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The widespread use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has had a significant effect on various groups and communities of people including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and their owners/managers. The current study aims to analyze recent literature regarding adoption of ICTs by MSMEs. Further, it tries to locate gender within this broader context of diffusion of ICTs among MSMEs.

Using the thematic analysis approach, the research articles pertaining to six leading journals on ICTs, gender and entrepreneurship published during the time period from 2011 to 2019 are reviewed.

The literature selected for the study has been discussed under two primary categories, viz. “adoption of information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) for business purposes” and “insights on gender in ICT4D use by MSMEs.”

The context-dependent nature of ICT use can enable future entrepreneurs to assess the scope of specific ICTs in given areas of operation. The gendered nature of ICTs helps to evaluate as well as question the empowerment potential of ICTs. The study emphasizes the need to account for historical specificities and transnational linkages in understanding access, adoption and use of ICT4D by women MSME entrepreneurs.

The study bridges together literature on ICT4D use by MSMEs and the role of gender in ICT-mediated entrepreneurial environments. While unraveling the interplay of power dynamics in such environments, the scope for future research in terms of tapping into the content of information exchanges and exploring the implications of “dark side of internet” for women MSME entrepreneurs is also indicated.

This study aims to determine the influence of Mobile learning (M-learning) technologies based on the gender orientation of vocational education construction trade trainees in Pakistan. Additionally, it explores the challenges associated with integrating M-learning technologies in vocational institutions of civil engineering. Further, this study will focus on the solutions to improve the accessibility of M-learning technologies after the pandemic.

A quantitative method with a survey research design has been adopted in this study. In contrast, the target population was the trainees of vocational education institutions of civil engineering in Pakistan. Further, the data was collected using an adapted survey tool with a five-point Likert scale. Similarly, the data were analyzed through SPSS 27 software tool by using descriptive and inferential statistics.

The study's findings highlighted a positive influence of M-learning technologies based on the gender orientation of construction trade trainees from vocational institutions. Similarly, it is also specified that the challenges vocational trainees of the construction trade have faced while utilizing M-learning technologies were related. Hence, it is evident that the potential challenges of M-learning technologies integration and utilization are related to both gender orientations during a postpandemic situation in Pakistan.

In the Pakistani context, the M-learning technologies approach is recently introduced in the vocational education sector. Therefore, the utilization and integration of M-learning technologies are considered challenging tasks in the context. In this regard, this study helps to understand the acceptance, challenges and impact of M-learning technologies based on gender orientation among vocational institutions trainees of construction trade in Pakistan.

This study not only refers to the impact of M-learning technologies and their challenges but also highlights the current situation of M-learning in Pakistan, particularly construction engineering trainees in vocational education institutes.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate differences in how men and women small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) entrepreneurs make decisions regarding whether to invest in technologies for their firms. Answering recent calls for a gendered perspective in entrepreneurial decision-making, this study integrates premises from social identity theory and role congruity theory to help explain innovation investment decisions among male and female SME entrepreneurs.

Using data from 121 SME entrepreneurs in the dry cleaning industry, the authors employ a conjoint experimental methodology to capture decisions SME entrepreneurs make to adopt or reject an environment-friendly dry cleaning technology. The authors examine the role gender, firm revenue, technology price, and technology complexity play in entrepreneur investment decisions.

The authors find that gender indirectly impacts innovation purchase decisions through interactions with firm revenue and key innovation characteristics. Women SME entrepreneurs were less likely to purchase the technology than their male counterparts at low (and high) firm revenue, high innovation price, and high innovation complexity—all highly risky, masculine, choice contexts.

These findings suggest that men and women's entrepreneurial investment decisions might be shaped by gender stereotypes. Future research should sample additional industries and determine the norms guiding gendered decision-making.

Beyond the decision to launch a new venture, this multi-level analysis, using the lens of social identity and role congruity theories, helps illuminate how men and women SME entrepreneurs approach innovation investment decision-making in significantly different—and gender role consistent—ways.

The purpose of this paper is to present some of the findings (which were reported on more extensively in earlier work) regarding the visibility of gender issues in the literature on selected information and communication technologies (ICTs) with a view to make predictions about potential ethical issues that the application of these ICTs may bring about in the future. This paper is part of the larger research project called ETICA (Ethical Issues of Emerging Information and Communication Technologies), a collaborative project funded by the 7th Framework Programme of the European Union.

On the basis of the analysis of around 100 published sources, which dealt with various aspects of selected ICTs, conclusions have been drawn regarding gender issues and concerns that the applications of these ICTs may cause. The authors' analysis is theoretically informed by critical discourse analysis (CDA) which assumes that texts, both written and spoken, as well as other forms of symbolic representations, are indicative of social practices. Of particular methodological relevance was the survey of methods of text and discourse analysis presented in Titscher et al. and especially the application of keyword search as a way to measure the prominence of each investigated method. This approach to literature surveying proved very useful in selecting analytic material: only those published sources on the selected four ICTs have been included in the survey, for which the analysis of keywords, abstracts and indexes of terms indicated authors' interest in gender issues.

First, ICTs such as affective computing, ambient intelligence, and artificial intelligence, have been found to have the potential of positively affecting gender power relations and thus positively affecting gender balance in the areas of labour market related to ICT across EU countries and worldwide. Second, more research on the relationship between gender and ICT design, application and representation is needed, so as to enhance a better understanding of ethical issues resulting from unequal participation of women and men in all aspects of ICT production and implementation, which in itself is an ethical dilemma with which both the ICT business and legislators have to grapple.

The paper offers insight into the relationship between the level of attention devoted to particular ICTs by ICT researchers, as evidenced in the reviewed literature, and the likelihood of the application of a particular ICT in the future, which is looked at and assessed from a gender perspective.

This study examines the factorial structure of salient user beliefs associated with smart locks. We also examine the predictive value of the identified constructs on the smart lock adoption intention and we evaluate gender differences in the predictive value of the identified constructs.

The study assumes pragmatic epistemological stance and it leverages mixed-methods research design. The research progresses through three stages: belief elicitation, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis within a nomological network. New groups of participants were recruited for each stage of the study.

We find that while potential adopters express a broad range of perceived benefits and concerns associated with smart locks, only the perceived relative advantage of smart locks vis-à-vis conventional locks in providing safety and security is significantly correlated with adoption intention for both genders. We also find that perceived novel benefits are a significant predictor of the smart lock adoption intention for women, but not for men.

Our results indicate that perceived relative advantage can be the singular critical consideration in the adoption of smart home technologies that replace incumbent solutions. The results also demonstrate that gender-specific models can better capture gender effects that influence technology adoption and use.

Smart home technology vendors would need to convince prospective users that new technology is better than the incumbent solutions on the core affordances of the incumbent technology. Men and women differ in the consideration of novel benefits afforded by novel technologies.

This is among the first studies to examine salient beliefs that affect smart home technology adoption. The findings suggest that the traditional models (TAM, UTAUT) do not capture the key salient beliefs that can influence innovative smart home technology adoption. The study also suggests that gendered models are needed to understand technology adoption in contexts where technology adoption intersects with gender roles.

Perpetrators of technology-facilitated gender-based violence are taking advantage of increasingly automated and sophisticated privacy-invasive tools to carry out their abuse. Whether this be monitoring movements through stalkerware, using drones to nonconsensually film or harass, or manipulating and distributing intimate images online such as deepfakes and creepshots, invasions of privacy have become a significant form of gender-based violence. Accordingly, our normative and legal concepts of privacy must evolve to counter the harms arising from this misuse of new technology. Canada's Supreme Court recently addressed technology-facilitated violations of privacy in the context of voyeurism in R v Jarvis (2019) . The discussion of privacy in this decision appears to be a good first step toward a more equitable conceptualization of privacy protection. Building on existing privacy theories, this chapter examines what the reasoning in Jarvis might mean for “reasonable expectations of privacy” in other areas of law, and how this concept might be interpreted in response to gender-based technology-facilitated violence. The authors argue the courts in Canada and elsewhere must take the analysis in Jarvis further to fully realize a notion of privacy that protects the autonomy, dignity, and liberty of all.

As the role and uptake of digital media, devices and other technologies increases, so has their presence in our lives. Technology has revolutionised the speed, type and extent of communication and contact between individuals and groups, transforming temporal, geographic and personal boundaries. There have undoubtedly been benefits associated with such shifts, but technologies have also exacerbated existing patterns of gendered violence and introduced new forms of intrusion, abuse and surveillance. In order to understand and combat harm and, protect and empower women, criminologists must investigate these practices. This chapter discusses how technology has transformed the enactment of violence against women.

Typically, studies have focussed on particular types of technology-facilitated violence as isolated phenomenon. Here, the author examines, more holistically, a range of digital perpetration: by persons unknown, who may be known and are known to female targets. These digital harms should, the author contends, be viewed as part of what Kelly (1988) conceptualised as a ‘continuum of violence’ (and Stanko, 1985 as ‘continuums of unsafety’) to which women are exposed, throughout the course of our lives. These behaviours do not occur in a vacuum. Violence is the cause and effect of inequalities and social control, which manifests structurally and institutionally, offline and online. Technologies are shaped by these forces, and investigating the creation, governance and use of technologies provides insight how violence is enacted, fostered and normalised.

Drawing on social feminist theory, this paper aims to close gaps between knowledge about gender-related barriers to information, communication and technology (ICT) adoption and the provision of entrepreneurship education and training (EET) programs.

Empirical findings are drawn from 21 semi-structured interviews (22 informants) possessing differing training expertise regarding digital technology among women entrepreneurs. An open-coding technique was adopted where descriptive codes were first assigned to meaningful statements. Interpretive and pattern codes were then assigned to indicate common themes and patterns, which were reduced to higher-order categories to inform the research questions.

The findings specify and validate further gender influences in the digital economy. Digital skills are identified, and strategies to close gender barriers to ICT adoption with EET are described. The findings are discussed in reference to a large-scale, Canadian ICT adoption program.

Perceptual data may be idiosyncratic to the sample. The work did not control for type of technology. Gender influences may differ by type of technology.

Findings can be used to construct gender-inclusive ICT supports and inform ICT adoption policies. This includes program eligibility and evaluation criteria to measure the socio-economic impacts.

The study is among the first to examine the intersection between knowledge about gender-related barriers to ICT adoption and EET. The findings can be adopted to ICT support programs targeted at small business owners and entrepreneurs.

The purpose of this paper is to address the gender digital divide through the adoption of information and communication technologies (ICTs) by reviewing existing knowledge within the field. This paper explores the characteristics and factors contributing to the gender digital divide. To bridge the gender digital divide, it is important to understand the factors behind gender differences in ICT access and use.

In this study, the systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) approach. In total, 24 articles were selected and analysed with using PRISMA steps.

Despite a significant increase in usage of the internet and other ICTs around the world, women, especially in developing countries, tend to be on the wrong side of the digital divide. The results indicate that while there are still gender differences in access to ICT in developing countries, second-level digital divide issues are more of a concern in developed countries. In the literature, several important factors have been identified as being associated with the gender digital divide. The results highlight the importance of implementable policies to bridge the gender digital divide, as well as how sociocultural factors play an important role in explaining the gender digital divide phenomenon.

By identifying the gender digital divide studies’ characteristics and factors contributing to the gender digital divide, the authors provide an overview of the existing research, allowing us to discuss future research needs within the field. The authors argue that more research is needed to understand how to better address the sociocultural factors affecting the gender digital divide, to understand why equal access seems not to result in equal use and, to understand the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the gender digital divide.

The use of technology in education is still seen as a symbol of modernity in Indonesia. Without adequate technological infrastructural support from institutions, teachers develop ways to incorporate technology into their classrooms. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the affective domain in learning mathematics with technology across genders and across two student groups, where in one group the students shared learning devices, while the other group of students used individual devices.

The study adopts both quantitative and qualitative methods and is based on data collected from five secondary schools in Indonesia.

The findings reveal attitudinal differences are associated with technology usage in mathematics classrooms. Quantitative measurements across four attitudinal subscales—mathematics motivation, attitudes to the use of technology in mathematics, technological confidence and mathematics confidence—indicate that affordances in technologies influence boys and girls attitudes; while qualitative data share further insights on gender perspectives related to attitudinal differences.

Appropriate pedagogical approaches with equitable access to technologies are important for engaging students in learning mathematics with technology.

This empirical study reveals aspects related to student participation with technologies in classrooms, which has important implications for student development.

The study contributes to literature on mathematics education related to the use of learning technologies in secondary schools of a developing country.