Discourses on Technology Policy in the Middle East and North Africa: Gender Mainstreaming vs. Local Knowledge

Abstract

UN leaders seek to promote gender equality by mandating that policymakers assess the implications for women and men of any planned action, including any legislation, policy, or program before it is implemented. We consider challenges posed by this ideal—gender mainstreaming (GM)—within an analysis of the gender inclusivity in information and communication technology (ICT) in the Middle East and North Africa. We compare discourses surrounding issues of gender raised by the UN and other policy-making bodies striving to implement GM and to contrast the successful implementation of local knowledge in development of communication technologies by grassroots and women's organizations.