The Handbook is designed to be useful to two groups of people. First, it aims to help government and NGO officials to plan, initiate, evaluate and improve ICT-based enterprise projects for women. Second, it is intended for facilitated use by groups of women themselves who want to start up, manage and improve ICT-based enterprises.

This research project examines Information and Communication Technology Development (ICTD) initiatives in India with the aim of exploring how gender-inclusive principles are, and can be, incorporated into ICTD projects.Building from this conceptual framework of women’s empowerment, the approaches and strategies of five initiatives are mapped within broader development and policy contexts. The emergent understandings of gender-related change and challenges 'on the ground' then inform an analyti more...

This paper explores the meanings of women's empowerment and gender equality in the information society, looking at the opportunity for progressive change and critically unpacking the ICTD discourse on gender and development. It also seeks to articulate a rights-based framework to policy and action that takes on the specific question of what models of access and connectivity will work for the marginalised peoples and countries, in a manner that promotes gender justice.

The objective of this project use information and communications technology (ICT) tools to provide comprehensive sexuality and life skills education that empower adolescent women in Chennai, India. In India, there are approximately 10 million pregnant adolescents and adolescent mothers at any given time. Unfortunately, education, health and family welfare programmes are not adequately addressing the special needs of these women. This project uses ICTs to provide comprehensive sexuality education more...

The objective of this project is to assist disadvantaged women who are confined to their homes due to disabilities and other circumstances. This project targets disadvantaged women who, due to disabilities and other circumstances, are confined to their homes and as a result are economically constrained. The project explores the possibility of developing an integrated system of information and communications technology (ICT) tools such as computers, Internet, telephone, Short Message System (SMS) more...

This paper argues that ICTs as a form of new technology are socially deterministic, with varied implications for women in terms of employment and empowerment dependent on the context within which the ICTs are utilised. The paper presents findings from two ICT initiatives in South India showing significant impacts on women's employment, income and social roles. One ICT initiative - 'gender-blind' and pursued within the globalised, competitive context of an increased role for markets and 'flexibil more...

This is a facet of the United Nations website. It has sections on environmental management and on science and technology for development (the latter with subsections on Biotechnology, Gender, science and technology, Information and communication technologies, Millennium development goals and Technology transfer.

Dimitra is an information and communication project which aims to highlight rural women's contribution to their community and their country. It is implemented by the Gender and Development Service (SDWW), of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The project is coordinated in Brussels, with support from Rome and Accra, and relies on the active cooperation of a large network of local partners in Africa and the Near East.
The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and its network ar more...

The Story

Background and context: Rural Uganda is a difficult place for women. Many women are the primary providers for households, either responsible for doing much of the agriculture work, or running a small business. Despite this role as providers, men, not women, usually have access to credit and local business exchanges.

The Uganda chapter of the Council for the Economic Empowerment for Women of Africa (CEEWA) tries to rectify this problem and help women find the financial resources t more...

Winrock International is a nonprofit organization that works with people around the world to increase economic opportunity, sustain natural resources, and protect the environment. By linking local individuals and communities with new ideas and technology, Winrock is increasing long-term productivity, equity, and responsible resource management to benefit the poor and disadvantaged of the world. Winrock's approach to ICTs includes applications that enhance a broad range of cross-cutting rural dev more...