Kampala — The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has selected Makerere University as the site for the first women-oriented facility in its Internet Training Centres Initiatives for Developing Countries programme.

ITU, a UN agency, said Wednesday the project would increase women's participation in technology initiatives in poor countries.

The American technology firm Cisco Systems is a project partner.

Makerere's Department of Women and Gender Studies will open a computer laboratory with aid from the Norwegian Agency for Development Co-operation.

The department is also expected to team up with the Institute of Computer Science and other training institutions to promote greater female participation in the ITU's Internet training initiative.

Patrick Masambu, executive director of Uganda's Communications Commission, said equipping women with IT skills will allow them to contribute to the integration of gender balance in decision-making and policy formulation in Africa.

Makerere University is one of 15 technical institutions in Africa that host ITU training centres.

Kenya and Zimbabwe are expected to open centres early next year. ITU said it plans to have 50 centres world-wide by the end of 2003.