While the existence of a “digital divide” between ICT “haves” and “have nots” exists, the additional gender divide is often overlooked and women, particularly women in developing countries, are far less able to benefit from and influence the male-dominated ICT development than their male counterparts. Through skills diffusion and capacity building, the Feminist Tech Exchange (FTX) seeks to empower women’s rights organisations, advocates and feminists sidelined in the growth of the global digital commons. The Exchange has been developed in response to the expressed needs of feminist and women’s rights movements for greater understanding of emerging ICT and applications. At the same time, the Exchange is an opportunity to foster exchange between feminist and women’s rights movements and the ICT4D community through the participation of individuals involved in ICT for development projects who are looking to get a stronger understanding and integration of gender analysis and feminist values within their work.

ItrainOnline is a partnership involving eight organisations with particular experience in capacity building in development contexts. It aims to assist civil society organizations (CSOs) and other development actors in developing countries to confront the challenges posed by new information and communications technologies (ICTs). In seeking to overcome skills gaps in development, it connects people and know-how with the needs of ICT learners and trainers.

The ItrainOnline Multimedia Training Kit (MMTK) is a collection of workshop kits to help trainers working with telecentres, NGOs, community media organisations and the development sector to present effective training courses on a wide range of ICTs and non-ICT topics.

Marginalised women, teenage girls and women in armed conflict in more than ten countries will be the people most likely to benefit in a project launched in January 2009 by the APC women’s programme to tackle what the UN has called a “global epidemic of violence against women”.

In order to reduce poverty and foster inclusive development through affordable access to the internet, APC is working on a resource kit for realising a universal access agenda, present promising options, experiences, lessons and opportunities in pro-poor access provision in developing societies.

The Rapid Response Network (RRN) is an initiative that is aimed towards ensuring that rights of expression, communication, association and protest on the Internet are protected. More specifically, to enable people and organisations to use information and communications technologies for social justice and equality. APC has long been concerned with trends that show that such rights are being violated. As one response, some APC members and partners, have decided to act as a “Rapid Response Network” (RRN). Members of this network have the ability to rapidly mirror a threatened website throughout the world, and raise awareness about the issues involved.

“Take Back The Tech!” is a global campaign by APC WNSP during the 16 days of activism against gender violence each year. Starting in 2006, the campaign calls for everyone – especially women and grrls – to reclaim technology for the fight against violence against women – using cell phones, instant messengers, blogs, websites, digital cameras, email, podcasts and more. It creates awareness on how ICT are connected to violence against women, strengthens the ICT capacity of women’s rights advocates, creates original and varied content and is building a community to strategise around eliminating violence against women through digital platforms. Different groups, organisations, networks and individuals have also initiated local “Take Back The Tech!” campaigns to further advocacy and urgent issues on violence against women and ICT in their specific context.

While the media sings the praises of Facebook and YouTube for social networking online, APC is concerned with what web2.0 tools can do for people who don’t have good internet access and equipment. In mid 2007, APC joined a partnership of like-minded organisations with which it organised a large conference around this preoccupation. At the same time, APC started working on several initiatives related to the application of web2.0 tools for development work.