Information Society Watch

2003, Natasha Primo, UNESCO

Published in the backdrop of the Geneva World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in 2003, this paper outlines UNESCO's concern over the gender digital divide. Beginning with a survey of the efforts at putting gender concerns on the global ICT policy agenda, the paper provides statistical evidence on the uneven spread of technology between nations and genders.

2007, IT for Change

This is a report of an international workshop conducted by IT for Change and Luleå University of Technology, Sweden in February 2007 in Mysore, India. The workshop took a systems approach that examined the intersecting grids of social and institutional change, gender transformative processes and techno-social models.

2004, UNDP, UNIFEM

This report reviews key gender and information and communication technology (ICT) initiatives implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. It is an examination of the gender dimension of key ICT initiatives within the region which maps the situation and identifies trends, gaps, as well as some good practices, and offers conclusions, recommendations and references to resources.

Comparative study on gender dimensions of policies related to the development and application of science and technology for sustainable development

2004, RESGEST-UNESCO

This is a comparative study which analyses the extent to which existing policies related to the development and application of science and technology (S&T) are supportive to the commitments of gender equality and justice for sustainable development. It further identifies strategic actions necessary to ensure the integration of gender perspectives in policies related to the development and application of S&T for sustainable development.

2005, Yuwei Lin

This paper studies the role of gender in free/libre/open source software (F/LOSS) communities especially since an earlier study conducted by the European Union revealed a significant discrepancy in the proportion of men to women. The authors set out to find reasons behind this bias and make recommendations for actions that might improve the ratio of women to men.

2003, Swasti Mitter, United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development

This paper is an agenda for research and action for advancing women's employment and livelihood opportunities in developing countries in the ICT-related sectors. The objective is to identify areas of policy intervention that will allow women to participate in the globalised digital economy on a par with men. It will explore the possibility and potential of ICT in bringing gender equality in the world of work, be that in employment or in trade and commerce.

2002, Sonia Jorge

This paper looks at challenges and practical strategies of ICT use for women’s economic empowerment. The author provides recommendations on how to proceed in order to improve the conditions leading to women’s economic empowerment vis-a-vis the use of ICTs.

June 2001, Nancy Hafkin and Nancy Taggart, Learn Link

This detailed study provides an in-depth look into the current situation of gender and ICTs in developing countries in terms of obstacles and opportunities. The authors discuss in detail the changes wrought to women's labour by globalisation, as well as chances for women's economic and political empowerment through IT.

November 2002, Louise Chamberlain, InfoDev Programme

This paper addresses the promotion of gender as a key component of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy and strategy processes. It discusses imperative strategies for the creation of an information society, or knowledge economy, and the implications for gender advocacy of the corresponding policies.

March 2006, Maxine Molyneux and Shahra Razavi

This paper, drawing on research undertaken for the UNRISD report, 'Gender Equality: Striving for Justice in an Unequal World', reflects on the ambivalent record of progress achieved by women over the last decades and considers how the policy environment has changed over the period since the high point of the global women’s movements.