Missing in Action: Gender in Canada’s Digital Economy Agenda

This article considers the fate of gender analyses and gender-specific policy in Canadian information and communication technology (ICT) policy. Following a proactive and progressive period in the 1990s, during which federal programs and policies recognized the need for gender equity in the nascent information highway, the mid-2000s saw a diminishment of gender equity provisions across all areas of government policy. While the current Progressive Conservative–led government promotes a digital economy agenda to maintain Canada’s global competitiveness, digital inclusion remains a persistent issue. Race, class, and gender inequalities with respect to ICTs need to be better addressed by policy makers in order to ensure equity of access for all Canadians. Feminist scholarship and activism can also play a key role in promoting social inclusion.