Cogburn, Addom, and Mwangi – Gender in Global ICT Governance
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(Krasner, 1986, 1991; Cowhey, 1992; Cogburn, 2003; Braman, 2004), international conferences play
a critical role, particularly those international conferences that bring together policy-actors from
multiple sectors and involve them in formal and informal negotiations. These international
conferences provide a location for contestation and convergence around the specific policy
preferences that will shape the principles, values, norms, and rules of the emerging
cyberinfrastructure regime (Cogburn, 2004).
Problem
As the demand for gender equality continues to spread across international boundaries,
advocates have diversified their strategies and goals. These include women’s participation in
multilateral processes through transnational networks, national advocacy rooted in international
agreements, and the roles of transnational non-state actors in setting the international and national
agendas for women (Florini 2000; Keck and Sikkink 1998). Many have also substituted the social
movement-based actions that have been developed under authoritarian rule for more structured
approaches (Schmitz 2004). However, to what extent have these advocacy efforts been diffused
into the ongoing policy contestation around the emerging international regime for the global
governance of information and communications technologies (Krasner, 1986, 1991; Cowhey, 1992;
Cogburn, 2003; Braman, 2004)? There is significant evidence to suggest that women are still
underrepresented in the fields of information and communication technologies, and as such may not
be engaged in these policy areas. Also, much of the excellent literature examining these larger
questions of gender and political participation, have not focused on this specific policy domain, and
have left this area under-explored in empirical research.. There is a need for rigorous, large-scale
empirical studies of the role that gender plays in the global governance of information and
communications technologies. This study seeks to make a contribution to that research direction.
Convention