New Publication : - GENDER AND ICTs : Mainstreaming gender in the use of ICTs for agriculture and rural development

In celebrating the "International Women's Day' (IWD 2018) FAO, IFAD and WFP have organized this year’s annual event on how media and ICT can empower rural women and girls to transform their lives. During this day's celebrations, a new publication, "GENDER AND ICTs : Mainstreaming gender in the use of ICTs for agriculture and rural development", is to be launched. 

The publication is the result of desk study, online fora on gender held in the framework of the e-Agriculture Community of Practice , and a review of projects and programmes conducted in regions of the world. While substantial progress has been made in making ICTs available and accessible for rural communities, challenges remain with respect to the following seven critical factors for success: content, capacity development, gender and diversity, access and participation, partnerships, technologies, and finally, economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

This publication presents the challenges and the seven factors of success, followed by an overview of the general existing barriers to women’s access to, control and use of ICTs. Finally, it offers a series of recommendations for better integration of gender in ICT initiatives, based on gender mainstreaming throughout the seven critical factors of success, illustrated with concrete examples.

Summarised table of contents

Chapter 1. Introduction: Gender and the use of ICTs for agriculture and rural development

Chapter 2. The seven critical factors of success in initiatives for ICTs in agriculture

Chapter 3. Existing gender barriers to women’s access to, control and use of ICTs for agriculture

Chapter 4. How to better integrate gender in initiatives for ICT in agriculture

Chapter 5. Growing opportunities for closing the gender gap through ICT initiatives

Chapter 6. Conclusion

Download the publication here