Profiles and Experiences in ICT Innovation for Poverty Reduction

This report describes research findings on how information and communication technologies (ICTs) can help to alleviate poverty of people who live in rural parts of India. This publication falls under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)'s pilot project "Putting ICT in the Hands of the Poor", which examines the information needs of poverty stricken communities in South Asia, with a special focus on gender issues.

This report focuses on the gender divide, which is considered to be one of the most significant inequalities that cuts across all social and income groups. In many instances in India, women who live in rural areas do not have structured local communication networks or access to information and knowledge, barriers that compound and enhance poverty. The report covers three ICT projects in India:

• Nabanna community network in Baduria, West Bengal,
• ICT Learning Centre for Women in Seelampur, a poverty stricken area in New Delhi, and
• Namma Dhwani Local ICT network in Budikote, Karnataka, India.