Research Reports

Feminist Visions of the Network Society: Forthcoming publication consolidating insights from the CITIGEN-Asia programme

IT for Change has entered into an agreement with Zubaan, a leading feminist publishing house in India, to bring out a book – 'Feminist Visions of the Network Society' – that consolidates key insights from the various research efforts undertaken as part of its 'Gender and Citizenship in the  information society' (CITIGEN-Asia) programme. The book is planned as an edited volume of 14 essays which will specifically explore how modes of agency and active citizenship are re-cast in the network society context, in which the increasing fluidity of the boundaries between the 'online' and the 'off-line' leads to the emergence of new spaces for political action. The book is expected to be published in early 2014. For more details, see the concept note and the book of abstracts.

 

Key Findings from the CITIGEN Programme

Anita Gurumurthy and Nandini Chami

This is a summary report from IT for Change, presenting the key research insights arising out of the 5 research projects and 6 think-pieces commissioned as part of the CITIGEN programme.

Read the summary report.

 

 

 

 

Empowering women leaders at the local level - India Research Report

The project 'Empowering Women Leaders at the Local Level: Translating Descriptive Representation to Substantive Representation through ICTs' explores the creation of a new technologically mediated ‘invented space’ for women’s empowerment for revitalising ‘invited spaces’ of governance and to enable their active civic and political engagement at the local level in Kerala, India. It seeks the possibility of building solidarity across differences among women through the creation of Gramamukya, a digital platform, as a ‘communication community’ within the emerging transnational public sphere.

Read India's Research Report.

Learn more about the project

 

Bringing the local and the intimate to the national and institutional - Philippines Research Report

This feminist action research project attempts to provide a platform, through an online magazine, for the experiences, needs, desires and analysis of marginalised women, men and youth in the Philippines, within the theme of sexual and reproductive health services and rights. The project aimed to influence lawmakers both directly and through public opinion by bringing forth stories and accounts of those community members most in need of sexual and reproductive health services and rights (SRHR), and that this increased voice and visibility could possibly lead into the passing of a reproductive health law.

Read Philippines's Research Report

Learn more about the project.

 

Women's online participation and the transformation of citizenship - China Research Report

This study explores the dynamics of the emergence of multiple counter and alternative public spheres in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, two distinctive Chinese societies under the regimes of post-colonialism and authoritarianism. The research examines the uses of new media and technologies among different social agents - women's organisations and activists - in community building and campaigns for social justice. This research examines closely the appropriation of the Internet technology by women from different social positions. With attention to the political dynamics and structures, it attempts to reflect upon and re-strategise feminist practice in engaging with local politics through new media.

Read China's Research Report

Learn more about the project.

 

The draft research reports of the other research teams can be accessed below:

  1. Research paper from the Sri Lanka research project. Learn more about the project.

  2. Research paper from the Hong Kong - Taiwan research project. Learn more about the project.