Two of MATRIX's primary goals are to use Internet technologies to increase the democratic flow of information and to increase democratic participation. As such, the Center has conducted several Internet Workshops with these goals in mind. For example, "The Internet and Women's Democratic Organizing" project seeks to facilitate women's social and political activism and regional networking through Internet technologies. Two three-week workshops took place in May 2000, 2001, and 2002 with participants attending from the West African countries of Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria, and Mali.
Below is a list of annotated online resources which speak to the variety of work and research in the area of gender and technology, the importance of such research and training, and statistics on the digital divide. For more information, see the PBS site on the digital divide http://www.pbs.org/digitaldivide/links.html#fp)
Bibliography
International Issues (top)
Gender, Information Technology, & Developing Countries: An Analytic Study
gendertechstudy.pdf
This study on the current situation of gender, information, and technology in
developing countries includes sections on: obstacles to women's access, the
impact of information on women's work, economic empowerment through Information
Technology, women's political empowerment through technology, ensuring women's
ability to take advantage of technology, as well as a section on how to provide
technological opportunities to women (policy, infrasturcture, education, skills,
and access for poor women). This also includes summaries about why we should
be concerned about gender and technology in developing countries and the current
situation of gender and Information Technology in developing countries.
IWHC: International Women's Health Coalition
http://www.iwhc.org/
"IWHC works to generate health and population policies, programs, and funding
that promote and protect the rights and health of girls and women worldwide,
particularly in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and countries in postsocialist
transition." This site provides information about "Information Technology
and Adolescent Sexuality and Repreoductive Health Workshops.
IHRLG: International Human Rights Law Group
http://www.hrlawgroup.org/country_programs/morocco/access.asp
"IHRLG IN MOROCCO: Facilitating Access to and Exchange of Information.
Access to information empowers women to work for change. To facilitate Moroccan
women's access to up-to-date resources on human rights and international law,
IHRLG operates a multi-lingual, multi-media resource center in Rabat. In addition,
we distribute updates on women's legal issues and NGO activities nationally
and internationally to NGOs across Morocco through a weekly e-mail listserv.
Our listserv also helps raise international awareness of women's rights concerns
in Morocco and connect Moroccan groups with their international counterparts."
Technology and Gender Equity (top)
Women in the Computer Industry (top)
National Information Resources (top)
National Training Resources (top)