E/2003/27 E/CN.6/2003/12 session of the preparatory committee of the Summit (17 and 18 February 2003) paid some attention to gender perspectives and the priorities and needs of women, participants were very concerned about the absence of relevant actions from the draft plan of action. It would therefore be especially important for participants in the Commission, particularly for representatives from national machineries for the advancement of women, to work with their national delegations to the Summit to strengthen attention to gender perspectives in the process and in the outcome documents. The Commission’s agreed conclusions, as well as relevant reports before the Commission, would be important instruments in ensuring the success of those efforts. Steps were also needed to increase the number of women, as well as of gender experts, in governmental, business and civil society delegations in all activities related to the Summit and its preparations. 5. Women’s portrayal in the media remained an urgent challenge that had to be addressed across all regions and all types of media. It was noted that an increase in the number of women in media professions had not necessarily led to a less sexist or stereotyped portrayal of women in the media. New strategies were needed to increase awareness among all media professionals to change the images of women conveyed by the media, as well as to improve media content. This was especially necessary as sexist images and rhetoric had resurfaced in new media and in ICT. An increasing sexualization and normalization of pornography was now pervasive in all media, and the Internet was increasingly used to spread pornography and for trafficking of women and girls. Participants called for policies and adequate regulatory frameworks to address gender-based discrimination and, in particular, sexism in all media, as had already been proposed in the Beijing Platform for Action. At the same time, it was recognized that in any legislative and regulatory approach, a balance had to be found between women’s rights and freedom of expression of the media and in ICT. Approaches used in other areas, such as the regulation of hate speech and licensing procedures, were mentioned as examples that could give guidance in this regard. The lack of or insufficient attention to gender perspectives in media and communication policies also had to be addressed. 6. While the preparatory process for the World Summit on the Information Society and other global and United Nations activities on ICT had highlighted the digital divide between and within countries and between rich and poor, urban and rural dwellers, young and old, and divides based on class, caste or ethnicity, little attention had so far been paid to the gender-based barriers and divides women encountered in access to and use of information and communication technologies. While most of the world’s people remained without access to ICT, existing gender inequalities had made it even more difficult for women to gain such access. Participants identified the gender dimensions of a number of barriers, including those relating to the lack or inadequacy of infrastructure, costs, poverty and resources, literacy and educational levels and language. 7. In addition to access, participants emphasized the need to clarify women’s information needs and to address questions of content available through the media and new technologies. Participants noted that information and communication technologies were tools that had to be integrated into women’s lives rather than being pursued for their own sake. They should be adapted to women’s needs and made part of all programmes, for example those aimed at enhancing women’s education or health. Much of the information presently available through ICT was in English, and thus of limited relevance and use to the majority of women. This made 48