International development cooperation and the challenges of gender mainstreaming strategies for ICT The case of Ethiopia

This dissertation examines how international organisations (IOs) influence gender inequalities in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) professions and decision-making, and how their gender mainstreaming strategies can be improved to promote more inclusive digital development. Despite growing recognition of the importance of ICT and artificial intelligence (AI) in shaping contemporary societies, women remain significantly underrepresented in ICT professions, leadership positions, and technology governance worldwide.
The research addresses gaps in existing scholarship by examining the historical, political, and socio-economic dimensions of gender inequality in ICT, particularly in a Global South context. It also analyses the roles, perspectives, and potential contributions of men as allies in advancing gender equality. Drawing on a modified feminist neo-Gramscian framework, the study explores how ideas, institutions, and material capabilities reproduce or challenge gendered power relations within the ICT sector. Particular attention is given to hegemonic masculinity, neoliberal governance, and the ways gender norms are maintained or contested. Using a qualitative multi-method approach, the research combines document analysis, policy review, focus groups, observation, and sixty-two semi-structured interviews with ICT professionals, policymakers, and stakeholders across international, national, and local contexts. Case studies of the World Bank, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and Ethiopia provide insights into how gender mainstreaming is implemented and experienced in practice.
The findings show that while IOs have promoted gender equality through policies, programmes, and advocacy, many interventions remain technocratic, symbolic, or narrowly economic in focus. Initiatives frequently seek to integrate women into existing structures rather than transform the gender norms and power relations that maintain status quo. The dissertation argues for contextual transformative approaches across institutional, operational, and organisational levels to engage critically with masculinities, strengthen feminist alliances, and challenge the historical and political foundations of inequality. Only through such strategies can IOs contribute to greater gender inclusivity in ICT sectors, decision-making processes, and digital governance systems.