"This briefing paper argues that promoting girls’ digital literacy and closing the digital gender gap will play an important role in achieving gender equality and promoting the rights of girls and women worldwide. Indeed, bridging the digital gender divide is essential in ensuring girls and women
...
are not left behind in an increasingly digital future. The paper also argues that actions promoting girls’ digital empowerment should be guided by the principle of engaging girls and women as active, capable partners in our work, not merely passive recipients or targets. Rather than making assumptions about what girls want and need from technology, it is important to work together with girls to strengthen and develop their use and creation of digital tools.
The first section of the paper provides key facts and figures on the prevailing gender digital divide, while the second section reviews the relevant international normative framework. The section following considers some past and current projects and initiatives – from Plan International and our peer organisations – that have used technology to promote the rights and unique needs of girls and women. The challenges and barriers to bridging the digital gender divide are considered in the fourth section, before the final section provides recommendations on the way forward." (Introduction, page 2)
more
"In A Village Goes Mobile, Sirpa Tenhunen examines how the mobile telephone has contributed to social change in rural India. Tenhunen's long-term ethnographic fieldwork in West Bengal began before the village had a phone system in place and continued through the introduction and proliferation of the
...
smartphone. She here analyzes how mobile telephones emerged as multidimensional objects which, in addition to enabling telephone conversations, facilitated status aspirations, internet access, and entertainment practices. She explores how this multifaceted use of mobile phones has affected agency and power dynamics in economic, political, and social relationships, and how these new social constellations relate to culture and development. In eight chapters, Tenhunen asks such questions as: Who benefits from mobile telephony and how? Can people use mobile phones to change their lives, or does phone use merely amplify existing social patterns and power relationships? Can mobile telephony induce development? Going beyond the case of West Bengal, Tenhunen develops a framework to understand how new media mediates social processes within interrelated social spheres and local hierarchies by relating, media-saturated forms of interaction to pre-existing contexts." (Publisher description)
more
"CiudadanÃa digital y democracia participativa trata de describir experiencias concretas y procesos de apropiación y rebelión frente al actual statu quo tecnocrático a través de dos ejes conceptuales claramente definidos:--Propuestas teóricas y analÃticas para el estudio de la CiudadanÃa Dig
...
ital manifestada a través de prácticas de Democracia Participativa.--Estudios de caso que abarcan desde la apropiación y transformación de las tecnologÃas digitales por parte de comunidades indÃgenes; pasando por las prácticas de ingenierÃa social comunicativa como Comunitlán (Puebla, México); hasta los usos tecnopolÃticos que entran en juego en la arena de la disputa polÃtica a lo largo de la región, desde Bolivia a México o Venezuela." (Cubierta del libro)
more
"The study found that among women, access to and use of the internet is highly dependent on the type of mobile device used and on level of education. Connecting with friends and family, entertainment and education emerged as the main reasons why the female respondents used the internet. Unreliable y
...
et expensive internet or data services; inadequate technical know-how on internet use and online insecurity were some of the challenges the women reported were hampering their access and use of the internet. On the basis of the findings, it is recommended that existing data prices are reviewed; public education and awareness creation efforts especially among women and girls are intensified; existing policies are updated with targets and budget allocations to facilitate implementation and monitoring; and more research done to provide scientific evidence to inform policies, interventions and advocacy to help improve the women’s rights online situation in the country." (Pages 4-5)
more
"This rapid literature review collates findings from recently published papers on digital development and gender, highlighting some of the most commonly discussed discussions related to economic, social and political development. As the scope of this query is very large, this review provides an illu
...
stration of some of the commonly identified issues in the literature. The digital inclusion agenda seeks to close the gaps in access to, and adoption of, fast evolving information and communication technology (ICT) services, particularly mobile phones and the internet. It is an important aspect of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as both an end and a means to the cross-cutting policy aim of ‘leaving no one behind’. The potential gains from digital technologies are high, however they often remain unrealised, especially for women and girls (World Bank, 2016)." (Overview, page 2)
more
"The rapid development of the information society has accentuated the importance of digital divides, which refer to economic and social inequalities among populations due to differences in access to, use of, or knowledge of information and communication technologies (ICT). This book discusses the cu
...
rrent state of digital divides, ranging from global." (Publisher description)
more
"This book considers how Moroccan-Dutch youth, mostly born in the Netherlands, navigate digital spaces to articulate their politicized identities in a time when claims over the failure of multiculturalism, anti-immigration sentiments and Islamophobia sweep across Europe. Digital Passages: Migrant Yo
...
uth 2.0 addresses not only to how these mostly second-generation migrant youth navigate across digital spaces, but also considers the digitization of key identity-formation processes, such as coming of age, rites of passage and the negotiation of offline/online gender, diaspora, religious and youth cultural expectations." (Introduction, page 14)
more
"This study shows how women and women’s organisations in Central America and southern Africa use media for social development. One of the milestones of the women’s movement was the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. Section J of the Platform for Action, which was a result of th
...
e conference, defined concrete goals for the area of women and media. These goals have still not been met, as the Global Media Monitoring Report, which is published every 5 years, shows. The first part of this study examines the situation. The second part of the study focuses on the debate on the right to communicate in the 20th and 21st century, which reached a peak in 1980 with the publication of the MacBride report, and provides an overview of important organisations in the field of media. The third part looks at different definitions of community and alternative media and highlights the differences between them and state-owned, public, and commercial media. It also provides a closer look at the media landscape of the regions under review, Central America and southern Africa. The fourth and final part shows examples of strategies individual women and women’s organisations use to spread their messages through the media and achieve social change." (Introduction)
more
"GISWatch 2013 shows that gains in women’s rights made online are not always certain or stable. While access to the internet for women has increased their participation in the social, economic and governance spheres, there is another side to these opportunities: online harassment, cyberstalking, a
...
nd violence against women online all of which are on the increase globally." (www.giswatch.org, July 6, 2014)
more
"The articles contained in this special issue build on the conversations initiated at the Cairo Symposium and try to make sense of the shifts and transformations in media and gender relations in Africa. Some bring new perspectives to bear on how traditional media (newspapers, magazines, radio and te
...
levision) continue to be implicated in questions of gender, while others address new questions raised by new media forms and formats. Four articles (three in French and one in English) tackle the impact of ICTs and social media from different theoretical perspectives, locations and experiences (see Palmieri, Kane, Rouamba and Mbure). Three other articles examine the representational practices of newspapers and magazines in political and social discourses relating to gender (see Anate, Ossome and Eshiet). The contribution by Chiweshe and Bhatasara reflects on popular culture, specifically the construction of gender in music, while that of Yeboah and Thompson examine on the outstanding qualities that enable three women to rise to decision-making positions in the public relations, advertising and broadcast industries in Ghana." (Introduction, page 2-3)
more
"This publication covers five different projects carried out in six different locations. There were two projects in Bolivia, one focusing on empowering female indigenous leaders and the other provided female victims of domestic violence with a safe virtual environment where they could receive suppor
...
t and exchange experiences and information. Another project was carried out in two separate countries on the coast of the Indian Ocean. The project focused on ecological sustainability, diversification of livelihood, basic training in ICT and focused primarily on women’s self-help groups in Kenya and India. In Rwanda the project focus was on integrating ICT into women’s basket weaving practices in order to explore the opportunities of an online presence as well as the preservation of traditional practices. A research project in Vietnam focused on the consideration given to gender in the development of ICT." (Page 5)
more
"Die Protestwelle nach der umstrittenen Präsidentschaftswahl im Iran vom Juni 2009 lenkte die Aufmerksamkeit der Weltöffentlichkeit auf die lebendige Internetkultur der Islamischen Republik. Das Internet, heißt es, befördert den gesellschaftlichen Wandel in Ländern wie dem Iran, doch inwiefern
...
unterscheidet sich das Netz von den Printmedien? Stellt es tatsächlich eine neue öffentliche Sphäre dar? Welchen Einfluss haben soziale Netzwerke wie Facebook, Twitter oder YouTube auf die Organisation von Demonstrationen? Bringt die iranische Blogosphäre eine Kultur des Dissidententums hervor, die das islamistische Regime am Ende zu Fall bringen wird? Diese wegweisende Studie bietet Einblicke in die Internetkultur im heutigen Iran und untersucht die Auswirkungen der neuen Kommunikationsformen auf Gesellschaft und Politik. Die Autoren warnen davor, "Blogger" mit "Dissident" gleichzusetzen, denn auch das Regime hat längst mit der "Kolonisierung Blogistans" begonnen. Das Internet, so eine ihrer Thesen, bringt Veränderungen mit sich, die weder die Regierung noch die Demokratiebewegungen vorhersehen konnten und können. "Blogistan" ist nicht nur eine Fallstudie zur Internetaneigung in der islamischen Welt, sondern das Buch macht auch deutlich, welche Auswirkungen die Neuen Medien auf gesellschaftliche Strukturen und Prozesse haben." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
more
"The Gender, Agriculture and Rural Development in the Information Society (GenARDIS) small grants fund was initiated in 2002 to support work on gender-related issues in information and communications technologies for the African, Caribbean and Pacific regions. GenARDIS recognises the constraints and
...
challenges encountered by rural women, and has disbursed small grants to diverse and innovative projects in order to counter these barriers, to document the process and results, and to contribute to more gender-aware ICT policy advocacy. GenARDIS has supported projects which are as diverse as the countries where they are located. Over the years, GenARDIS has learned from and documented projects such as women’s community radio drama groups, pest control through information access, and using technology to promote women’s inheritance and land rights. Grantees have supported deaf women in Ethiopia to generate their own income through digital photography, and enabled rural mothers to earn additional income for their families because they can market to buyers from outside their community. In some areas, women small farmers are no longer being taken advantage of by the middleman as they now get a fair price for their crops by sending a simple SMS." (Pages 5-6)
more
"We present our experience of gender as female ICT4D researchers. We highlight our field experiences and comment on our perceptions of how being a woman and performing our female identity has influenced our own ICT4D research. We discuss how gender tensions are further compounded by the researcherâ€
...
™s own physical and social characteristics, such as race, age, social class, and skin color. We apply the lens of reflexivity and performativity to examine critically and explore analytically our field experiences. We end with practical observations about our collective experience." (Abstract)
more
"This collection of essays by those engaged in using mobile phone technologies for social change provides an analysis of the socio-economic, political and media contexts faced by activists in Africa today. The essays address a broad range of issues including inequalities in access to technology base
...
d on gender, rural and urban usage, as well as offering practical examples of how activists are using mobile technology to organise and document their experiences. They provide an overview of the lessons learned in making effective use of mobile phone technologies without any of the romanticism so often associated with the use of new technologies for social change. The examples are shared in a way that makes them easy to replicate. The intention is that the experiences described within the book will lead to greater reflection about the real potential and limitations of mobile technologies." (Radio for Peacebuilding Africa Update July 6, 2010)
more
"Women in Africa are undeniably participating in the information and communication technology (ICT) revolution and they are doing so in many and varied ways; the changes that the use of these tools have brought about are visible everywhere. Furthermore, the prospects of ICTs for development and wome
...
n’s empowerment seem promising. Yet women’s stories about their experiences and use of these tools are not heard: are their lives changing for the better because of these new technologies? If so, in what ways are they changing? Are there areas in which women could and should participate in this ICT revolution but are not, because they are women? How can women’s perspectives, insights and realities in relation to the use and potentials of ICTs be integrated into ICT policies that are currently being developed and implemented across the continent?" (Abstract)
more
"This report investigates the impact media and ICTs can have on the lives of the poor, based on the experiences of nine donors and NGOs forming part of the "Building Communication Opportunities (BCO)" alliance. It suggests that radio will have the most influence on social and political change where
...
it is widely accessible, trusted by listeners, and open to inclusive participation. ICTs can help make markets work for the poor, but the surrounding circumstances are highly influential in determining in how far they make a difference. Communication networks appear to be particularly effective in building communities of activists where they enable the pooling of resources and expertise and leverage wider influence on decision-makers. However, the report concludes that evidence of the impact of ICTs is still weak. More debate is needed about how ICTs are best deployed. This requires learning how people really use the tools, as well as a more effective assessment of past and current experiences." (CAMECO Update 1-2009)
more
"Ängste und Hoffnungen verbinden sich mit den jungen Menschen, die in der arabischen Welt zwei Drittel der Bevölkerung ausmachen. Wie reagieren die Jugendlichen auf die Herausforderungen einer globalisierten Welt? Anhand der Internetnutzung marokkanischer Jugendlicher und den damit verbundenen Ane
...
ignungspraktiken lässt diese Studie die Ambivalenz von Globalisierungsprozessen in der arabischen Welt sichtbar werden. In der kommunikativen Entgrenzung wird die eigene strukturelle Begrenzung deutlich: Geographische, soziale und kulturelle Grenzen werden hinterfragt, verschoben und überwunden – aber auch fixiert." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
more