Gender Equity and the Use of ICT in Education

This essay on gender equity and the use of ICTs in education looks at how ICTs are being used by girls and women in the education space in the focus countries. Gender disparity is a critical issue in all focus countries, except perhaps the Maldives and Sri Lanka to an extent. Most countries in the region are characterized by low female literacy levels, lower participation in the labor force, and lower representation in the administrative and political arena. This essay discusses the potential of ICTs for ensuring gender equity as well as the policy level decisions required to mainstream gender in the initiatives and schemes formulated by the government. It profiles a few initiatives in the different focus countries where ICTs are being used either to promote education among girls and women or to improve their livelihood chances.