Front cover -- About the editors -- More praise for Women and ICT in Africa and the Middle East -- Title page -- Copyright information -- Table of contents -- Foreword -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- The time and space we live in -- Research for the purpose of social transformation -- Gender and ICT4D research: conforming, reforming and transforming -- Researching for or researching with? -- This book -- The chapters -- Part one - Agentic ICT use: the aspiration for emancipation versus the power of gender traditions -- Part two - Developing critical voice in and through safe ICT-created space -- Part three - ICT-enhanced relating and becoming: personal and social transformation -- The seeds of transformation in connection -- Notes -- References -- ONE Agentic ICT use: the aspiration for emancipation versus the power of gender traditions -- 1 Healthy women, healthy society: ICT and the need for women's empowerment in Yemen -- Introduction -- Study rationale -- Research approach -- Findings from the pre- and post-intervention questionnaires -- Processing health information -- What are women's sources for obtaining reproductive health ­information? -- Making health decisions -- Who was/were the decision-maker(s) in the family pertaining to women's reproductive health care? -- Reflection on the quantitative results -- Findings from the interviews -- Roles of ICTs in women's lives -- A role for ICTs in obtaining health information? -- Health decision-making -- Poverty -- Health care, self-care? -- Discussion -- Conclusions and recommendations -- Notes -- References -- 2 Computer proficiency and women's empowerment: gendered experiences of ICT at the University of Khartoum -- Introduction -- Methodology -- Results -- ICT access and skill: gender differences -- Perceptions and inferiority -- A 'gender-neutral' policy in a gendered context.

Female student computer proficiency -- Discussion -- Social norms and their effect on capability -- Students' sense of well-being in relation to their agency -- Implications of women's perceptions of their capabilities and functionings -- Women taking the opportunity: greater self-confidence and technological engagement -- Conclusions and recommendations -- References -- 3 Towards non-gendered ICT education: the hidden curriculum at the National University of Science and Technology in Zimbabwe -- Introduction -- Research methods -- Results: what did we learn? -- Gendered career distribution -- The stereotype that female students are incapable of learning programming -- Lecturers' gendered performance expectations and student support -- Female students do not participate in class -- Female students who excelled in programming -- Support from lecturers -- Industrial attachments (internships) -- Availability of resources -- Rising to the challenge -- Computing lecturers gain awareness of their sexist attitude and its effects -- Discussion: impact on the female students' career choices -- Conclusions and recommendations -- References -- 4 Equal opportunities on an unequal playing field: the potential for social change in the ICT workplace -- Introduction -- Research methodology -- ICT work demands -- Gender awareness among HR managers -- Reflections on support and profitability -- Going beyond obscurity: understanding choices and the concept of gender equality -- Conclusions and recommendations -- Notes -- References -- 5 Can new practice change old habits? ICT and female politicians' decision-making in Senegal -- Introduction -- Theoretical framework and methodological approach -- About equality and parity: towards reducing gender inequality -- Research findings -- Politics, gender and the sociocultural order -- Scope and limits of the use of ICT.

Discussion -- Conclusions and recommendations -- Notes -- References -- 6 Personal expansion versus traditional gender stereotypes: Tunisian university women and ICT -- Introduction -- Research methodology -- Research findings -- Gender-sensitive ICT policy does not ensure equality of use, mastery or benefit -- Personal and professional development in ICT: between renunciation and the desire for advanced performance -- Dreams of performance while maintaining the stereotypes -- Women's acceptance of their condition is a major obstacle to their emancipation -- Conclusions -- Integrating ICTs into existing gendered relationships contributes to ­stabilization of gendered relationships instead of ... -- The path towards change -- Recommendations -- Note -- References -- 7 Hiba's quest for freedom: ICT and gender-based violence in Yemen -- Introduction -- Background: social context -- Methodology -- What our intervention meant for Hiba -- Hiba's story -- Childhood, marriage and asking for a divorce -- Building an independent life: the request for divorce continues -- Hiba continues her quest to get a divorce -- Still not free … -- Discussion -- Conclusion -- Acknowledgements -- Notes -- References -- TWO Developing critical voice in and through safe ICT-created space -- 8 ICT in a time of sectarian violence: reflections from Kafanchan, northern Nigeria -- Introduction -- Methodology -- Findings: the role of communication -- Discussion -- Conclusion -- Recommendations -- Notes -- References -- 9 Disconnecting from and in the public sphere, connecting online: Young Egyptian women expand their self-knowing beyond cultural ... -- Introduction -- Cultural influences -- Research methodology -- Research findings: what we learnt together -- Family influences: confidante or critic -- Disconnecting from and in the public sphere: connecting online.

Learning to trust, share and be visible -- What it means: building greater self-knowing, self-valuing and agency -- Becoming self-aware -- Understanding and growing out of harmful social adherence -- Social implications of self-knowing -- Notes -- References -- 10 Teenage girls' sexting in Cape Town, South Africa: a child-centred and feminist approach -- Introduction -- Adolescent sex and sexting -- The South African context -- Misogyny on the Internet and in society -- Commercial sexualization of women -- Socio-sexual anxiety around sexual freedom for girls and women -- Methodology -- Findings -- Sexting experiences and perspectives -- A space for sexual exploration and agency -- Online communication enhances privacy and control -- Everybody does it -- There has to be trust -- From intimacy to pornography? -- Rights to sexual pleasure and desire -- How to celebrate my body? -- Protection or judgement? -- Mapping a script for girlhood sexuality -- Discussion -- Is female agency possible in a patriarchal society? -- Digital literacy -- Emotional literacy -- Towards a visionary discourse and methodology -- Conclusion -- Recommendations -- Notes -- References -- 11 Of browsing and becoming: young Yemeni women enhance their self-awareness and leadership capacities -- Introduction -- Research methods -- Findings -- Discussion -- Conclusion -- Recommendations -- References -- 12 ICT in the search for gender freedoms: Jordanian university students think, talk and change -- Research methods -- Results -- Becoming aware of who we are and what we want -- The power of our ICT-enriched space -- Discussion -- References -- 13 Scheherazades of today: young Palestinian women use technology to speak up and effect change -- Introduction -- Research context and methodology -- Raising awareness -- Excoboard: a haven for liberating voices.

Addressing the public: sharing and celebrating -- Conclusion -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 14 Jordanian bloggers: a journey of speaking back to the politics of silence, shame and fear -- References -- THREE ICT-enhanced relating and becoming: personal and social transformation -- 15 Sex, respect and freedom from shame: Zambian women create space for social change through social networking -- Introduction -- Research focus -- Research methodology -- Research findings -- Religion and culture keep the sexes divided and women submissive and inferior -- Freedom of association, sex and social networks -- Threats to freedom of expression on the Internet -- Discussion -- Anonymity and freedom of expression -- Freedom, reflexivity and self-awareness -- Female sexual agency -- Conclusion -- Recommendations -- Implement a new people-driven constitution in Zambia -- Safeguarding of women's welfare in cyberspace -- Basic literacy -- Notes -- References -- 16 Ancient culture and new technology: ICT and a future free from FGM/C for girls in Sudan -- Introduction -- FGM/C in Sudan -- Methodology -- First-phase findings -- The custom that is bigger than the law -- The majority of men are against it -- 'I could not convince my mother and/or mother-in-law' -- Men, women and sex -- The role of midwives -- Betrayal of trust and intimacy -- Working with the youth -- Appreciating the sharing, needing more information -- First-phase findings -- Second phase: interventions and findings -- A radio show hosting a religious debate between a moderate and a fundamentalist religious leader -- A website -- An interactive radio show for rural areas -- Discussion -- Ambivalence and dissonance -- Working with dissonance as an opportunity for reflection, communication and critical agency.

ICT-based and ICT-enhanced action research can accommodate individual needs and possibilities.