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In depth

Not too young to run: Politics, gender and social media in Nigeria

Posted Thu 13 Dec 2018 - 05:05 | 6,889 views

Social media and technology is transforming democracy and particularly how voting takes place. In Nigeria a bill was proposed to lower the age of running for public office. Here are short interviews with candidates for public office and for the office of the President, including young women, and their take on Nigeria, representation of women, social meida and its role in politics and movements…

Publication

Mapping research on gender and digital technology

Posted Tue 3 Jul 2018 - 08:04 | 3,242 views

The emerging sub-field of research around gender and digital technology is united in its understanding that gender biases and stereotypes are embedded in technology, and that this reproduces the existing problems around gender parity, gender-based violence, discrimination and exclusion on the internet. This report is a mapping of the research around gender and digital technology in the decade…

Image description: Illustration of person captioned coming out

Feminist talk

My Little Corner of The Internet: The Role of Finstas in The Lives of Queer, Black Africans

Posted Wed 26 Jun 2019 - 06:56 | 4,759 views

The internet is made up of many kinds of spaces knitted together - from the public to somewhat private to the many grey zones in between. Here is how queer black people find public corners for celebrating and self-care through Finstas.

Feminist talk

Talking community networks at AfChix TechWomen Summit 2018

Posted Tue 29 May 2018 - 05:30 | 5,988 views
In this report back from AfChix TechWomen Summit 2018, Kazanka Comfort talks about the inclusion of young women in science and tehcnology programs in university, discussions around the possibilities offered by community networks to own and manage infrastructure by the people. In particular Kazanka looks at how women are affected by sectarian conflict and working with ICTs and training in…

Feminist talk

[COLUMN] How womxn in the Global South are RECLAIMING SOCIAL MEDIA to celebrate being queer

Posted Fri 22 Sep 2017 - 03:36 | 7,788 views
In her third column, Samukelisiwe Mabaso explores how groups and people, artists and performers who are lesbian, gay, bisexual are using the internet and social media to spread messages about love, diversity, and acceptance. This includes projects like Coalition for African Lesbians, Gaysi, Ahwaa and others.

Feminist talk

[COLUMN] Access and Beyond (5): How do we address the gender question?

Posted Thu 17 Aug 2017 - 03:59 | 6,134 views
In this last column by Chenai Chair following the gender implications of the research by Research ICT Africa on access, she explores how researchers and activists can proactively explore gender dimensions. Even as ITU figures point to a progressively increasing gender digital divide, there are steps to take to understand and address this divide.

Feminist talk

[COLUMN] Access and beyond (4): Gendered barriers to internet use

Posted Fri 14 Jul 2017 - 03:53 | 6,959 views
Gendered barriers to internet access can range from social and cultural barriers imposed within family or by partners to extraneous factors relevant to all - such as affordability of data and devices. In this column Chenai Chair examines the specificity of how access is different for women and men.

Feminist talk

[COLUMN] Access and Beyond (3): Navigating mobile costs in communication

Posted Thu 15 Jun 2017 - 11:38 | 6,762 views
Africa is flooded with zero rating services such as Free Basics (Facebook’s zero rating scheme) and other subsidised data strategies. Do these schemes make internet more affordable and bring access to more people? In this column Chenai Chair examines whether ordinary people perceive such schemes as useful.

Feminist talk

[COLUMN] Access and Beyond (2): Motivations for internet use

Posted Thu 11 May 2017 - 03:32 | 6,856 views
In this column, Chenai Chair explores motivations of internet use through the ResearchICT Africa study in Rwanda, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa. Business, local and global communication, social ties, and curiosity seem to be the main motivators. By understanding why people go online, we can better shape interventions for a connected society.

Feminist talk

[COLUMN] Access and beyond (1): Navigating the gendered cyberspace

Posted Wed 12 Apr 2017 - 05:18 | 5,917 views

In this column series, Chenai Chair explores the barriers to accessing the internet in four countries in Africa - Rwanda, Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya. The study in particular looks at the impact of affordability of internet and subsidised data services, and what impact this has on people in different locations (countries, urban-rural), of different genders, and so on. In the first column,…