"Hopes that the growth of platform work in Africa will provide new opportunities for women’s employment have not yet been matched by empirical research. Based on a five-country survey of workers on 18 platforms across four sectors (ride-hailing, delivery, professional, microtasks), the research re
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ported here makes the first direct, systematic comparison of men’s and women’s experiences of platform work in multiple African countries. The paper finds an absence of specific gender differences across many core operational structures of platform work including general shortcomings related to social protection, contracts, human/algorithmic management and representation being experienced similarly by both men and women. However, the paper also finds that these processes occur within a wider gender-unequal context in which gendered norms skew the presence of men and women in different sectors, and in which wider exclusions encourage women into platform work but lead them to experience greater precarity and dependency than men on that work.´For example, women on average earn less than men because they work demonstrably fewer hours. This also limits the purported flexibility of platform work for women workers and denies them a pay premium to reflect their generally higher levels of education. While experienced by only a minority of women workers surveyed, gender-discriminatory cancellations, complaints and abuse were reported. The paper ends with recommendations for actions to address gender inequalities in platform work, and reflections on future research." (Abstract)
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"Digital transformations have had catalytic efects on African and European governance, economies, and societies, and will continue to do so. The COVID-19 pandemic has already accelerated the penetration of digital tools all over the globe and is likely to be perceived as a critical juncture in how a
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nd to what purpose the world accepts and uses new and emerging technologies. This book ofers a holistic analysis of how Africa and Europe can manage and harness digital transformation as partners in a globalised world. The authors shed light on issues ranging from economic growth, youth employment, and gender, to regulatory frameworks, business environments, entrepreneurship, and interest-driven power politics. They add much-needed perspectives to the debates that shape the two continents’ digital transformation and innovation environments." (Publisher description)
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"This country report provides an overview of the extent to which gender is addressed in Ethiopia’s digital policies, strategies, and regulations, divided into categories such as international development instruments, national digital policies and strategies, and digital sector-related laws and reg
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ulations. The report includes a non-exhaustive list of specific programmes supporting digital inclusion in Ethiopia. The five pillars considered for analysis of gender in ICT strategies, policies and regulations are access to digital technology, digital skills, financial inclusion, entrepreneurship and leadership and digital infrastructure. There are explicit references to digital gender equality in Ethiopia’s digital policies and strategies. Based on the findings from the study, the report has a set of recommendations to enhance policies, laws, and regulations. There is a comprehensive checklist of preliminary policy actions that will help narrow the gender gap in Ethiopia. These range from ensuring women’s enrolment and completion of secondary and tertiary education to involving the private sector when making digital policies to facilitating women’s access to international networks." (Foreword)
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"The Palgrave Handbook of Gender, Media and Communication in the Middle East and North Africa stands as an authoritative and up-to-date resource on the critical debates, research methods and ongoing reflections on how gender and communication intersect with the economic, social, political, and cultu
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ral fabrics of the countries in the MENA region. The handbook comprises thirty chapters written by both established and rising scholars of gender, media, and digital technologies, and will rely on fresh data which seeks to capture the dynamic and complex realities of MENA societies, as well as the tensions and contradictions in the politics of gender and uses of communication technologies. The Handbook is split into six sections: Gender, Identities and Sexualities; The Gender of Politics; Gender and Activism; Gender-Based Violence; Gender and Entrepreneurship; and Gender in Expressive Cultures." (Publisher description)
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"This study aims to understand the experiences of digital creatives in Kampala, Uganda, through a gendered lens. There is a large gap in the availability of data and knowledge on the digital creative industry in Uganda and this paper aims to address some of these blindspots. To understand these expe
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riences, this body of work explores a number of sector wide concerns through exploratory qualitative research methodologies around issues of access and use of digital technologies by digital creatives, the role of emerging technologies on the sector and finally, the policy ecosystem governing the creative industry in Uganda. The paper also draws from existing literature on the traditional creative industries in Uganda given the limited scholarship on the digital creative industries in the country. Key findings of the paper include a need to clearly define the digital creative industry, which at present is largely informal. Creatives face a number of structural barriers such as negative or harmful perceptions, policies and practices which hinder the growth of the sector. The study also found a significant discriminatory and sexist trend towards women digital creatives. Lastly, the research identifies a number of untapped opportunities which have the potential to leapfrog Uganda's digital creative sector. The paper concludes by making recommendations to different key stakeholders in the sector." (Executive summary, page 1)
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"This report focuses on women and girls using, studying and working in digital technology in five Western Balkan States (Republic of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia) and three Eastern Partnership countries (Ukraine, Georgia, and Republic of Moldova). On the su
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rface, these eight countries are well poised to take advantage of the new digital economy, as they have a high degree of digital access and connectivity and populations with strong academic foundations in mathematics and science. In fact, in five of the eight countries profiled, women comprise more than 40 per cent of university graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. However, women’s involvement in STEM in the Western Balkan and Eastern Partnership countries does not translate into strong participation in technology sectors; across all eight countries profiled, the number of women working in ICT industries, founding or investing in technology start-ups or serving as high-level managers or directors in technology companies remains remarkably low. Challenges – ranging from cultural norms and biases to lack of self-confidence and online and offline harassment – hinder girls and women’s full participation. The digital acceleration fuelled by the COVID-19 pandemic represents an historic opportunity to transform women’s involvement in technology in the region. STEM education is the first key area that is ripe for change; long before the pandemic hit, demand for digital skills across Eastern Partnership and Western Balkan countries was already prompting curriculum overhauls. While schools across all eight countries are evolving by incorporating digital literacy and twenty-first century skill-building into coursework, education ministries are not doing enough to ensure that girls benefit equally." (Executive summary)
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"Die #eSkills4Girls-Initiative ist im Rahmen der G20-Präsidentschaft Deutschlands im Jahr 2017 entstanden. Ziel der Initiative ist es, die digitale Kluft zwischen Männern und Frauen zu überwinden und insbesondere für Frauen und Mädchen durch digitale Kompetenzen bessere Bildungsund Beschäftigu
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ngsperspektiven in der digitalen Welt zu schaffen. Dafür haben wir drei wichtige Schwerpunkte der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit zusammengebracht: Überwindung der Barrieren beim Zugang zu Bildung, Nutzung der Chancen der Digitalisierung und verbesserte wirtschaftliche, politische und gesellschaftliche Teilhabe von Frauen und Mädchen." (Vorwort, Seite 5)
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"1. While gender gaps are observable in most aspects of ICT access, skills and leadership, the picture is complex. There are large regional variations: some countries are close to parity or have even reversed the gender gap on some indicators, while others still have persistent gaps. Individual coun
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tries can have both large and small gaps, depending on the indicator being measured. Interpreting the gaps requires careful and contextualised analysis.
2. Barriers to gender digital equality are generally related to one or more of the following: 1) availability of infrastructure; 2) financial constraints; 3) ICT ability and aptitude; 4) interest and perceived relevance of ICTs; 5) safety and security; and 6) socio-cultural and institutional contexts. Most of these barriers cut across issues of access, skills, and leadership, although they may manifest in slightly different ways. While research has documented these barriers, the evidence from different sources is sometimes contradictory, even within the same country contexts.
3. There is no one conclusive strategy for eliminating gender digital inequalities. Recommendations generally call either for targeting specific contributing factors of gender digital inequality (such as affordability or recruiting practices), or for reshaping deeply ingrained social norms and practices (such as gender stereotypes) that are at the root of gender inequalities. As with the evidence on barriers, research results are sometimes contradictory or nuanced.
4. The dominant approaches to gender equality in ICT access, skills, and leadership mostly frame issues in binary (male/female) terms, thereby masking the relevance of other pertinent identities. Insufficient research has been done on the implications of ICTs for intersectional identities. Data collection should move from binary sexdisaggregation towards finer degrees of status disaggregation in order to recognise multiple and interacting identities (such as sexuality, poverty, class, education, age, disability, and occupation).
5. To ensure privacy and safety as well as full participation in the digital economy, women should have equal opportunities to develop adequate basic and advanced digital skills. Cyberstalking, online harassment, image manipulation, privacy violations, geotracking, and surveillance can compromise women’s and girls’ safety both online and offline. In addition, some evidence suggests the digital transformation of labour may be widening gender wage gaps. These outcomes can be averted with the right types of training combined with social and institutional change.
6. Developments in digital technologies open new pathways to gender diversity and inclusion; however, lack of attention to gender dynamics and differences hampers the potential for true progress. For example, evidence suggests that most women’s work in the digital economy, particularly in the Global South, reinforces existing social divisions. Moreover, artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, designed largely by men, tend to ignore the negative gender implications of their designs. Research, government policy and design principles should include gender awareness and analysis, for example by building in data and privacy protections and avoiding gender stereotypes." (Key findings, page 19-20)
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"In dieser Studie werden Möglichkeiten zur Integration von Genderaspekten in die Projektarbeit und insbesondere in die IKT-gestützte berufliche Qualifizierung untersucht. Projekte der beruflichen Qualifizierung nehmen in besonderem Maß Einfluss auf den Sozialisationsprozess von Männern und Fraue
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n. Technologiebasierte oder vorwiegend technische Projekte sind hierbei keine Ausnahme. Auch sie werden von Menschen geplant und durchgeführt und spiegeln daher bewusst oder unbewusst die Gender-Stereotypen der Beteiligten und der Zielgruppen wider. Projekte, die diese Tatsache ignorieren und Genderaspekte gar nicht oder nur teilweise berücksichtigen, üben einen unkontrollierten Einfluss auf die Geschlechter-Verhältnisse der Zielgruppe aus. Eine systematische Anwendung des Gender-Mainstreaming-Ansatzes (Integration von Genderaspekten während aller Projektphasen und auf allen Organisationsebenen) bietet die Möglichkeit, bestehende Ungleichheiten zu identifizieren, gezielt anzugehen und zu beheben. In diesem Sinne werden in der vorliegenden Publikation verschiedene Aktivitäten identifiziert, die als Instrumente zur Umsetzung von Gender-Mainstreaming angewendet werden können. Aufgrund ihrer Vielseitigkeit können diese Instrumente sowohl bei der Organisationsentwicklung als auch bei der strategischen sektoralen Planung sowie der Projektentwicklung, -durchführung und -auswertung Anwendung finden." (Zusammenfassung, Seite 6)
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