Women Policymakers Convene to Advance Broadband Policy Framework

Local and State Policymakers Agree National Broadband Plan and Policy Must Benefit Women

WASHINGTON, March 9, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- During this difficult economic time it is critical to connect communities with technology tools necessary to advance. To that end, the National Foundation for Women Legislators (NFWL) and the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women (NOBEL/Women) have released a new report, Winning the Future: A Policy Framework for Empowering Women with Broadband. These women policymakers agree a collaborative approach leveraging the unique resources of local, state, and federal policymakers, private companies, and nonprofits is necessary to realize the goals of the National Broadband Plan, as well as craft policies that present solutions to the greatest challenges faced by our nation.

Additionally, the report makes recommendations to policymakers that would ensure women are able to maximize the benefits of broadband. Key policy recommendations include:

• Modernizing policies to encourage more telework in the public sector and creating incentives for private sector companies to enhance the range of remote working options;
• Facilitating adjustments to public and private healthcare reimbursement provisions in order to create incentives for doctors and hospitals to adopt more efficient telemedicine tools;
• Creating funding mechanisms to "help train teachers in digital literacy and programs targeting STEM;"
• Discouraging excessive and discriminatory taxes on wireless services and products;
• Supporting a national framework for taxing digital goods and services, as proposed by the FCC.

"Among the many benefits and services enabled by broadband, perhaps none are as valuable to women as those that directly impact family life and engagement within their communities," said Alma Morales Riojas of MANA, A National Latina Organization. "If they can harness the full power of the broadband platform, then perhaps women, especially those living in predominantly minority and low-income communities, can become ambassadors for this technology, urging others in their families and neighborhoods to adopt and learn how to use broadband to improve their lives."

The paper, Winning the Future: A Policy Framework for Empowering Women with Broadband, can be viewed on www.broadbandmatters.org.

The National Foundation for Women Legislators (NFWL) is a non-partisan 501c-3, educational foundation. The mission is to provide strategic resources to women leaders for leadership development and effective governance through conferences, seminars, education materials, professional and personal relationships, and networking at both the state and federal levels. For more information, visit www.womenlegislators.org.

The National Organization of Black Elected Legislative/Women (NOBEL/Women) is a non-profit; non-partisan organization primarily composed of current and former Black women legislators as well as many appointed officials.  Originally established in 1985 as a national organization to increase and promote the presence of Black women in government, NOBEL/Women in recent years has expanded its vision to serve as a global voice to address a myriad of issues affecting the lives of all women. For more information, visit http://www.nobelwomen.org/aboutus.html.

SOURCE National Foundation for Women Legislators; National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women