The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector is one of the fastest growing areas in the global economy. Women everywhere are using ICTs to strengthen their organization and movement building at the local, regional and global levels. However the introduction of ICTs takes place on unequal terms that are defined by broader governance, social and economic frameworks. Under these conditions, there is growing concern that women in particular have to contend with ideological, systemic and institutional barriers in accessing the benefits of ICTs. The so-called digital divide also unequally affects women. The disparities between women in developed and developing countries are wide. Within countries, rural women are often completely excluded from the economic, social and political opportunities that are being created through the use of ICTs. Gender evaluation methodologies can be used to ensure that ICTs are used in ways that transform gender biases and roles and do not simply reproduce and replicate existing ones. They are also effective in drawing lessons about the transformative impact of the use of ICTs on gender equality through the evaluation of real-life projects and initiatives.

 

The Gender Evaluation Methodology (GEM) project is an initiative to strengthen and sustain gender accountability in global, regional and national ICT networking initiatives by developing evaluation methodologies, generating research on the gender dimensions of ICT development and catalyzing a process of resource sharing and tools-building in gender evaluation. GEM is a project of the Association for Progressive Communications Women’s Networking Support Programme (APC WNSP), a global network that facilitates strategic use of ICTs to support women’s actions and agendas. Through the project, APC WNSP aims to contribute to women’s empowerment and gender equality in ICT through a process of collaboration, testing and refining among its global membership and the wider ICT practitioner community.

To strengthen and sustain gender accountability in global, regional and national ICT networking initiatives by developing evaluation methodologies, generating research on the gender dimensions of ICT development and catalyzing a process of resource sharing and tools-building in gender evaluation through collaboration, testing and refining, among members and partners of WNSP. More specifically, the project aims to:

Development Impact

The GEM project generated knowledge in three ways: through building tools, evaluating ICT projects, and reporting social transformation effects and how they relate to the social and policy environments. A clear recommendation emerging from the testing is the need to document and promote models of strategic use of ICT among women, as well as other disadvantaged groups. Of equal importance is building awareness among gender advocates and women‘s organisation with the strategic aim of making them more familiar with gender issues in ICT and to support the development of pro-active gender advocacy in ICT policies. Through the GEM testing, we have deepened our understanding of many critical gender and ICT issues.

A GEM workshop is being planned for March 2006 in New Delhi, India.

 

GEM web site: http://www.apcwomen.org/gem/

* All terms are drawn from the OECD Macrothesaurus 1998.