Can E-Commerce &use of ICT’s help Rural Women of Can E-Commerce &use of ICT’s help Rural Women of Balochistan to fight Poverty?Balochistan to fight Poverty?

Jan Muhammad Balochistan University of

Information Technology and Management Sciences

Quetta, Pakistanjanmuhd@yahoo.com

Sadique Ahmed BugtiBalochistan University of

Information Technology and Management Sciences

Quetta, Pakistan

bugtisadique@hotmail.com

Khalid Qazi MengalDepartment of Communication and Information Technology

University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany

mengal@uni-bremen.de

The 4th International Workshop on Frontiers of The 4th International Workshop on Frontiers of Information TechnologyInformation Technology (FIT 2006)(FIT 2006)20th –21st December, 2006, Islamabad, Pakistan

Problem Statement

Introduction of Web Smart Spaces

Related Work

Proposed Solution

Used Methodology

Conclusion

Future Directions

Presentation OutlinePresentation Outline

The rural women of Balochistan facing perpetual cycle

of poverty, social exclusion and low bargaining power

to sell their handmade items

The handmade goods (handicrafts) taken by

middlemen on very cheep rates

Lack of skills, no awareness about use ICT’s to help

them in finding international markets.

Problem StatementProblem Statement

What is SolutionWhat is Solution

Use of ICT’s, E-commerce and Use of ICT’s, E-commerce and Web portalWeb portal

?

What is Web Portal?What is Web Portal?

A platform with numerous elements that:A platform with numerous elements that:

help and enable these rural women to present

their products and services with photos and

descriptions on the internet. information and guidance to start small information and guidance to start small

business and contains useful links for rural business and contains useful links for rural

women.women.

Related WorkRelated Work

International Fund for Agriculture Development International Fund for Agriculture Development

(IFAD)-supported programme(IFAD)-supported programme

• The rural women in Latin America and the The rural women in Latin America and the

Caribbean are selling shampoo, textiles, leather Caribbean are selling shampoo, textiles, leather

goods and other handmade products over the goods and other handmade products over the

internet, through aninternet, through an

The Seelampur Community ICT CentreThe Seelampur Community ICT Centre

• An ICT learning centre for girls and women An ICT learning centre for girls and women

located in a high-density, low-income area in located in a high-density, low-income area in

India's capital New Delhi. India's capital New Delhi.

Related Work (Contt)Related Work (Contt)

The First Mile ProjectThe First Mile Project

The majority of poor people in Tanzania live in rural The majority of poor people in Tanzania live in rural

areas, and most are small farmers for whom agriculture areas, and most are small farmers for whom agriculture

is the only way out of povertyis the only way out of poverty

Proposed SolutionProposed Solution

The use of ICTs to help rural women of Balochistan in overcoming The use of ICTs to help rural women of Balochistan in overcoming

perpetual cycle of poverty, perpetual cycle of poverty,

Building their capabilities and vocational skills.Building their capabilities and vocational skills.

A web portal is proposed which will help and enable these rural women to A web portal is proposed which will help and enable these rural women to

present their products and services with photos and descriptions on the present their products and services with photos and descriptions on the

internet.internet.

Through online chat rooms and forums, rural women can have their Through online chat rooms and forums, rural women can have their

questions answered about market accessquestions answered about market access

Used MethodologyUsed Methodology

The proposed web portal can be developed with the help of provincial IT/Social Welfare Department and maintained centrally by any of social welfare organization working for human resource development in the province.

1. Development & Launching of web portal 2. Training of youngsters for use of ICTs 3.3. Online chat-rooms and discussionsOnline chat-rooms and discussions

Phase-IPhase-I

Development & Launching of web portalDevelopment & Launching of web portal The proposed web portal initially launched and owned by The proposed web portal initially launched and owned by

any of the above mentioned NGO’s and then linked to any of the above mentioned NGO’s and then linked to

provincial/country web portalsprovincial/country web portals.. The social workers from these organizations will help the The social workers from these organizations will help the

rural women to submit Digital photos and description of rural women to submit Digital photos and description of their products their products

The potential customers for these handicrafts The potential customers for these handicrafts can contact the administrator and then to the can contact the administrator and then to the relevant rural women for purchase of items.relevant rural women for purchase of items.

Phase-IIPhase-II

Training of youngsters for use of ICTsTraining of youngsters for use of ICTs Large number of youth both male and female Large number of youth both male and female

remain jobless and become burden over their remain jobless and become burden over their families.families.

This addresses two issues at a time: This addresses two issues at a time: one the capacity building and job opportunities for young one the capacity building and job opportunities for young

men & women men & women the access of rural women to use ICTs for the the access of rural women to use ICTs for the

showcasing their products.showcasing their products.

Phase-IIIPhase-III

Online chat-rooms and discussionsOnline chat-rooms and discussions

In this phase women can trained and directly In this phase women can trained and directly

involved in the use of ICT.involved in the use of ICT. A web portal will enable rural women to make A web portal will enable rural women to make

direct contacts with the potential national direct contacts with the potential national

and international customers through email, and international customers through email,

chat rooms and forums.chat rooms and forums.

ConclusionConclusion

WWe proposed a web portal as a test bed e proposed a web portal as a test bed

for use of e-commerce and ICT’s to help for use of e-commerce and ICT’s to help

rural women to fight poverty.rural women to fight poverty.

Social welfare organizations e.g. NGOs Social welfare organizations e.g. NGOs

can help these rural women to access this can help these rural women to access this

web portal.web portal.

Future WorkFuture Work

Youngsters of these areas can be given basic

training of ICT to help these women in

marketing their products

Provision to poor rural women the facility

of mobile van service.

ReferencesReferences1. Government of Balochistan, http://www.balochistan.gov.pk/New%20Folder/geo.htm

2. Abdul Wadood, Journey Towards Emancipation, SEHER Publication, 2002.

3. Ali A. Naqvi, Demystifying, Learning, Struggling, Overpowering the Myths of Information Technology

through Human Resource Development, CIRN 2005

4. Jo Rhodes, Can E- Commerce Enable Marketing in an African Rural Women's Community Based

Development Organization?, Informing Science Journal, Special Series on Community Informatics, Vol. 6,

2003

5. Women entrepreneurs go global with e-commerce, Fighting Rural poverty, the role of ICT, Key Facts by

IFAD

6. Putting ICTs in the hands of the women, Stockholm Challenge Award 2006

7. Yousaf Haroon Mujahid, “Digital Opportunity Initiative for Pakistan”, The Electronic Journal on Information

Systems in Developing Countries, EJISDC (2002) 8, 6, 1-14

8. The First Mile Project First Mile Project http://www.firstmiletanzania.net/ ‘Communication and learning for

better market linkages’

Thanks…….Thanks…….