Caption: Ms. Franziska Seiffarth, Coordinator for Meaningful Connectivity at the EU-LAC Digital Alliance and Mr. Rodney Taylor, Secretary-General of the CTU, display the signed MoU to Advance Gender-Inclusive Digital Transformation in the Caribbean. Looking on are members of the CTU Network of Women.
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago — 20th June 2025 – The Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), through its Network of Women (CTU-NoW), and the EU-LAC Network of Women Leaders in Digital Policy (EU-LAC NoW) officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 16th June during the opening ceremony of the 2nd School of Digital Transformation and Innovation in the Caribbean (SoDTIC), being held from 16th to 20th June 2025 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
This landmark agreement formalises a shared commitment to strengthen gender-responsive digital policymaking and capacity development across the Caribbean and Latin America. The MoU establishes a framework for cooperation between CTU-NoW and EU-LAC NoW, focusing on inclusive digital transformation, meaningful connectivity and the integration of gender perspectives into national and regional digital strategies.
The MoU was signed by Mr. Rodney Taylor, Secretary-General of the CTU, and Ms. Franziska Seiffarth, Coordinator for Meaningful Connectivity at the EU-LAC Digital Alliance, in the presence of distinguished representatives from regional and international organisations, academic institutions, and the technical community.
Speaking at the signing, Secretary-General Taylor emphasised the strategic importance of the partnership:
“This agreement reflects our mutual commitment to empowering women as leaders and changemakers in the digital space. Through this collaboration, we aim to amplify women’s voices in digital policy discussions and ensure inclusive participation in the region’s digital future.”
Under the terms of the MoU, the CTU-NoW and EU-LAC NoW will collaborate on initiatives that include:
- Joint advocacy for gender-inclusive digital policies
- Leadership and mentorship programmes
- Technical inputs to regional and global digital policy dialogues
- Research and knowledge-sharing on digital equity and governance
- Support for the digital skills development of women and girls
The partnership aligns with the EU-LAC Digital Alliance and the eLAC 2026 Digital Agenda, notably its objectives on meaningful connectivity, digital governance, digital skills, and gender mainstreaming.
The signing of the MoU marks a milestone in regional cooperation for inclusive digital development and sets the stage for deeper engagement throughout the five-day SoDTIC programme, which features thematic discussions on artificial intelligence, infrastructure resilience, cybersecurity and regional digital policy frameworks.
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