This paper contributes to the growing discourse among decision makers in Bangladesh and the region on the shift from natural, resource-based economies to knowledge-based ones. It concentrates on the main issues relating to women’s access to, use and appropriation of ICT tools in the labor market and in self-employment in Bangladesh and determines what strategic options could be pursued to improving their access – under the broad assumption that lacking access to these technologies is detrimental to women’s participation in the knowledge economy in the long run. The study assumes that the specific societal and cultural roles that Bangladeshi women navigate are common knowledge to the reader – and focuses on the poor, marginalized or under-privileged women in Bangladesh because they are less likely to be able to negotiate their strategic interests and needs in this arena.
