The Emergence of Women in Indian Newsrooms

The number of women working in Indian newsrooms has increased from 12 percent in 1990 to nearly 50 percent today, and the editor of the country’s largest Gujarti-language paper says that number will increase to 70 percent within a decade. The increased presence of women in Indian newsrooms must be seen in terms of development as India attempts to develop fully its human capital. Indian women were once not accepted in traditionally male industries like the media, but now they are accepted. In part, this has occurred because of economic liberalization and cultural liberalization. The influx of foreign-owned business and the bombardment of Western media messages have opened media to female workers. Media are seen as part of the glamour industry, and many women see journalism as a door to jobs with higher societal status – such as public relations and the law. That is, for potentially higher paying and more glamorous jobs. Thus, a major issue today is retention. At the same time, women in India media say they face a glass ceiling that blocks their avenue for advancement into upper management. This study examines the understandings and attitudes that women journalists have toward their increasingly feminine work environment and toward their increasingly feminized profession.

Saudi Women and the Internet: Gender and Culture Issues

The development of information and communication technology (ICT), particularly the Internet, has had a dramatic impact on every aspect of peopleís lives. In the case of Saudi women and the Internet there has so far been very little research. This study set out to gain a picture of factors associated with, and influencing, Saudi womenís use of the Internet with a particular focus on gender and culture issues. Seven hundred ninety three (793) university students (532 female and 261 male) were surveyed, and findings show that there are significant gender differences with respect to Internet use and attitudes.

Gender and the Digital Divide in Greece: Issues of Women's Access to ICTs

The Arab Human Development Report showed that disempowerment of women is the main cause for human poverty and underdevelopment within the Arab region. Disempowerment is due to the ignorance of women of their legal rights and entitlements. The Gender Equality Task Force Plan, as part of the UN Millennium Project, which was set to help developing countries meet their developing goals, states that improving the rights of women would help reduce poverty and empower women in developing societies. The Task Force Plan includes creating education and employment opportunities for women and promoting their legal literacy. These goals would be achieved through UNDP’s Regional Program ICTDAR (Information and Communication Technologies for development in the Arab Region).

ICTDAR was established in Cairo in October 2003. The objective of ICTDAR was to assist Arab States in harnessing ICT to reduce poverty and improve both public administration performance and private sector hold and expansion. Covering all Arab countries, ICTDAR’s key areas of intervention are the result of an extensive dialogue with a large cross-section of stakeholder engaged in the region. ICTDAR main priorities and pillars for progress include: raising awareness, campaigns development and participation, capacity development & strategy implementation, pro-poor growth and employment generation. ICTDAR is “human development” driven through the active use of ICT to build, develop and sustain knowledge acquisition and utilization.