal Shah, Director, Office of Innovation, White House
* Suren Amarasekera, CEO, Mobitel * Lee Epting, Director of Branded Content, Vodafone Group
* Nancy Lee, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Treasury Department
* Ambassador Vonya McCann, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, Sprint Nextel Corporation

4:45 pm Closing Remarks by Melanne Verveer, Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues

Program ends and guests leave