“WSIS is not the only thing we are doing,” said Gloria Bonder representing UNESCO and WSIS Women’s Caucus at the meeting devoted to the future of the WSIS process. “We are working at the national and regional levels for the benefit of an average woman and I am not going to think for the next two years just about Tunis,” she continued.

The conclusion of the discussion of the panel “On the Road to Tunis” as expressed by Concita Poncini (CONGO - CSW), that “almost all the issues that we work on everyday like poverty eradication, human rights, education, health, nutrition can be related to the information society,” mirrors that statement. “All our work for gender equality cumulates and the work for better access of women to the ICTs is just one more aspect of our efforts to oppose the discrimination of women. Women are one of the most disadvantaged groups, with less computer literacy, and fewer capabilities to make use of ICTs because they are discriminated against since the time they are children,” said Ms Poncini. “We live in a male paradigm and this is actually the problem.”

The panel concluded that there is not one road to Tunis but several roads,local and regional and there are many signs on these roads which tell us to stop and reflect. There are also bridges that connect gender perspectives and the global agenda of the WSIS. The work that has to be done before Tunis should go along these roads to expose the connection between the root causes of the gender digital divide. This work has to address the socio-cultural situation of women that puts them in a disadvantaged position as far as the information society is concerned. In some cultures women are not allowed to travel, in some countries women have no control over their finances, women constitute the majority of the world’s poor and these are the problems that need the urgent attention.

The road to Tunis should be paved in opposing all these obstacles. As one of the major principles of the WSIS Gender Caucus states: "Gender Equality must be a fundamental principle for action".