Natalia Domagala
20 Mar 2019, 3 p.m. Room CC9, Level -1 (Conference Centre)
Improving the lives of women through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is a prominent feature of the global policy and Civic Tech agenda, particularly in countries with low female labour and political participation such as Kosovo.
This research looks at grassroots programmes run by Girls Coding Kosova and Open Data Kosovo, which teach young women advanced ICT skills and the use of Open Data. It seeks to explore to what extent such programmes contribute to the empowerment of women in the ICT sector in Kosovo.
The paper answers this question by assessing disempowering factors and analysing the strengths and limitations of the programmes in empowering women in technological, social, psychological and political spheres.
The study provides practical insights for policymakers and practitioners on how to improve the effectiveness of ICT skills and Civic Tech programmes and their ability to create broader social benefits. Moreover, it situates Open Data within a broader context of ICT-enabled empowerment of women.