"This book contributes to the growing body of literature and present state of knowledge, offering the reader broad evidence on how new information and communication technologies impact women's economic and social empowerment and hence have an impact on overall welfare creation"--

The near-ubiquitous spread of ICT offers unprecedented opportunities for social and economic agents, reshapes social and economic structures and drives the emergence of socioeconomic networks. This book contributes to the growing body of literature and present state of knowledge, offering the reader broad evidence on how new information and communication technologies impact women’s economic and social empowerment and hence have an impact on overall welfare creation. More specifically, it concentrates on demonstrating how ICT may become "empowering technologies" through their implementation. The book is designed to provide deep insight into the theoretical and empirical evidence on ICT as a significant driver of women`s social and economic development. Special focus is given to examining the following broad topics: channels of ICT impact on women's development; the role of ICT in enhancing women's active participation in formal labor markets; examples of how ICT encourages education, skills development, institutions development et alia, and thus contributes to women’s social and economic empowerment, as well as case-based evidence on ICT's role in fostering women’s equality. The primary audience for the book will be scholars and academic professionals from a wide variety of disciplines but mainly those who are concerned with addressing the issues of economic development and growth, social development, the role of technology progress in the context of broadly defined socioeconomic progress. Chapters 1 and 3 of this book are freely available as downloadable Open Access PDFs at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

This paper reviews how women in the developing world access and use information and communication technology (ICT). It examines the discourse and controversies surrounding the digital gender divide, including links to poverty and illiteracy. Major themes concerning women and ICTs are explored, such as women in the ICT workforce, how girls and women relate differently to ICT, and opportunities and barriers for women in science and technology in general. Current research relating to gender and ICT is often country-specific and is more prevalent in developed countries than in developing countries. This paper suggests where additional research is needed on barriers to women s entry and access to ICT. The overall objective of this paper is to influence policy dialogue around women and ICT for development by raising awareness of the digital gender divide. Economic opportunity for women in ICT will not be realized until policies address gender considerations and ensure that ICT investment contributes to more sustainable and equitable development.

The role of information and communication technologies as a tool for development has attracted the sustained attention of various agencies worldwide. If the gender dimensions of information and communication technologies—in terms of access and use, capacity-building opportunities, employment, and potential for empowerment—are explicitly identified and addressed, information and communication technologies can be a powerful catalyst for the political and social empowerment of women and the promotion of gender equality. ICT as a Driver of Women’s Social and Economic Empowerment contributes to the growing body of literature and present state of knowledge by offering evidence on how new information and communication technologies impact women’s economic and social empowerment and overall welfare creation leading to inclusive growth. Covering key topics such as economics, entrepreneurship, digital technologies, and inclusion, this premier reference source is ideal for industry professionals, policymakers, administrators, business owners, managers, researchers, academicians, scholars, practitioners, instructors, and students.

In the global discourse on ICTs, the concern so far has primarily been outsourcing and the loss of service sector jobs from the developed world. This book focuses, instead, on the positive aspects of the digital economy as they relate to women in the developing world. It illustrates—with case studies from Argentina, Morocco, India, Malaysia and the Philippines—how economic empowerment through the medium of ICTs can change the position of women within their families and the workplace, even in the face of uneven development processes. This timely volume, which is rooted in primary and original research, illuminates the gender-related facets of the emergent information society while raising key questions about the implications of the digital economy on women`s work and lives.

Based on the outcome of an extensive research project, this book features chapters based on original primary field research undertaken by academics & activists who have investigated situations within their own communities & countries.

Around the world, information and communication technologies (ICTs) have changed the lives of individuals, organizations, and, indeed, entire nations. ICTs can have profound implications for women and men in terms of employment, education, health, environmental sustainability, and community development. Because of systemic gender biases in ICTs and their applications, women are far more likely than men to experience discrimination in the new information society. In spite of this, resource-poor and non-literate women and their organizations are aware of the power of information technologies and communication processes, and are using them to advance their basic needs and strategic interests, improve their livelihoods, and help them achieve their human rights. Gender and ICTs for Development brings together case studies about women and their communities in developing countries and how they have been influenced by, and have used, ICTs in development. An introduction by Helen Hambly Odame, now at the University of Guelph in Canada, formerly with the International Service for National Agricultural Research, provides a global overview of the issues, and a framework for responding to the case studies. This book, the seventh of these Global Sourcebooks, features five major case studies which examine the diverse ways in which women have been able to make the most of digital opportunities: * e-commerce in Bhutan; * entrepreneurship by women workers in China; * post-conflict communication using radio and ICTs in Sierra Leone; * sustainable fisheries production in Ghana; and * information exchange related to HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean. The extensive and up-to-date critical bibliography of print and online resources makes this a truly global sourcebook on the topic. Published in association with KIT Publishers.