Communication Technologies and Women Empowerment

Contents: Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. ICT and gender equality. 3. Role of ICT in improving women's access to education. 4. Distance learning technologies for women education. 5. Technology and women employment. 6. Women, ICT and agricultural development. 7. ICT and women's economic development. 8. Participation of women in science and technology. 9. Women, ICT and human rights. 10. Communication technologies and women empowerment. Bibliography. Index.

"Communication Technologies (CTs) are a diverse set of technological tools and resources to create, disseminate, store, bring value-addition and manage information. They are for everyone and women have to be an equal beneficiary to the advantages offered by the technology, and the products and processes which emerge from their use. The benefits accrued from the synergy of knowledge and CTs need not be restricted to the upper strata of the society but have to freely flow to all segments of the women population.

The gamut of areas in which CTs can put a greater control in the hands of women is wide and continuously expanding, from managing water distribution at the village-level to standing for local elections and having access to lifelong learning opportunities. CTs in convergence with other forms of technologies have the potential to reach those women who hitherto have been not been reached by any other media, thereby empowering them to participate in economic and social progress, and make informed decision on issues that affect them.

This book explores the avenues created by communication technology-enabled networking processes for women in the areas of empowerment and governance, the hindrances faced in engendering of these processes and goes on to suggest ways to ensure that greater benefits accrue to women in a distributed manner. It will be a highly valuable reference tool for policy makers, development leaders and organisations and activists working for womens' development." (jacket)