Publications

Publications

Empowering Women Entrepreneurs through Information and Communications Technologies

Empowering Women Entrepreneurs through Information and Communications Technologies

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are emerging as increasingly valuable business tools for women entrepreneurs in developing countries. The rapidly changing ICT landscape, the influx of new innovations, infrastructure challenges and their interface with persisting age-long barriers relating to socio-cultural norms, and institutional, systemic and legal gender inequalities which have impeded women’s potential to start and grow their businesses is a complex terrain. Compounded by the scarcity of data on women’s entrepreneurship and ICTs, gaining a clear picture of the status of women entrepreneurs and their use of ICTs is often difficult for policymaking purposes. This Guide has been produced by UNCTAD in collaboration with the ILO to help bring clarity to some of the key underlying ICT dynamics that are of relevance for women’s entrepreneurship and to set out a method for conducting an assessment which integrates these dimensions.

Gender Finance