Search for publications

Bridging the Digital Gender Divide in Africa: A policy brief for the summit of the African Union, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, January 2010

6 pages

African Heads of States and Governments gather in Addis Ababa for the 14th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union at a time when the continent faces a huge digital divide. African women are disproportionately affected by this divide. The Summit’s theme “Information and Communication Technologies in Africa: Challenges and Prospects for Development” is therefore quite pertinent. However, deliberations on the theme without explicit focus on women’s access to these technologies will overlook a critical aspect of Africa’s development. This policy brief examines the gender-differentiated impact of ICTs in Africa, and makes seventeen key recommendations to national delegations, and private and civil society organizations.

KeywordsGender-based violence Gender mainstreaming Girls' education Ethiopia