Section 3 | RULES OF THE GAME the ADB assessment found that several interviewees in Kachin State reported that women’s opportunities for active participation in decision-making there are highest in NGOs and civil society, lowest in government, and somewhere in between for political parties, churchled social organizations, and informal institutions such as community forestry groups and village-level implementation committees established by CSOs or INGOs.242 Key informant observations indicate that this seems to hold true for ICT-focused CSOs and INGOs also. CSOs provide an important public space for women to exercise leadership and advocate for social change. At the same time, even tech-savvy CSOs face technical constraints to serving members and accessing and sharing information due to the expense and limited availability of highspeed internet, as well as censorship risks. One INGO reported having to bring its own wi-fi and other technical equipment to all workshops held outside large cities, and even in the capital it experienced ongoing connectivity problems within its head office. Another key informant noted that some women’s CSOs and individual activists are subject to gender-based online harassment in opposition to their specific causes as well as their vocal and public leadership in general. In Myanmar today, the civic tech community is growing, with positive examples such as the locally designed Open Hluttaw app. There are several strong and capable tech-focused CSOs working to close digital divides and a few, such as Geek Girls, that focus specifically on gender-related barriers. Several focus on legal and regulatory issues, such as the Myanmar ICT Development Organization (MIDO), and have been actively pursuing dialogue and participation in government reform processes. During development of the USF strategy, the World Bank has followed best practices to ensure opportunities for CSO input. There is also keen interest in building momentum to close the legal and regulatory gaps identified in section 2.4 above, such as the lack of data privacy and protection policies. As recently as December 2016, a forum was held in Yangon at which government representatives and CSO 242 ADB, Technical Assistance to Myanmar; Urbano and Dickinson, Women and the Economy in Myanmar. Ending the Gender Digital Divide in Myanmar: A Problem-Driven Political Economy Assessment | 73