As governments transition towards e-government in Asia and the Pacific, there is growing acknowledgement of the role that e-government could play to harness ICTs for women’s empowerment and gender equality. However, much of e-government policy and implementation still do not take into account the differentiated access to, and impact of, technology for men and women. Recognizing the potential of e-government for women’s empowerment, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) undertook a project in 2014–2015 on “E-Government for Women’s Empowerment in the Asia Pacific”, in partnership with UNPOG. The project aims to enhance knowledge and awareness of good practices of gender-responsive policies, programmes and strategies in e-government, in order to help build the capacity of governments to harness this tool towards women’s empowerment.

 

The final e-report which is the final outcome of the above mentioned UNPOG-UNESCAP Joint Project Phase on e-government for women's empowerment is published. The report identifies how e-government can enhance women's empowerment in three key areas of service delivery, citizen uptake and connectivity, drawing on 12 case studies from 5 countries (Australia, Fiji, India, the Philippines and the Republic of Korea). 

 

The report also sets the foundations for the next phase of the Joint Project, to develop training of trainer modules to enhance the capacity of governments to develop gender-responsive e-government policies and services.

 

The report can be accessed via:
http://egov4women.unescapsdd.org/