Furthermore, Women are crucial to the transformation of our world. The Millennium Development Goals fortunately acknowledge both the importance of the contributions women, as people and as women, are making to the well-being of humanity, while at the same time acknowledging the fact that women are facing very specific, human made challenges, because they are women. Because of their capacities and roles as care givers and care takers, women are instrumental to the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger (MDG 1), the achievement of universal primary education (MDG 2), the reduction of child mortality (MDG 4) and the struggle against HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases (MDG 6). At the same time, the world is still not a safe and nurturing environment for women themselves. This understanding of a dual reality -- recognizing aspects and areas of women’s expertise and at the same time areas where women could benefit from support -- is found in the research topics and research questions of the GRACE researchers.

Through the use of Information and Communication Technologies we have transformed the way we think and interact with each other in many areas of our lives. And here too, a dual focus is called for to understand the areas and aspects of women’s utilization of these technologies, and to see where women could benefit from support in countering gender discrimination.