The blog will be used to share stories and experiences from the GenARDIS workshop to be held from 3-7 July 2006 in Entebbe, Uganda.

Background to GenARDIS.
The GenARDIS Small Grants Fund was initiated in 2002 to support work on gender-related issues in information and communication technologies (ICTs) for Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) agricultural and rural development.

The programme was developed in recognition of the constraints and challenges encountered by rural women in ACP countries with respect to ICTs. The challenges include cultural factors that hinder women’s access to ICTs, limited time availability to participate in training and use of ICTs, minimal access to technology such as radios, mobile telephones or computers, and inadequate availability of information in local languages that is relevant to local contexts.

Submissions consist of research programmes, training courses, publications, broadcasts, theatre productions, promotion materials, etc. – whatever need could be addressed by the means available to the many creative grant applicants. All projects focus on innovative use of ICTs by or for rural women to improve the well-being of their families and communities.

Two rounds of grants have been offered since the fund came into being. The response to both rounds has been overwhelming. In 2005, more than 310 submissions were received in a period of two months.

This is a clear indication that there still is a real need for support in the field of ‘gender and agriculture in the information society’.