Bridging the gender gap in empowerment of rural households: is technology the solution?

Using a multidimensional measure of empowerment that focuses on individual capabilities, the study assesses the role of technology in bridging empowerment gap between male and female decision-makers in the same households. The study found women's empowerment to be correlated with adoption of production technologies. However, adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is associated with widening empowerment gap. This is attributable to poor women capabilities, ownership of and control of decision-making on technologies. The study recommends that ICT interventions should be introduced in a way that mutually reinforces equitable decision-making between women and men in rural households.