Gender and information for rural development: Building on the experience of Dimitra

by Sissel Ekaas, Director
FAO Gender and Population Division

King Baudoin Foundation
Brussels, Belgium
24 October 2002

In a speech entitled "Gender and information for rural development: Building on the experience of Dimitra", the Director of FAO's Gender and Population Division stressed the crucial role that information plays in the struggle against hunger and poverty. The speech was delivered at the King Baudoin Foundation in Brussels, Belgium on 24 October 2002.

Women, particularly rural women, often have extremely limited access to information and communication technologies. This lack of access is often due to insufficient infrastructure and financial resources, high rates of illiteracy, insufficient education about new technologies and the weak presence of women working in the media. The DIMITRA Project, currently working together with FAO's Gender programme, has been concerned with these issues for many years. The DIMITRA Project collects, disseminates and shares information in order to facilitate rural women's real participation as partners in sustainable development.

(Only available in French)

Click here to see the speech.

For related information, please see:

Dimitra Project