Gender in the Information Society

This 142-page publication of the United Nations Development Programme - Asia Pacific Development Information Programme is a collection of 13 papers developed for a
Pre-World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) seminar, Gender
Perspectives on the Information Society: South Asia Pre-WSIS Seminar, in
April of 2005 in Bangalore, India.

This selection of papers makes available a body of information in the
area of gender and information and
communications technology for development (ICT4D).
Topics include gender at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), gender perspectives on ICT4D, women and media in the information society, and reflections on the WSIS seminar: Gender Perspectives on the Information Society: South Asia Pre-WSIS Seminar, April 2005.

From the introduction: 'Rooted in the ... realities of women, the publication provides frameworks of analyses and
actions based on a range of experiences in the South Asian region. Key
issues discussed included gender roles and needs in e-governance, the ICT
industry, cyber regulation, freedom of expression, right to information and
communication, and media.'

While not structured to build a clear consensus on the challenges and actions vis-á-vis gender in the information society, the document, as a collection, highlights the interplay between economic opportunities and socio-cultural hierarchies. Articles focus on the need to engage women as actors in policy development in ICT and, after reviewing ICT4D history, pose the question whether gender inclusion has been considered. Papers move from policy to the grassroots level in examining the right to entitlements made available by access to the information society. Further, country-specific papers suggest that the issue of the education of women and girls may contribute to the success or failure of ICT projects locally. Strategies and policy roadmap documents often do not include gender. Issues of gender discrimnation and gendered attitudes in education need to be resolved as ICT arrives in schools and becomes a course of study. In rural projects, traditional village male hierarchies are among the social structures limiting women's participation. Also, because women need more access to credit and entrepreneurial training, the business and agriculture-based content does not draw them to technology.

Two case study-based articles take up different themes. One focuses on a government and community partnership that successfully includes women, and the other examines the role of gender in the ICT outsourcing industry in India. Articles on women and media consider the portrayal of women and the opportunity for a bottom-up public discourse on gender issues.