This study was developed by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia 

(ESCWA) as part of its efforts to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in the Arab region and to raise the awareness of Arab countries on the importance of information and communication technologies to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly Goal 5 on Gender Equality. 

It builds on a study published in 2019 titled Information and Communication Technologies: Prospects for Promoting Gender Equality in the Arab Region. 

The study was coordinated by Ms. Rouba Arja, Social Affairs officer, ESCWA Cluster on Gender Justice, Population and Inclusive Development (GPID) under the overall guidance of Ms. Mehrinaz El Awady, GPID Cluster Leader. It is based on an initial draft prepared by Ms. Jennifer Olmsted, Professor of Economics and Director of the Social Entrepreneurship Semester, Drew University. The study benefited from substantial input from Ms. Rouba Arja and Ms. Sarah Copland, Associate Social Affairs Officer (GPID). 

The authors thank Ms. Nada Darwazeh, Chief, Gender Equality (GPID) for her constructive review of the manuscript.