The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) and the Humanist Institute for Cooperation with Developing Countries (Hivos) are inviting applications for the second round of the GenARDIS small grants programme.

Most technological innovations affect men and women differently, and ICTs are no exception. In addition to the urban-rural 'digital divide', there is a further digital divide that adversely affects women, who make up the majority of the rural poor in developing countries. Compared to men, rural women in the ACP regions are much less likely to access new technologies because they are generally less educated and hold less economic and political power than men. Women, with their special responsibilities for children and the elderly, find it less easy than men to migrate to towns and cities. The urban bias in connectivity thus deprives women, more than men, of the universal right to communicate. While women make up the majority of people in rural areas of developing countries and play a central role in agriculture, issues of language, literacy, etc. are compounded by their already heavy workload that limits the time available to use modern ICTs, and by cultural attitudes that prevent them from visiting public access points mostly frequented by men. Other important challenges include limited time availability to participate in training and use of ICTs, and lack of awareness of the opportunities available.

In recognition of the dilemma between a potentially powerful set of tools - ICTs - and their failure to reach the majority of the poor in ACP countries - rural women - CTA, IDRC, IICD and Hivos invite proposals to the GenARDIS Small Grants Fund to support innovative activities that contribute to the understanding of gender issues in ICTs and to the gender-sensitive application of ICTs in ACP agricultural and rural development.

Gender is the term used to refer to the socially constructed relations between women and men in a particular society. These relations, and the roles women and men may assume, are culturally and institutionally embedded. Biological sex refers to being male or female; gender as a social identity changes over time (historically) and space (geographically). Therefore the gender roles of men or women in one society may differ from those in another, and they may differ even within one society, depending on other socio-economic criteria. The concept of gender recognises that women and men are not homogeneous groups. Differences in age, class, race and ethnicity, and disability status cut across human society and affect status, power and access to resources.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can be interpreted broadly as technologies that facilitate communication and the processing and transmission of information by electronic means. This definition encompasses the full range of ICTs, from radio and television to telephones (fixed and mobile), computers and the Internet. In development contexts, the interface with traditional communications systems and tools is also important, as are applications in areas like agriculture, business, governance, health, and education.

Proposals can be aimed at

• understanding gender differences in the use of ICTs;
• promoting ICT use among rural women (sensitization);
• improving rural women's access to ICTs ;
• improving the skills and capacities of rural women in using ICTs;
• increasing the attractiveness of ICTs for rural women by providing relevant content;
• mainstreaming gender concerns in ICT policy and projects;
• using ICTs for gender advocacy purposes

Submissions will be judged according to the following criteria:

• Innovativeness
• Clearly outlines and addresses gender issues, i.e., the socially constructed relations between women and men in a particular society
• ICT-enabled
• Agricultural or agro-linked rural development context
• Proposal clearly states objectives, includes a methodology/implementation strategy, identifies outputs, partners/stakeholders and includes a timeline and budget
• Realistic within budgetary and time constraints

This is a competitive call for applications for 10 non-renewable grants of up to 5,000 Euros. The deadline for receipt of applications is 25 February 2005. An expert panel will judge the submissions. Announcement of the successful applicants is expected to be made on 11 April 2005. Successful applicants will be expected to write a comprehensive report on their project results, experiences and use of the funds and contribute to a workshop to be held in late 2005. All submissions must be received before the deadline (25 February 2005). Submissions via e-mail are preferred.

E-mail applications should be sent to GenARDIS@cta.int

Submissions by post should be sent to:
GenARDIS Small Grants Fund
c/o Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET)
Attn. Dr. Dorothy Okello
P.O. Box 4411
Kampala, Uganda
Fax: + 256 (0)41 234924

---

For more information about the sponsors of this project see the following websites.

Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EC (CTA)
www.cta.int
International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
www.idrc.ca
International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD)
www.iicd.org
Humanist Institute for Cooperation with Developing Countries (Hivos)
www.hivos.nl

---