Event name: Gender and Inclusion Conference, 2025
Theme: Exploring the Intersection of Gender, Technology, and Socioeconomic Empowerment
Date and Venue:  August 8, 2025 - Kautilya School of Public Policy | August 9, 2025 - International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad  

About the Event: 
The Centre for Development Policy Practice in collaboration with Kautilya School of Public Policy, Centre for Women Studies under Maulana Azad National Urdu University, The Education Group(London), and Digital Empowerment Foundation, and associate partners, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), Jahangirabad Institute of Technology (JIT) and International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), had organised the Gender and Inclusion Conference 2025: Exploring the Intersection of Gender, Technology, and Socioeconomic Empowerment on August 8th and 9th, 2025.

This conference focused on the intersection of gender, technology, and socioeconomic empowerment, bringing together scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to discuss how digital transformation shapes inclusion and exclusion. The two-day event highlighted how rapid technological progress has deepened inequalities while also offering opportunities for empowerment when guided by inclusive policy frameworks. Discussions emphasised that access alone does not guarantee equality—agency, safety, and representation are equally critical. Participants explored how women, gender-diverse persons, and persons with disabilities experience digital gaps in access, literacy, and ownership, and how community-led initiatives and participatory governance can bridge these divides. Themes such as digital entrepreneurship, online safety, algorithmic bias, and digital health equity were examined, alongside case studies demonstrating inclusive innovation in rural livelihoods, education, and governance. The proceedings reinforced that technology is not neutral and must be designed to reflect social realities and address intersectional vulnerabilities across gender, caste, class, and geography. The conference concluded with a collective understanding that meaningful empowerment in the digital age requires empathy-driven policy, collaborative action, and systemic change to ensure that technological advancement translates into equitable social progress.
 

Selected papers from the conference will be published in a special issue of the Journal of Development Policy and Practice.
 

Download conference proceedings here: Download PDF