Links

Electronic Gender & Development Links

Here we list useful gender sites as well as development sites with a focus on gender. First we list the gender sites and below the development sites.

African Sites

South Africa

Women'sNet
The first place to visit for resources, links and information on Women in South Africa. Women'sNet is a vibrant and innovative networking support programme designed to enable South African women to use the Internet to find the people, issues, resources, tools and skills they need.

AGENDA
AGENDA is a feminist project in South Africa, started in 1987 to promote gender equality. It is committed to giving women a forum, a voice and skills to articulate their needs and interests towards transforming unequal gender relations. The journal is published four times a year and is available through subscription.

Behind the Mask
BEHIND THE MASK: A website on gay and lesbian affairs in (Southern) Africa. It is an independent non profit project from the Gay and Lesbian Archives of South Africa.

Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation Gender Unit
The purpose of the Gender Unit is the institutionalisation of a gender focus within the CSVR itself to ensure that all the organisation's projects are gender-inclusive and action research aimed at developing and evaluating a range of interventions such as training, public education and policy advocacy to prevent violence against women. The work involves training and education, research, policy and advocacy work and the unit has affiliations and alliances with various networks.

Commission on Gender Equality
The Commission on Gender Equality is one of the six State Institutions Supporting Constitutional Democracy called for in the 1996 Constitution. The aim of the Commission, as set out in section 119 of the Constitution is to promote gender equality and to advise and make recommendations to Parliament or any other legislature with regard to any laws or proposed legislation which affects gender equality and the status of women.

Community Agency for Social Enquiry (CASE)
CASE is an applied research NGO, working in the socio-economic, political and developmental fields in South Africa. Areas in which CASE work's include civil society and the state, development and poverty alleviation, education and gender. CASE's gender work includes the women's budget and gender violence. This web site includes selected publications, some of which are full text.

Gender Advocacy Programme
GAP is an independent no-partisan, advocacy and lobbying non-governmental, based in Cape Town. Their mission is to bridge the gap between women in civil society and structures of governance and to increase the participation of women in policy formulation and decision-making. Their main objective is to ensure that government policies, programmes and legislation contribute to a gender sensitive South Africa.

Ilitha Labantu
Ilitha Labantu is a South African community based organisation which focuses on the issue of violence against women and children. They believe that working together to end violence is vital for our communities. The name Ilitha Labantu is a Xhosa phrase, which, roughly translated means, "light to the people". Ilitha Labantu facilitate the discussion of issues surrounding domestic violence and promote a safe space where women can begin to support one another and search for solutions to the problem of women, young and old, being raped and abuse by their husbands, boyfriends, fathers, uncles, brothers and family friends.

Rape Crisis - Cape Town
Rape Crisis is a women's organisation committed to ending violence against women. Their web site provides organisational material as well as information on counselling, training and public awareness, advocacy and how to handle rape.

South African Women for Women
South African Women for Women is an organization dedicated to the empowerment of South African women -- those who live in South Africa and those who have settled in Canada -- by encouraging long-term systemic change. An organization of diverse women who provide mutual support and forums for networking. South African Women for Women has embarked on two ambitious education projects -- to provide scholarships for deserving women students to further their studies and a teacher mentoring program.

Women's Legal Centre
The Women's Legal Centre is a non-profit, independently funded law centre started by a group of women lawyers. The WLC has been established to advance women's rights by conducting constitutional litigation and advocacy on gender issues. This information-rich web site includes useful documents, the WLC newsletter, links, resources, cases and information on their seminars and workshops.

More African Sites

Abantu for Development
ABANTU for Development is a non-governmental organisation founded in 1991 by women, for the purpose of harnessing resources to the benefit of African people. Abantu means "people" in many languages, and symbolizes our people-centred philosophy. The main focus of Abantu's work is on training, providing information and advice on mobilising resources towards sustainable development in Africa.

African Centre for Women (ACW)
The African Centre for Women based in Ethiopia is a division within the Economic Commission for Africa. ACW is the regional Women in Development structure in the United Nations system in Africa. The Centre services national, regional and sub-regional structures involved in the advancement of women. Their web site includes the ACW's areas of focus, upcoming events, publications, information on the ECA 40th Anniversary. Online editions of GenderNet, the ACW Newsletter.

African Women's Media Centre
The African Women's Media Center (AWMC) is a project of the International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF). The IWMF was founded in 1990 with a mission of strengthening the role of women in the news media worldwide, based on the belief that no press is truly free unless women share an equal voice. The IWMF launched the AWMC in 1997 to provide African women journalists the training, resources and tools they need to compete equally with their male colleagues. Working with women's media networks, media associations, NGOs, media companies and individuals, the AWMC offers a wide range of programs for women journalists throughout Africa. Their web site is available in English and French.

Akina Mama wa Afrika
A Non-governmental Development Organisation for African Women. AMwA’s work is carried out through advocacy, research, provision of information, networking and training. AMwA’s programs fall under four key thematic areas: Community Development, Human Rights, Education and Research, International Development.

APC-Africa-Women
This site in French and English, presents documents produced from activities of the APC-Africa-Women Network. Content includes African Women's Online Spaces, documents on women and ICTs in Africa and information on the APC-Africa- Women Network

ARSRC
African Regional Sexuality Resource Centre - promotes informed public dialogue and opportunities for learning and advocacy on human sexuality to ensure positive changes in policies and programmes on sexuality issues in Africa. The ARSRC work covers the African continent but with particular focus on Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya and South Africa. The ARSRC also publishes a quarterly news letter, electronic and print in English and also runs capacity building programmes and seminar series.

Famafrique
A site in French which provdes a space for sharing information on issues affecting women and development in Francophone Africa

FEMNET
FEMNET stands for the African Women's Development and Communication Network. The Network, based in Kenya, is concerned with the sharing of information and ideas between African NGOs so as to enable a better and more effective NGO focus on women's development. The site provides information on FEMNET areas of activity, collaborative projects, FEMNET's contribution to the Beijing process and more. This site is in English and French.

Femshuleni
Basic Learning Competencies & Sexual Maturation & Practices Project This project is a research-based exploration of the acquisition of basic learning competencies, and the related issue of sexual maturation including practices in managing the attendant physiological processes for girls in Africa.

Flamme - Beijing Plus Five in Africa
Flamme is a network of African sisters online committed to strengthening the capacity of women through the use of ICTs to lobby, advocate and participate in the Beijing +5 process regionally and globally.The FLAMME: African Sisters On-Line Website was developed by 12 committed women's NGOs. Flamme serves as an electronic forum for women to share and exchange ideas, strategies, information and issues of concern to impact on the implementation of the Beijing platform for action.

Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE)
Hosted in Kenya this site includes links to FAWE's National Chapters, details on the work of FAWE, information on girls' academic achievement and education, the Agathe Prize which is dedicated to the memory of the late Rwandan Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana, founding member of FAWE and a booklet on the ABC of Gender Analysis.
See also FAWE South Africa.

Isis-WICCE
Isis-Women's International Cross Culture Exchange is an action oriented women's resource centre which was started in 1974 in Geneva, Switzerland. It relocated to Kampala, Uganda at the end of 1993 to try and tap information concerning African women and make it more accessible and available to women worldwide. Isis-WICCE was founded in response to the increasing information needs of women from various regions of the world to communicate ideas, create solidarity networks, and share information to overcome gender related inequalities.

SYNFEV - Synergy Gender and Development
is an entity of ENDA Third World - Environment and Development of the Third World - a non-profit international organisation based in Dakar, Senegal. ENDA-SYNFEV aims at the dynamisation of woman and gender components within ENDA's activities, in partnership with associations, groups and networks active in the samefields, through networking. ENDA-SYNFEV works in close collaboration with the Association for Progressive Communication's Women's Networks Support Programme.

Tanzania Gender Networking Programme
TGNP is committed to facilitating social transformation leading to the creation of a vibrant Tanzanian society. It seeks to promote gender equality and social equity through the empowerment of women and other marginalised sections of the community. Their web site includes information on the TGNP, current activities, publiations and information on their Gender and Development Seminar Series.

Women in Development Southern Africa Awareness (WIDSAA) Programme
WIDSAA provides information access, working closely with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and national partners in the 14 member countries. Regional in focus and action-oriented, the WIDSAA programme aims to be a catalyst and service to the region's governments, NGOs and agencies, media and the public in formulation of policy affecting women.

Women in Law and Development in Africa WiLDAF
Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF) is a pan African women's rights network dedicated to promoting and strengthening strategies which link law and development to increase women's participation and influence at the community, national and international levels. WiLDAF brings together organisations and individuals who share this objective and who are operating at local national and regional levels to make it a reality.

Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET)
WOUGNET's goal is to promote the use of information and communication technologies by women organisations and individuals for the better being of Ugandan women.

Zambia Association for Research Development
ZARD is a voluntary, non-partisan, non-religious, non-profit making, non-governmental organisation with the aim of contributing to the process of empowering women to uplift their status and standards of living through participatory action-oriented research It is a membership organisation comprising members from diverse backgrounds and professions.

Zimbabwe Women's Resource Centre & Network
The ZWRCN is a non-governmental Organisation (NGO) working in the Gender and Development (GAD) field. It was formed in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1990 with the main objective of enhancing the position of women through the collection and dissemination of material on GAD issues. Since its inception, the ZWRCN has established contacts with women's organisations, NGOs research institutes, donor agencies, individuals and government departments.

Global Sites

WomenAction
WomenAction is a global information, communication and media network that enables NGOs to actively engage in the Beijing+5 review process with the long term goal of women's empowerment, with a special focus on women and media.

APC Women's Networking Support Programme
The APC Women's Programme aims to increase women's access to training to facilitate information flow between North, South, East and West on gender issues. It offers opportunities to women and women's organizations in all regions of the world, but has a particular focus on redressing inequalities in access to technology related to social and ethnic marginalization and the North-South technological gap.

Global Fund for Women
makes grants to seed, support, and strengthen women's rights groups around the world. Grants range between $5,000 and $15,000 and so far issues which have been supported include: improving women's health and reproductive rights; challenging harmful traditional practices; increasing women's economic independence, strengthening women's political participation.

International Women's Tribune Centre
Connecting women globally for social change, this web site is designed as a women and development information and resources centre for women activists and advocates world-wide. The site will initially focus on the Beijing Platform for Action (PFA) and Beijing Plus Five follow-up plans and policies. Chapters from the soon-to-be-published IWTC manual "Women! Policy! Action! A Community Action Guide to the Platform for Action" are featured. Links to major 'umbrella' women's electronic networks and to regional sites are provided.

Isis International - Manila
Isis International is a feminist NGO dedicated to women’s information and communication needs. Documenting ideas and visions. Creating channels to communicate. Collecting and moving information. Networking and building links. Isis focuses on those advancing women’s rights, leadership and empowerment in Asia and the Pacific. With connections in over 150 countries, Isis keeps up with changing trends and analyses concerning women worldwide. This rich web site includes Women in Action, the on-line edition of their magazine, links to Asia-Pacific women on the net, advocacy, publiations, resource centre and links to networks in which Isis International is involved.

Women Living Under Muslim Laws Women Living Under Muslim Laws is an international solidarity network created to break women’s isolation and to provide linkages and support to all women whose lives may be affected by Muslim laws. The site is available in English, French and Arabic. 

Women's Human Rights Net
whrNET is a collaborative Information & Communication Technology(ICT) project developed by an international coalition of women's organizations. whrNET aims to strengthen advocacy for women's human rights through the effective utilization of information and communication technologies.

Women & the Internet
Includes full text documents on

* Latin American Women take on the Internet
* Mexican Women's Movement Makes Internet Work for Women
* Networking for Women or Women's Networking?

Women's Learning Partnership
Women's Learning Partnership for Rights, Development, and Peace (WLP) is an international, non-governmental organization in the United States. WLP works to empower women and girls in the Global South to re-imagine and re-structure their roles in their families, communities, and societies. WLP seeks to achieve this goal through leadership training, capacity building, and helping women generate as well as receive information and knowledge.

Women, Ink
Women, Ink. is a project of the International Women's Tribune Centre to market and distribute books on women and development worldwide. It includes 200 titles from publishers all over the world, and is the exclusive distributor of publications from the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).

Electronic Development Resources

These web sites are good sources of development and African related information and include gender content.

Africabib.org
AfricaBib is the culmination of twenty-five years of Africana research. The site consists of two bibliographic databases covering Africana periodical literature (Bibliography of Africana Periodical Literature Database) and African Women's literature on the African Women's Database.

Africa Goes Digital African Content on CD-ROM and the Web
Information and communication technologies (ICT) can make Africa more visible, but only if we can find what we're looking for. Africa Goes Digital is rooted in a desire to seek out and evaluate selected African resources in digital format.

Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation
The Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) is a South African non-governmental organisation. Since its inception in 1989, the CSVR has been dedicated to making a meaningful contribution to peaceful and fundamental transformation in South Africa and hence, in the Southern African region.

Centre for Rural Legal Studies
The Centre for Rural Legal Studies (CRLS) is an NGO situated in Stellenbosch, South Africa, dedicating itself to the equitable distribution of power and resources in the rural areas of South Africa. The CRLS promotes the land and labour interests of men and women farm workers in the Western, Eastern and Northern Cape through training, information dissemination, research, advocacy, legal intervention and development facilitation.

CODESRIA
Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa, based in Dakar Senegal. Their site includes information on research, documentation, publications, CODESRIA General Assembly, training, grands and outreach.

Institute for Development Studies
This site is the gateway to information services provided by the Institute for Development Studies (IDS). It includes links to the British Library for Development Studies, the ELDIS directory and gateway to information on development and environment as well as IDS research and advisory work and publications. A link is provided to BRIDGE, Briefings on Development and Gender.

Institute for Justice and Reconciliation
Colonialism and Apartheid still hinder South Africa's search for co-existence and democracy. The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation seeks to grapple with this legacy, promoting justice and reconciliation in the aftermath of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and into the new century. This web site includes information on the Institute such as political analysis, comparative transitional justice, reconciliation and social reconstruction and media and communication. The site includes event announcements and useful links.

National Association of Democratic Lawyers - Human Rights and Advocacy Project
The Project is a non-governmental human rights organisation, initiated by the National Association of Democratic Lawyers (Nadel). The project promotes an understanding and the assertion of human rights amongst the historically disadvantaged. The broad aim of the activities is to assist in the improvement of the living standards and the quality of life of the neediest in society.

Organisation for Social Science Research in Eastern & Southern Africa (OSSREA)
OSSREA, based in Ethiopia was established in April 1980 and its current membership is drawn from 11 countries. Among it's objectives are to encourage and promote intereste in the study and research in the social sciences in the region. Their web site includes information no OSSREA, their publications, newsletter, areas of activity, membership and finance.

SANGONeT
SANGONeT is a regional electronic information and communications network for development and human rights workers. The web site has a women’s page with links to Southern African sites and international sites dealing with women and gender. SANGONet hosts the Women'sNet web site.

Social Science Information Gateway
SOSIG assists users locate high quality sites on the Internet, which are relevant to social science education and research. The SOSIG Internet Catalogue offers access to thousands of Internet resources, each selected and described by academic librarians and subject specialists.

TechKnowLogia
TechKnowLogia is an international online journal that provides policy makers, strategists, practitioners and technologists at the local, national and global levels with a strategic forum to explore the vital role of different information technologies (print, audio, visual and digital) in the development of human and knowledge capital; Share policies, strategies, experiences and tools in harnessing technologies for knowledge dissemination, effective learning, and efficient education services; Review the latest systems and products of technologies of today, and peek into the world of tomorrow; and to exchange information about resources, knowledge networks and centers of expertise.

Click here for AGI Newsletters which lists gender & women related World Wide Web sites.