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Transforming Our Gendered World Through
Research-Informed Action
 

How do women in Africa and the Middle East use information and communication technologies (ICTs) to improve their lives? What barriers prevent many African and Middle Eastern women from doing so, and how are they surmounting these barriers?

The Gender Research in Africa into ICTs for Empowerment (GRACE) project was initiated in 2005 involving 14 research teams in 12 countries to find answers to questions like these. This stimulated the formation of an African network of gender and ICT researchers.  In March 2008 the GRACE project entered a second phase, continuing to involve the network of the research teams in Africa, and introducing the project to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.  Thirty researchers from 7 countries met in Yemen in December 2008 to initiate their research processes and the Gender ICT Research in the Arab World network.  Over time both networks will expand to include many other individuals and organizations throughout Africa and the Middle East. Their work is building a substantial body of research on how African and Arab women access and use ICTs, which will influence policies and interventions to help reduce the obstacles women currently encounter.

The findings emerging from the first research phase have been captured in African Women and ICTs: Investigating Technology, Gender and Empowerment, published by Zed Books. Electronic access to our book is provided by co-publisher International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and distribution in Africa is by the University of South Africa Press (UNISA Press). The book was released in April 2009.

GRACE Africa research teams are located in the countries that appear in deep red. Links from each country will take you to information about the research project and GRACE researchers located there. GRACE research teams in the Middle East and North Africa are located in the countries that appear in blue. They are also linked to the researchers working in those countries. Further information about the research teams and their projects is forthcoming.

 

 

Grace is an initiative envisioned and funded by
the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), developed by Research For the Future (RFF) and managed by The GRACE Project Voluntary Association
.
Grace est une initiative initiée et financée parle Centre de recherches pour le développement international (CRDI), développée par Research For the Future,
et gérée par l'Association Volontaire Projet de GRACE .