Gender-Net: A Political Goal of Communication Technologies

Abstract

Gender discrimination determines women’s exclusion in all societies and social estates, so that women constitute the poorest people. It comprises an almost insurmountable impediment for the enjoyment of all kinds of resources, among them technological ones and, in particular, communication technologies. We propose the configuration of what we call here Gender-Net, as a decisive tool to promote the quality of life of women, using human communicative processes that are communitarian in scope, and employing the sociocultural and political goals derived from this option. This intention forces us to think about the power relations unfolded by the Internet as technological products and, simultaneously, the technological input useful to reach empowerment goals. With this work we do not want to offer answers or solutions; rather, we give a basis for the opening up of questions and discussion about technology and life and, more closely, the issue of technology and gender discrimination.