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This book aims to document and analyse emerging experiences in the field of gender, ICT and develoment, and addresses policy, programmatic and theoretical issues and debates. Case studies explore the use of satellites, mobile telephones, wireless networks and applications such as Internet, email, distance learning, teleworking, digital radio and video. Some conclusions from the case studies are that: ICTs are not gender-neutral, because women seek to use them to break out of systematic discrimmination, and even gender violence; women use ICTs transform low-tech projects into more strategic initiatives that address gender inequities; links to policy and control of communication networks, of both new and conventional media are evident. The editors argue that there is a need to go beyond simply "women and technology" to focus on gender relations in communication and learning

This publication, a UN ICT Task Force Working Group Paper, brings together case studies of local initiatives which highlight innovation in meeting the information and communication needs in developing countries. Seven papers explore connectivity and access issues in different countries. Papers on Benin and Cameroon are in French

The article describes the SATELLIFE Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) Project that explored questions related to the selection and design of appropriate, affordable technology and locally relevant content for use in African healthcare environment. The project was specifically targeted at assessing the usefulness of the PDA for (1) data collection and (2) information dissemination. This report describes a number of valuable lessons leaned from the project that can be applied to further deployment of PDAs in developing countries. A number of obstacles to technology use have also been identified, which will need to be overcome in order to promote the widespread adoption of the technology in this context

BI Accra, implemented by BusyInternet International, is an incubator for ICT companies that gives local businesses and the general public affordable and reliable access to ICT. BusyInternet revamped an old two-storey building and created Internet access halls that house 100 flat-screen personal computers and 15 wired offices. The building has a VSAT Internet connection and 1 megabyte of bandwidth -- which costs US$8,000 a month, plus a yearly licence fee to the government of US$2,000 -- a back-up power system, and an internal network. The centre is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and gets about 1800 visitors per day. It provides affordable service that makes it sustainable and also offers social services at low or no cost to those visiting the centre for HIV/AIDS and "Internet-for-Beginners" workshops. It's skill building programme on use of ICTs to local people is crucial in enabling people to use ICTs for communication. It is a good case study of private sector enterprise involvement with social and health programmes.

This study on how disabled people experience community-based rehabilitation, based on the experience of the users themselves, is a useful resource for CBR managers and policy makers

A report of the project 'Inclusive Schools and Community Support Programmes' with country reports from eleven countries. The case studies provide policy-makers, educationalists and practitioners with an overview about the stages of setting up inclusive education programmes

Describes the progress and lessons learned from a project in Ghana to develop appropriate health education materials. The training of supervisors and trainers in participatory facilitation skills was identified as a key issue: 'the production of the materials [using participatory approaches] without training on how to use them will not yield the desired results'