Article: Rethinking ICT and digital technology policy designing to harness artificial intelligence for accelerating gender equity and youth empowerment in sub-Saharan Africa Journal: International Journal of Technology, Policy and Management (IJTPM) 2025 Vol.25 No.4 pp.348 - 395 Abstract: Mainstreaming gender in information communications and technology (ICT) policies in Africa remains challenging since women and youths are disproportionately affected by AI technologies. The mapping of policy gaps and subsequent rethinking of ICT and AI policy development pathways to advance gender equity and youth empowerment in Africa was done. A case study design was adopted with a qualitative archival and reflective analysis of policy blueprints, plans, and strategy documents (62) from eleven African countries. High-level regional multi-stakeholder workshops were held in the ECOWAS, SADC, and COMESA regions. The policy gaps exist due to limited bottom-up consultative processes, policy incoherence, minimal multi-sectoral co-designing and co-implementation frameworks, and limited verifiable achievement indicators. Thematic analysis used NVIVO 14 software, and few countries referred to women and youths in their policy blueprints, with Liberia (14%), Sierra Leone (10%), and South Africa (5%) emerging high. Only Rwanda had an AI policy with no focus on gender and youth empowerment. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Rethinking ICT and digital technology policy designing to harness artificial intelligence for accelerating gender equity and youth empowerment in sub-Saharan Africa

Authors: Blessing Masamha; Palesa Sekhejane; Uzma Alam

Addresses: Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA), Private Bag, HSRC Building, 134 Pretorius Street, 0001, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa; Department of Anthropology, Archaeology & Development Studies (DAADS), University of Pretoria, Lynwood Road, Hatfield Campus, Pretoria, Gauteng, 0001, South Africa ' Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA), Private Bag, HSRC Building, 134 Pretorius Street, 0001, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa ' Science for Africa Foundation (SAF), 3 Riverside Drive, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya

Abstract: Mainstreaming gender in information communications and technology (ICT) policies in Africa remains challenging since women and youths are disproportionately affected by AI technologies. The mapping of policy gaps and subsequent rethinking of ICT and AI policy development pathways to advance gender equity and youth empowerment in Africa was done. A case study design was adopted with a qualitative archival and reflective analysis of policy blueprints, plans, and strategy documents (62) from eleven African countries. High-level regional multi-stakeholder workshops were held in the ECOWAS, SADC, and COMESA regions. The policy gaps exist due to limited bottom-up consultative processes, policy incoherence, minimal multi-sectoral co-designing and co-implementation frameworks, and limited verifiable achievement indicators. Thematic analysis used NVIVO 14 software, and few countries referred to women and youths in their policy blueprints, with Liberia (14%), Sierra Leone (10%), and South Africa (5%) emerging high. Only Rwanda had an AI policy with no focus on gender and youth empowerment.

Keywords: policy; ICTs; information communications and technology; artificial intelligence (AI); gender equity; youth empowerment; sub-Saharan Africa.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTPM.2025.150707

International Journal of Technology, Policy and Management, 2025 Vol.25 No.4, pp.348 - 395

Received: 06 Jun 2024
Accepted: 17 Feb 2025
Published online: 22 Dec 2025 *

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Title: Rethinking ICT and digital technology policy designing to harness artificial intelligence for accelerating gender equity and youth empowerment in sub-Saharan Africa

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