Gender-Focused Technology Design and Care Ethics Integration: Addressing Social and Practical Challenges

This paper examines the integration of care ethics into the design of gender-focused technologies, addressing the socio-political and practical challenges in the Information Technology (IT) sector. It argues that these technologies often reflect interests embedded within predominant social structures and ethical conceptions, with the underrepresentation of women in tech leadership roles as a symptom perpetuating existing disparities rather than addressing the actual needs of marginalized groups. Drawing on an extensive review of gender-focused technology literature and care ethics case studies, we critique traditional ethical frameworks for their failure to address these challenges. We explore how care ethics, emphasizing relational and contextual morality, can provide a more inclusive and effective approach while highlighting theoretical and practical issues that hamper implementation. We propose addressing and reinterpreting these criticisms as opportunities to leverage the strengths of care ethics, creating technologies that empower and resonate with user groups, fostering a more equitable future.