Objectives addressed at AfIGF 2013 included the usual blend of increasing awareness on Internet Governance for African users, increasing representation of all parts of the continent, and forming recommendations on reducing the internet access gap.

In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, there are only half the number of women connected to the internet as men. Promoting women’s access to ICTs is an important part of development agenda as ICTs provide myriad opportunities for advancing women’s empowerment and inclusion.

Senegal hosted a Forum National sur la Gouvernance de l’Internet on September 19, 2013. The event, with three key panels, was organized by ISOC Senegal under the theme of economic development.

A dozen or so ideas and facts shared at the September 2013 Uganda Internet Governance Forum describe the state of ICT service delivery in the East African country.

Most African nations have partly free online access. The decision may be less about censorship and more about manipulation of information. All African governments need to better address what exactly constitutes online freedom of speech.

For the first time ever, Google brought its Big Tent to Africa. On September 5th, the event made its debut in Johannesburg, South Africa, gathering together leaders from politics, business, and technology to exchange ideas and debate South Africa’s digital future.