In 2008 the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) Women's Programme began a two and a half year research project looking into the role of sexuality online. The study, called Exploratory Research on Sexuality and ICTs -- or "EroTICs" -- looked at the experiences of a diversity of users, primarily women and girls of different ages, classes, sexual orientations and identities. Research was conducted in five countries: Brazil, India, Lebanon, South Africa and the United States.

A two-part edition of GenderIT aims to present this groundbreaking research. The first part of the edition features the executive summaries of the full reports, and brings interviews with the EroTICs researchers and the experts involved within the fields of the internet governance, sexuality and women's rights, who shared their ideas, insights and policy recommendations based on the findings of this research. The second part of the edition will publish the full reports. This research will lend support to guide an informed debate around internet governance, content regulations and internet rights.