DNS WOMEN started in 2009 as a small group of five women inside ICANN willing to encourage other women to be more active and participative in ICANN, as well as in the DNS industry.
This group of five women, from different countries as Australia, Brazil, England and United States, were focused on building a women network for exchange knowledge, experiences and business opportunities, became now a known movement with more than 300 members around the world.
DNS WOMEN is now establishing chapters and this year will start a project to capacitate women to start business in the DNS industry, focused on developing regions.
Pioneers were, in alphabetic order, Annalisa Roger(US), Cheryl Langdon Orr (AU), Karla Valente (US), Leslie Cowley (UK) and myself (BR), with the tireless support of ICANN staff members as Anne Rachel, Carole Cornell, Glen de Saint Gery, Diane Schroeder, Joette Youkhanna, Mandy Carver, Melanie Cruz and Tanzanica King, among many other. Pioneers also, as volunteer photographers, helping to keep our events registered were Glenn McKnight, Jorge Etges and Michelle Chaplow. Some special members that immediately supported us and need to be part of this history were Marilyn Cade(US), Hong Xue(CN) and Jian Zhang(CN).
Some of pioneers are not with us anymore, both from volunteers and staff side, since they have departed to face other challenges and endeavors.
Initially we promoted women breakfast in each ICANN meeting to get women together and start our mission. Last year, in Finland, we changed to a cocktail party. At next DNS WOMEN cocktail in Copenhagen – ICANN 58 – we will be celebrating more than 20 events.
It is important to mention the crescent interest this movement has raised around the community that attracted very relevant companies in the DNS industry to sponsor our meetings, some of them several times: (in alphabetic order): .ASIA; Afilias, Amazon, Cabase, CONAC, Dominios Latinomerica, .FI, .Green, MarkMonitor, Neustar, Public Interest Registry, Siter, South School Internet Governance and Uniregistry. Also relevant is to see ICANN Board members and ICANN CEO/President and Chair of the Board normally attending our events!
We expect to keep growing, embracing our mission and allowing more and more women to be part of our network, giving them the opportunity to learn, exchange experiences, join ICANN, start new business and make partnerships with other women around the world. That is what we work for.

VANDA SCARTEZINI