gender, information technology and the digital divide in africa and other developing areas

Gender, information technology and the digital divide in Africa and other

developing areas

Nancy J. Hafkin, at theThe World Bank28 March 2001

PREM Gender and Development Group

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Areas to look at why consider gender and IT? access usage women and IT decision making IT and women’s work IT for economic and political

empowerment policy ensuring women’s inclusion


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Why do you need Internet if you don’t have clean water? basic needs not in opposition- all

needed information technology can facilitate

access to education and health care access to IT linked to development;

absence means further marginalization ending isolation facilitates economic

growth, alleviates poverty, empowers women


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All good or all bad?

Not all good:– sexual

exploitation– putting women

in low wage, low end jobs

– threats to women’s jobs

Not all bad– new jobs and

opportunities– end to isolation– broadened

range of vision


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Access: not just a connected computer . . .

literacy education technical literacy costs language culture and society information use skills


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Literacy and education

women 2/3’s of world’s illiterates

one of two women in developing countries illiterate

negative attitudes towards schoolgirls in science and math

studying computer science- falling in the U.S., but high in many developing countries

S&T education: lowest rates among women in Africa


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“Only ugly girls study science . . .” FAWE- lack of self-esteem, poor self-

image, non-assertive behavior largely male math and science

teachers discourage young girls girls 2.1% of engineering students

Ghana, 1.6% in Kenya hopeful: women 15.8% of engineers,

41.2% of math and computer science students in Sudan


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Time, cost, location, technical skills women don’t have time costs more in developing countries no computers at home can women get there? what are Windows? need information use skills


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What if you don’t speak English?

to date dominance of English on Internet

but falling: 95% in 1999, 68.4% in 2000

followed by German, Japanese, French

Chinese expected to be first by 2008


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Women’s IT usage in Africa and other developing regions no surprise, it’s low compare to 51% of users in U.S.

women, 60% of population with Internet access

but % of women increasing everywhere no correlation between female usage

and expected indicators women users in developing countries

part of small, educated urban elite


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Women as % of Internet users, Africa

Country Women as %of users

Internetusers as % ofpopulation

Zambia 37.5 0.0

Uganda 31.5 0.1

South Africa 19.0 3.0

Ethiopia 13.9 0.01

Senegal 12.0 0.1


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Increases in % women’s use last yearCountry % 1999 % 2000

Philippines 43 51

Brazil 25 43

Mexico 33 42

WesternAsia

4 6

China 21 30.4


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Some large absolute numbers Numbers of women Internet users

– Brazil 1.075 Million– China 6.840 Million– Russia 4.560 Million

Expected by 2003– 8 million women users in China– 2 million women users in India


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Deepest of the digital divide . . .

Country Internet users as %of population

D.R. Congo 0.00Somalia 0.00Bangladesh 0.00Papua New Guinea 0.00Burundi 0.00Liberia 0.00


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What women use IT for networking for political advocacy networking for business women medium-scale formal sector

entrepreneurs using business applications almost as much as men

e-mail and discussion lists more than Web

corporate sector trying to entice women in dc’s into global shopping mall


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Women as producers, decision makers

Issue: women shouldn’t remain passive consumers of IT

not there yet as producers, except in software programming

women absent from IT decision making some women ministers of communication no developing country women in ITU

study groups or on ICANN


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IT and women’s work in first phase of globalized manufacturing,

many jobs for women in assembly of electronics (Asia, Latin America)

women losing out in knowledge and technology-intensive jobs

new jobs emerging in service industries-remote data entry, call centers

African women can compete in service industries with sufficient infrastructure, language skills


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Teleworking

IT work has not moved to women’s homes except at professional level

women prefer telecottages teleworking in dc’s is outsourcing women need skills training and

upgrading to retain jobs


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Economic empowerment: what IT opportunities can women seize? Farmers: need information on

markets, agricultural inputs, food preservation and storage

access problems can be overcome: farm radio, listening clubs, WorldSpace, community centers with intermediaries

train schoolgirls as community information assistants


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Entrepreneurs

need marketing information, locate new clients

make businesses more efficient and profitable

women entrepreneurs not using IT as much as men

can be used economically by businesses grossing more than $20,000/year


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New economy opportunities outsourcing, teleworking, teleservices

– $103 billion/year low human resource requirements-

secondary education, basic computer skills, ability to recognize Latin script

low capital requirements recession resistant good telecommunications

infrastructure needed


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e-commerce

for existing businesses and new economy

in B-C need unique products, ability to transcend delivery problems

some success stories: tortasperu.com, ethiogift.com, peoplink.org, elsouk.com, barnacraft.org (SEWA)

B-B and B-G better than B-C


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IT-enabled businesses

Grameen Phones STD booths (India) teleboutiques (Senegal) low capital, skills requirements good telecommunications

infrastructure not always needed links with ICT policy


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IT for political empowerment

to end women’s isolation and give them a voice to network women for social and political

advocacy to strengthen women’s participation in the

political process to improve performance of elected women

officials to improve women’s access to government and

its services through education through the dissemination of indigenous

knowledge


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Engendering ICT policy

must be done to ensure women included, women-friendly access alternatives exist

also, gender and development policy needs to include possibilities offered by ICT


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Ensuring women’s inclusion- how to do it? Technology will take care of some access

problems Training for women in non-traditional fields Develop role models Inclusion of ICT training in training and

education projects for girls and women Train young women from communities at

community centers Improve girl’s and women’s education in

Africa

We must recognize that this Information Technology is here to stay . . . what we have to decide is we either play the game . . . and turn it to our advantage or lose out completely.”

Fatma Alloo, Federation of Tanzania Media Women, Zanzibar

gender, information technology and the digital divide in africa and other developing areas

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