GENDER AND ICT IN EAST AND WEST AFRICA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Abstract

In 2015, the global community, via the United Nations, adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to provide strategic direction towards the elimination of global poverty, safeguarding the environment and ensuring improved levels of wellbeing for all. The transition from the previous international goals offers the opportunity to emphasize and engage with gendered concerns, that is, the nexus should propel the agenda for gender. Specific questions are raised to determine whether gender and information and communication technologies (ICT) work towards the SDG. How can gender and ICT contribute to the SDG narrative, particularly in East and West Africa? These issues are analysed through a desktop review, using case studies, country reports, national, regional and continental policies. The findings reveal that inroads have been made to promote gender equality in ICT but these must be scaled up under the new dispensation of SDG. With this in mind, policy recommendations for improvement are offered.

Keywords

• Africa, gender, gender equality, development, information and communication technologies, sustainable development goals.