Women’s On-line Week offers the opportunity
for Women to contribute their perspectives and improve communication with
others through new technology. The rapid advances in technology provide
opportunities, particularly for Australians living in regional, rural and
remote Australia.
This week I am hosting the Regional Australia
Summit in Canberra. The Summit will draw together business and community
representatives from across the nation to focus on solutions to the challenges
faced by regional Australia.
At the Summit we welcome the opportunity
for people through information technology, to contribute their ideas and
solutions. We have established a Solutions Line which incorporates an e-mail
mechanism as well as a toll free phone and fax so that Australians everywhere
will have the chance to participate. Full details of the Summit are available
On-line at: http://www.dotrs.gov.au/regional/summit/index.htm
The Federal Government has embraced the
importance of this new technology and is working to help more Australians
improve their access to the benefits and opportunities that advances in
information technology will bring.
I believe that women can make a significant
contribution to managing the trauma of change. Women are rapidly increasing
their participation in the Australian labour market and in higher education.
It is becoming an increasing trend, particularly in regional Australia,
for women to become the information seekers for their families and businesses.
Women’s On-line Week is an innovative strategy to improving information
access for all Australians.
To support Women’s On-line Week, members
of the Regional Women’s Advisory Council will be posting updates on the
Regional Australia Summit to the discussion sites.
The Advisory Council, which will play an important role in strengthening
the voice of women in the decision making process, has membership from
each state and the Northern Territory.
I encourage you to participate in the On-line
discussions as part of Women’s On-line Week and support the partnership
approach of the organisers to encourage women’s use of new technology.
John Anderson
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister for Transport and Regional Services
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