• Display

an Eldis Resource

The advancement of ICTs has brought new opportunities for both knowledge sharing and knowledge gathering for both women and men. This report provides an overview of some of the issues relating to women and Information and Communication Technology (ICTs) in the developing world in contrast to the developed world. The authors provide a brief overview of major themes for women and ICTs, including issues of access and education for girls versus women; inclusion in ICT workforce; qualifications and appetite for ICT career adoption, and opportunities versus the threat of ICTs for women’s lives.

The authors recommend that implementation efforts should refrain from transforming models and studies into formulated approaches or prescriptive measures in order to ensure that the innovative character of ICTs remains in the hands and control of the users themselves. Women should not wait for policymaking alone to bridge the ‘digital divide’ but rather take action through ICTs to access information sources and engage in the communication processes to achieve their socio-economic development goals. The following policy recommendations are outlined:

• the economic opportunities women can bring to development through ICTs will not be realised unless policies for all mainstreaming efforts take gender considerations into account
• policy makers should host forums that allow gender experts to debate the issues and arrive at a diversity of perspectives and recommendations that recognize the complexity of the issues
• policy is needed to ensure that investment in ICTs contributes to more equitable and sustainable development for all
• policy is critical to produce and maintain local content for women, to make this content’s access and usage women-friendly within the local culture, and to create capacity for women and men to maintain and enrich that content.
  

• Full text of document
• Publisher details
• Send to a friend