Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women Through ICT Edwina Sandys

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PUBLISHED TO PROMOTE THE GOALS OF THE BEIJING DECLARATION AND THE PLATFORM FOR ACTION

September 2005 Gender equality and empowerment of women through ICT Edwina Sandys

UNITED NATIONS Division for the Advancement of Women Department of Economic and Social Affairs women 2000 and beyond September 2005

and the Internet. Traditional tech- Gender equality nologies continue to be important for large numbers of people around the world, particularly in rural areas. and empowerment However, new technologies have a vast potential for empowerment of women through which needs to be fully exploited. The term ICT has been used to encompass technological innovation ICT and convergence in information and communication leading to the devel- “The so-called digital divide is actually several gaps in one. opment of so-called information or There is a technological divide—great gaps in infrastructure. knowledge societies, with resulting There is a content divide. A lot of web-based information is changes in social interaction, eco- simply not relevant to the real needs of people. And nearly nomic and business practices, politi- 70 per cent of the world’s websites are in English, at times cal engagement, education, health, crowding out local voices and views. There is a gender divide, 6 with women and girls enjoying less access to information tech- leisure and entertainment. Over the nology than men and boys. This can be true of rich and poor past decade, there has been a grow- countries alike”. ing understanding that these technologies can be powerful instruments United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan for advancing economic and social Statement to the World Summit on the Information Society, development through the creation of Geneva, 10 December 2003 new types of economic activity, employment opportunities, improve- Introduction fits of new technologies, especially ments in health-care delivery and other ICT, are made available to all. To services, and the enhancement of achieve this goal, a United Nations networking, participation and advo- World Summit on the Information cacy within society. ICT also have ICT and development Society (WSIS) was planned in two the potential to improve interaction The role of Information and phases. The first phase, the Geneva between Governments and citizens, Communication Technologies (ICT) as Summit in December 2003, aimed to fostering transparency and account- a tool for development has attracted develop political will and to establish ability in governance. the sustained attention of the United the foundations for an Information While the potential of ICT for stim- Nations over recent years. Strategic Society for all. In total, 175 Govern- ulating economic growth, socio- partnerships have been developed with ments endorsed the Declaration of economic development and effective donors, the private sector and civil soci- Principles3 and Plan of Action at the governance is well recognized, the ety, and working groups and task forces first phase.4 The second phase of benefits of ICT have been unevenly have been established to enhance inter- WSIS is planned for November 2005 distributed within and between coun- agency collaboration throughout the in Tunis. tries. The term “digital divide” refers United Nations system. Information and Communication to the differences in resources and In 2000, the Economic and Social Technologies comprise a complex and capabilities to access and effectively Council adopted a Ministerial Decla- heterogeneous set of goods, appli- utilize ICT for development that exist ration on the role of information tech- cations and services used to produce, within and between countries, nology in the context of a knowledge- process, distribute and transform regions, sectors and socio-economic based economy.1 In 2001, the information. The ICT sector consists groups. Secretary-General established a high- of segments as diverse as telecom- The digital divide is often charac- level Information and Communication munications, television and radio terized by low levels of access to Technologies Task Force to provide broadcasting, computer hardware, technologies. Poverty, illiteracy, lack overall leadership to the United software and services and electronic of computer literacy and language bar- Nations on the formulation of strate- media (for example, the Internet and riers are among the factors imped- gies to put ICT at the service of electronic mail).5 Information and ing access to ICT infrastructure, espe- development.2 communication needs can be met by cially in developing countries. Internet The Millennium Declaration more traditional means, such as print usage figures collected by the adopted in 2000 underscored the media and fixed telephone lines, or International Telecommunications urgency of ensuring that the bene- by satellite technology, mobile phones Union (ITU) in 2003 illustrate this gap

2 September 2005 women 2000 and beyond in access. For instance, in 2003, the divide is specifically addressed, there Women. The Commission identified United States reported 5,558 Internet is a risk that ICT may exacerbate significant gender differences in lev- users per 10,000 persons, compared existing inequalities between women els of access to, control of and with 690 users per 10,000 persons and men and create new forms of advantages accruing from a wide in Asia and 156 users per 10,000 per- inequality. range of technological develop- sons in Africa.7 If, however, the gender dimensions ments.10 It concluded that “the infor- The enthusiasm over the rapid of ICT—in terms of access and mation revolution appeared to be growth of ICT and their applications use, capacity-building opportunities, by-passing women; that information have generated a variety of initiatives employment and potential for empow- society literature was silent on gen- to foster the use of ICT for devel- erment—are explicitly identified and der issues, and that neither research opment, including research, projects, addressed, ICT can be a powerful cat- nor practical projects in the infor- workshops and other activities. Many alyst for political and social empow- mation technology field had of these initiatives are directed at erment of women, and the promo- addressed the specific circum- addressing the growing digital divide. tion of gender equality. stances of women”.11 Increased attention is being paid to This report provides a summary of The Beijing Declaration and reviewing and evaluating the impact critical gender equality issues related Platform for Action12 adopted at the of these initiatives. Early findings point to ICT and development and outlines Fourth World Conference on Women to mixed results about the impact of potential opportunities for women’s in 1995 drew attention to the emerg- 10 years of experience in ICT for economic, social and political empow- ing global communications network development. erment. Key strategies and tools to and its impact on public policies, as An InfoDev report published in address the gender digital divide in well as the attitudes and behaviour 2003 suggests that despite the vast national and international contexts are of individuals. It called for the amounts of resources that have been presented. Examples of good prac- empowerment of women through invested in efforts to increase access tice on gender equality and ICT are enhancing their skills, knowledge, to ICT in developing countries and elaborated throughout the report. access to and use of information among the poor, these technologies The report focuses on the two- technologies.13 It also included a have not proven as transformative as fold need to address the gender divide strategic objective: “Increase the expected.8 The InfoDev report indi- and reduce inequalities related to ICT participation and access of women cates that to harness ICT more effec- and to identify ways to use ICT pro- to expression and decision-making tively for development and poverty actively and effectively to promote in and through the media and new reduction, ICT must be mainstreamed gender equality and the empower- technologies of communication”.14 as tools for broader strategies and ment of women. Based on knowledge and experi- programmes for building opportunity ence that had emerged in the pre- and empowering the poor. The report vious five years, the twenty-third spe- further states that the ICT for devel- Historical background cial session of the General Assembly, opment agenda should identify the on attention to held in June 2000 to review progress broader changes required in devel- gender equality in implementation of the Platform for 15 oping countries, the role ICT can have and ICT Action, recognized that ICT had cre- in effecting these changes, and to be ated new opportunities for women more selective and strategic about and contributed to knowledge shar- the attention and resources devoted ing, networking and electronic com- to the dissemination of these tech- Intergovernmental merce activities. Member States nologies.9 processes acknowledged that poverty, lack of Over the past decade, the United access and opportunities, illiteracy Nations intergovernmental processes (including computer illiteracy) and lan- Gender equality and ICT have played a leading role in identi- guage barriers prevented women fying key issues and proposing strate- from using ICT, including the Internet. While there is recognition of the gic actions to enhance women’s Steps were proposed to ensure that potential of ICT as a tool for the pro- empowerment through ICT. An emer- women benefited fully from ICT, motion of gender equality and the ging gender divide was identified in including equal access to ICT-related empowerment of women, a “gender 1995 by the United Nations Com- education, training and entrepre- divide” has also been identified, mission on Science and Technology neurship opportunities and equal reflected in the lower numbers of for Development (UNCSTD) in access as producers and consumers women accessing and using ICT com- research conducted in preparation of ICT through public and private part- pared with men. Unless this gender for the Fourth World Conference on nerships.16

3 women 2000 and beyond September 2005

Later that same year, the Ministerial equal access for women to ICT-based Women”. The Division also published Declaration on Development and Inter- economic activities, such as small an issue of women2000 entitled, national Cooperation in the Twenty- business and home-based employ- “Women and the Information Revo- First Century17 adopted by the Eco- ment, information systems and lution”.27 nomic and Social Council stated that, improved technologies; and to new A “Canon on Gender Partnerships “[t]he potential to help foster sus- employment opportunities created by and ICT Development”, developed tainable development, empower peo- the implementation of ICT. They were primarily by women participants at ple, including women and youth, build called on to respect differences in the first international conference on capacities and skills, assist small-and local languages, local knowledge sys- ICT, the Global Knowledge Partnership medium-sized enterprises, reduce tems and locally produced content in Conference in 1997, outlined key prin- poverty, and reinforce popular parti- media and communications and to ciples for the development and design cipation and informed decision-making increase efforts to compile and of ICT, prioritizing equal participation at all levels is enormous”.18 The Action disaggregate statistics on ICT by and gender-aware assessments and Plan of the United Nations Information sex and age, as well as to develop evaluations of ICT projects and pro- and Communication Technologies Task gender-specific indicators on ICT. grammes.28 At the second Global Force, adopted in November 2001, In preparation for the Com- Knowledge Partnership Conference aimed to “provide a platform to analyse mission, the Division for the held three years later, a specific how programmes for promoting edu- Advancement of Women22 in coop- Women’s Forum developed a com- cation, combating diseases, promot- eration with ITU23 and the United prehensive set of recommenda- ing gender equality and the empow- Nations ICT Task Force Secretariat24 tions.29 The major recommendations erment of women and those targeting organized an Expert Group Meeting included: youth, the disabled and people living on Information and Communication • Mainstreaming and monitoring of in poverty in general can be leveraged Technologies and Their Impact on a gender perspective in all ICT ini- and enhanced with ICT”.19 The and Use as an Instrument for the tiatives; Declaration also acknowledged the Advancement and Empowerment of • Collecting sex disaggregated data need to incorporate a gender per- Women, in the Republic of Korea in on the use of ICT and women’s spective in different areas.20 November 2002.25 The meeting con- participation in policy-making as During its forty-seventh session in sidered four themes: national ICT well as developing targets, indica- 2003, the Commission on the Status policies and gender equality, ICT for tors and benchmarks to track the of Women recognized the importance participation, ICT for enhancing progress of women’s and girl’s of this issue and considered the topic, women’s capabilities and ICT for access to the benefits of ICT; “Participation and access of women women’s economic empowerment. • Identifying and promoting good to the media, and information and The experts adopted recommenda- practices and lessons learned on communication technologies and their tions addressed to Governments and the ways women and girls are using impact on and use as an instrument other relevant actors at the national ICT; for the advancement and empower- and international levels.26 The • Capacity-building towards gender ment of women”. This was the first experts recommended that all stake- equality in education and employ- time that the Commission had directly holders take action to ensure that ment; focused on the issue of ICT and the gender equality and women’s rights • Enhancing democracy and wo- empowerment of women. The Com- were integrated into the World men’s participation through elec- mission adopted agreed conclusions21 Summit on the Information Society tronic connectivity; and which addressed women’s equal and its follow-up programmes. • Developing research and policies access to ICT-based economic activ- on health and environmental ha- ities and employment, such as through zards of ICT industries. telecentres, information centres and Advocacy on gender In 1998, the ITU Task Force on business incubators. The agreed con- equality and ICT Gender Issues was established within clusions put forward a series of rec- the ITU Development Sector.30 ommendations in the areas of policy In 1996, the Division for the Currently known as the Working development and regulatory aspects, Advancement of Women, in collabo- Group on Gender Issues,31 the group access, education, employment, part- ration with United Nations and NGO has been a consistent advocate of nerships, resources, research, data partners, organized an Expert Group women’s empowerment and gender collection and good practices. Meeting on “Global Information equality within the ITU and in the Governments, United Nations bodies, through Computer Networking preparations for the World Summit international financial institutions and Technology in the Follow-Up to the on the Information Society.32 In 2002, civil society were urged to ensure Fourth World Conference on ITU adopted two resolutions on gen-

4 September 2005 women 2000 and beyond der mainstreaming—one on Main- Principles and Plan of Action. In meet- evaluation (gender-specific indicators streaming Gender in ITU-D Pro- ings held in many parts of the world on ICT use and needs and measur- grammes33—which recognized that a over a two-year period from early able performance indicators to assess “gender dimension in telecommuni- 2002, including in Bamako, Budapest, the impact of funded ICT projects on cations” is critical to the attainment Tokyo, Bavaro, Paris and Geneva, gen- the lives of women and girls should of the goal of universal access; and der equality advocates organized their be developed). another one on Gender Main- efforts through the Gender Caucus A factor inhibiting adequate atten- streaming in IT—which called for gen- and the NGO Gender Strategies tion to gender equality perspectives der mainstreaming in all programmes Working Group. was the lack of delegations at the of the ITU.34 As a result of these res- One major success of these efforts Summit with expertise or experience olutions, ITU created a gender unit was the development of partnerships with gender equality and women’s with the support of the Norwegian and collaboration between Member empowerment issues. Many delega- Government to advance the work in States, intergovernmental agencies tions were comprised of trade and preparation for WSIS.35 and other stakeholders which resulted telecommunications ministry staff. Advocacy for women’s improved from the increased networking, Another major challenge of gender access to ICT, and attention to gen- awareness-raising and knowledge equality advocacy in WSIS was the der perspectives in the development sharing in the WSIS process. While assumption that gender advocacy is and use of ICT has significantly the work of gender advocates is primarily women’s work. Gender increased in the United Nations in the reflected directly in both the WSIS equality advocates often had to lobby context of preparations for the WSIS. Declaration of Principles and Plan of for attention to gender perspectives The United Nations Inter-Agency Action, a number of the objectives in the context of the regional and the- Network on Women and Gender relating to attention paid to gender matic caucuses within civil society Equality (IANWGE) established a Task perspectives in the outcome docu- (for example, in relation to media, net- Force on Gender and Information and ments were met. work security and human rights). Communication Technologies to coor- One strong paragraph was included dinate the activities of all United in the first section of the Declaration Phase 2 of the World Summit on the Information Society Nations entities working on gender of Principles which stated, “[w]e equality and ICT in preparation for affirm that development of ICT pro- The Declaration of Principles from WSIS. The Task Force produced fact vides enormous opportunities for WSIS 2003 in Geneva outlined a sheets on gender and ICT for WSIS women, who should be an integral “common vision” for the informa- Phase I, with contributions from a part of, and key actors in, the tion society “premised on the pur- broad range of United Nations enti- Information Society. We are com- poses and principles of the Charter ties.36 Information on specific activi- mitted to ensuring that the Information of the United Nations and respect- ties of other entities of the United Society enables women’s empowering fully and upholding the Universal Nations can be accessed through the ment and their full participation on Declaration of Human Rights”.39 The inter-agency website, Women the basis of equality in all spheres of WSIS Plan of Action40 articulates Watch.37 society and in all decision-making concrete actions to advance the processes. To this end, we should achievement of the internationally mainstream a gender equality per- agreed development goals, including WSIS: Potential spective and use ICT as a tool to that those in the Millennium Declaration, 38 for addressing end”. the Monterrey Consensus and the The Plan of Action contains refer- Johannesburg Declaration and Plan the gender divide ences to the special needs of women of Implementation. Phase I of the World Summit in relation to capacity-building (remov- The second phase of WSIS will on the Information Society ing the gender barriers to ICT edu- focus on the monitoring and imple- cation and training); enabling envi- mentation of the “progress of feasi- Gender equality advocates from ronment (promotion of participation ble actions laid out in the Plan of civil society organizations, Govern- of women in formulating ICT policies); Action”,41 including developing a ments, United Nations bodies and ICT applications (e-health and e- core set of benchmarks or indicators international agencies participated in employment); cultural diversity and which can be used to evaluate ICT regional and global preparatory meet- identity (strengthening programmes for Development initiatives; survey- ings and made a strong case for focused on gender-sensitive curricula ing and presenting ICT “good prac- including recommendations on gen- in formal and non-formal education tices” and “lessons learned”; and der equality and women’s empow- and media literacy); media (balanced presenting the recommendations of erment in the WSIS Declaration of and diverse portrayal); follow-up and two working groups on Financing

5 women 2000 and beyond September 2005

Mechanisms and Internet Gover- The broad definition of Internet women. In relation to ICT governance nance established by the Secretary- governance utilized by the Working mechanisms, the Declaration rec- General of the United Nations. Group includes issues related to con- ommends establishment of multi- Gender equality advocates have tent (such as spam and “illegal and stakeholder mechanisms at both the focused on networking to address harmful content”), and use (such as global and national levels, with oppor- the broad range of issues during the use of the Internet for fraud or crim- tunities for participation of women. preparations for the second phase inal activities). The Working Group has Other issues emphasized in the of the WSIS from a gender per- prioritized the importance of Internet Declaration included the need for sex- spective.42 Priority areas for inter- governance in relation to develop- disaggregated data, capacity-building vention have included lobbying for mental aspects of the Internet, such in gender analysis of ICT policies and the incorporation of gender aware- as universal and affordable access to programmes, increased employment ness in the development of national infrastructure, content, cultural and lin- opportunities for women, enhanced level ICT policies and “e-strategies”; guistic diversity, training and capacity- opportunities for women’s involve- and developing ICT indicators and building. Gender equality issues were ment in ICT decision-making, and targets as a tool for achieving the covered in the developmental aspects investment in infrastructure and serv- development goals of the Millennium of Internet governance, in particular ices specifically for women. Declaration.43 capacity-building in developing coun- Financing ICT for Development tries and other access concerns. is a critical gender equality issue. There has been active and visible Gender dimensions Several briefing and position papers gender advocacy in the work on of ICT have been commissioned by UNDP Internet governance. However, con- which have been based on consul- straints in identifying clear points for Analysis of gender issues in ICT tations with organizations active in intervention and action on gender builds on previous gender analysis of gender and ICT advocacy. The find- equality are faced when Internet gov- technology. Technologies are socially ings and conclusions of the Task ernance is viewed from a largely tech- constructed and thus have different Force make reference to the impor- nical perspective. Issues such as impacts on women and men.46 tance of integrating ICT policies into access to infrastructure, content and Women’s capacity to exploit the poverty reduction strategies; of use, as well as intellectual property potential of the new ICT as tools for funding civil society community net- rights and developmental aspects, empowerment is constrained in dif- works because of their effective- provide gender advocates with clearer ferent ways. Some constraints are ness in expanding ICT access to entry points for intervention. Oppor- linked to factors that affect both rural low-income populations; and tunities need to be identified for ensur- women and men, including technical of identifying further ways and ing that recommendations for future infrastructure, connection costs, com- means of lowering the costs of deliv- governance arrangements address puter literacy and language skills. ery to under-served markets and the need to create more effective These overall constraints are, how- promoting community access. means for women to participate in ever, exacerbated in many cases by Ensuring adequate funding for ICT governance processes. gender-based determinants which initiatives for women, and replica- A Forum on Gender and ICTs for particularly disadvantage women.47 tion and upscaling of positive inno- the World Summit on the Information Most poor women in developing vations and pilot projects, remains Society 2005 was held in Seoul, countries are further removed from a challenge which needs to be Republic of Korea, from 24-25 June the information age than the men addressed in the context of financ- in 2005, with participants from 36 whose poverty they share.48 Women ing mechanisms. countries, representing academia, need ICT for the same reasons as In the formation of the United NGOs, Governments, international men; to access information of impor- Nations Working Group on Internet organizations and the private sector. tance to their productive, reproduc- Governance,44 gender equality was The Seoul-Gyeonggi Declaration on tive and community roles and to obtain one of the primary criteria used in Equal Participation of Women in the additional resources. Access to ICT the selection of candidates. Of the Information Society45 prepared by par- can enable women and men to gain 39 members, seven are women, with ticipants at the Forum emphasized a stronger voice in their communi- a stakeholder balance of Government the need to ensure integration of gen- ties, their Government and at the (18), private sector (6) and civil soci- der perspectives in the ICT financing global level. ICT also offers women ety (15). Two members of the WSIS discussions, including through gender flexibility in time and space and can Gender Caucus and NGO Gender -sensitive budgeting and specific inter- be of particular value to women who Strategies Working Group are also ventions for women, taking into face social isolation, including many on the Working Group. account the needs of marginalized women in developing countries.

6 September 2005 women 2000 and beyond

Access and effective use Use of radio networking in Brazil CEMINA (Communication, in the poorest communities. In addition to physical access to Education, and Information CEMINA is committed to inte- the technology and the ability to uti- on Gender)b is a Brazilian grating the Internet into a lize it, access also refers to the abil- organization with the mis- more traditional media that ity to make use of the information sion of improving education people are already familiar and the resources provided. The fac- on gender equality, health with in order to address cul- tors identified as constraints to access and environment issues and tural barriers which consti- and use, i.e. poverty, illiteracy, includ- strengthening poor women’s tute a major challenge to ing computer illiteracy, and language rights and citizenship overcoming the gender digi- barriers are particularly acute for through the use of radio. In tal divide. CEMINA aims to women. Women are, for example, 1995, a group of women’s empower women communi- less likely to own communication radio programmes founded cators by providing them assets, such as radios, mobile phones the Women’s Radio Network, access to the Internet through and computers. In addition, women’s which includes 400 women’s the creation of community access to and use of ICT is con- radio programmes distrib- radio telecentres and a strained by factors that go beyond uted across Brazil reaching defined space on the Internet issues of technological infrastructure. thousands of listeners located with gender content.c Socially constructed gender roles and relationships play a key role in determining the capacity of women and men to participate on equal terms in ucts for their sons as they do for access, ease of use and coverage the information society.49 A UNESCO their daughters.51 among women in rural areas in many report on “Gender Issues in the The development of infrastructure parts of the world. Internet radio has Information Society” points out that includes many decisions about the also become accessible to women the capability of women to effectively location of facilities, the type of tech- through community and women- use information obtained through ICT nology, and issues of costs and pric- specific spaces. is clearly dependent on many social ing. Decisions which do not explic- While ICT can deliver potentially factors, including literacy and educa- itly consider access for rural areas useful information, such as market tion, geographic location, mobility and and poor and marginalized social prices for women in small and micro- social class.50 groups, but favour urban areas with enterprises, it is only one element in Women are in the minority of users high-end and expensive communica- a longer chain of necessary resources. in almost all developed and develop- tion services and technologies, can Where women have limited or no ing countries. The trend for differen- negatively influence access to and access to roads and transport, credit tiation in use starts early, as seen in use of ICT by women. and other development inputs, access the United States where boys are Technological aspects can have a to and use of ICT will consequently five times more likely than girls to tremendous impact on women’s be limited in its impact. It is there- use home computers and parents access to and use of ICT. Mobile tele- fore important to complement the spend twice as much on ICT prod- phony, for example, has increased the provision of ICT facilities with additional services and training that will build the capacities of women as well Mobile phones for rural women in Senegal as men to act on the information and The Senegalese telephone of the inputs for their food knowledge accessed through ICT.52 company Sonatel, and processing activities and for Investment in content develop- Manobi, a French company, the sale of their produce. The ment at the local level, based on local provided cell phones with women preferred cell phones information needs, is key to increas- Web Access Protocol (WAP) to computers because of the ing women’s access to and relevant to rural women agricultural ease of transport. Women in use of ICT. Greater attention should producers in Senegal, thereby the project appreciated the also be paid to recognizing women, extending their access to the economic benefits of the including poor women, as informa- Internet. This technology technology, and other women tion producers, and supporting their helped women obtain infor- were interested in becoming involvement by providing relevant mation about market prices part of the project.a training in collecting, packaging and disseminating local knowledge.

7 women 2000 and beyond September 2005

can facilitate women’s and girls’ use Impact of women’s use of telecentres in South Asia of ICT resources. Some experiences of telecentres around the world have In 2002, UNESCO explored both the barriers as well as shown that women are more com- the potential of ICT to con- the positive effects of ICT for fortable with women-trainers and, in tribute to poverty reduction empowerment. Social and some cases, able to participate more in nine locations within five economic exclusion due to effectively in women-only training countries in South Asia. gender-based restrictions on environments.55 The recruitment of Access to ICT represented mobility was found in many women as managers of telecentres real and symbolic access to households, with most does not automatically ensure greater modernity, the future, edu- women’s interaction gener- access by women in the community. cation and knowledge. ICT ally restricted to their An evaluation of telecentres funded centres constituted a space immediate family, a few under the Acacia programme in Africa in which people could neighbours and some indicated that women consistently develop a sense of change extended family. The restric- make up less than one-third of tele- and possibility. The study tions resulted in narrowing centre users even when female train- showed that gender per- women’s access to the infor- ers and facilitators and women- spectives played a signifi- mation and resources that targeted training materials are made d cant part in determining ICT centres provided. available. Other solutions proposed include having women-only times at existing telecentres or developing Experience has shown that reach- and responsibilities may limit the time women-only spaces in these cen- ing women in developing countries, they have available to use such facil- tres.56 particularly in rural areas, is facilitated ities. In addition, women tend to have Facilitating women’s access to by using multiple forms of media and less disposable income to spend on appropriate content is critical to ensur- communications technologies, i.e. communications than men. Tele- ing that women can fully exploit the ensuring that new technologies, such centres can fail to reach women opportunities of public access cen- as computers and the Internet, are because attention is largely focused tres. Repackaging and augmenting combined with technologies that on the hardware, and not on content information (downloading, simplifying, reach more women such as radio, of information or the social context.53 adapting information to local contexts television and print media. The pro- As a result, it is further maintained and translating into local languages), vision of relevant local language con- that public ICT facilities have a ten- and documenting and uploading local- tent, via affordable and easy-to-use dency to become men-only spaces; origin information, are critical steps technologies that are accessible to effectively inhibiting women’s for enhancing the relevance and use an audience with limited reading skills, access.54 of telecentres for women.57 is crucial if ICT are to meet the needs The availability of women support There are positive examples of use of women in developing countries. staff and trainers in these facilities of public access facilities to increase Public access centres One of the strategies adopted to Benefits for women of an ICT centre in India increase access of remote areas and marginalized groups to ICT is the As women became els. Younger women felt they development of public access cen- involved in the Baduria ICT were able to approach the job tres, such as telecentres, information Centre in West Bengal, India, market with greater confi- centres or cybercafes. Telecentres can they reported that they dence. There was also an be part of existing institutions—such gained more respect in their emergence of solidarity; as health centres, schools and com- local communities as a result since women learned to use munity centres. of the ICT skills acquired at computers together at the ICT In many cases, the location of and the centre—learning to use a Centre, they often discussed arrangements around public access computer and accessing and their problems, creating a centres are decided without consid- distributing information to sense of unity among them ering the constraints for women, such local people. This resulted in and bringing forth leadership as inappropriate opening times (includ- greater respect at both the qualities.e ing evenings), security issues and lack family and community lev- of transport. Women’s multiple roles

8 September 2005 women 2000 and beyond women’s access to and use of ICT. United Nations Development Fund for nizations and within Government bod- The experiences of community tele- Women (UNIFEM), women hold nine ies working in this area. “Men still centres in many Latin American coun- per cent of mid- to upper-level IT hold most of the management and tries present positive examples of related jobs in engineering and make control positions in telecommuni- democratization of the Internet, up 28.5 per cent of computer pro- cation companies and regulatory or increased women’s participation and grammers and 26.9 per cent of sys- policy-making bodies; regulatory deci- leadership in these areas, stimulation tems analysts.62 Only among data sions are made without any impact of the social uses of the Internet, and entry workers do they form the major- analysis; service licenses are attri- the active and informed inclusion of ity at 85 per cent. buted to companies without equal marginalized sectors, for example, The majority of positions within tra- opportunity policies and controlled through centres such as the Somos@ ditional telephone companies in most mostly by men”.67 telecentros Virtual Community countries are held by women. A closer Even where women have the Project, coordinated by the Chas- look, however, reveals that women necessary skills, persistent cultural quinet Foundation58 (Quito, Ecuador) dominate the ranks of telephone oper- constraints, such as stereotypical and supported by the International ators and data entry personnel.63 Little views of the roles of women and Development Research Centre data is available on women’s partici- men and women’s lack of mobility, (Canada). Similar projects are under- pation in computer science, engi- remain a barrier to their full partic- way in Central America, such as neering research and employment in ipation in the information age. Proyecto LINCOS and SISCOM in the private sector as well as in Boundaries of work-time in the tech- Costa Rica.59 research institutions. Many women nological society do not recognize who operate computers use them women’s and men’s multiple roles, largely for word-processing and and labour laws may prevent Employment related office programmes and for women’s full participation in the data entry. Few women are employed information economy. The International Labour Organi- as programmers and systems ana- Deregulation and privatization of zation (ILO) World Employment lysts. In Asia, women constitute only the telecommunications industry can Report (2001)60 observes that pat- 20 per cent of programmers (mostly make decision-making in this sector terns of gender segregation are being in lower-skilled, low-value-added posi- less accountable to citizens and local reproduced in the information econ- tions), while making up the majority communities, further compounding omy with women concentrated in of workers in data processing (espe- inequalities in access to decision- end-user, lower-skilled ICT jobs related cially outsourced work).64 In North making and control of resources for to word-processing and data entry America, Europe and Asia, few women. and men in more senior managerial, women are found in software and Business process outsourcing administration and design of net- hardware engineering.65 works, operating systems and soft- The Commission on the Status of Recent technological changes ware. Women finding employment in Women, at its forty-seventh session have allowed for different parts of the new, often ICT-related industries in 2003, urged relevant actors to the production process to be split, are rarely those who lost their jobs ensure equal opportunities for women resulting in the relocation of informa- in the traditional sectors. New inequal- and to monitor gender representation tion processing within the ICT sec- ities are therefore emerging between in different categories and levels of tor. This trend towards business pro- women with ICT-related jobs skills work, education and training in the cess outsourcing affects not only versus those without.61 media and ICT areas, with a view to domestic labour markets and the pos- Internationally outsourced jobs, increasing women’s participation in sibilities of increased foreign ex- such as medical transcription work or decision-making at all levels of ICT change inflows, but also the status software services, have made a con- and the media.66 of women’s employment. In some siderable difference to women’s work In most countries, women are countries in Asia, such as India, China opportunities in developing countries. under-represented in ICT decision- and the Philippines, business process In software, women enjoy opportu- making structures including policy and outsourcing is the single largest nities on a scale never experienced regulatory institutions and ministries technology-enabled employer of in any other field. In the information responsible for ICT. Women are under- women and one in which women technology sector, however, women represented on the boards and in the are earning significant livelihoods. make up a small percentage of man- senior management of IT companies, However, there is considerable agerial, maintenance and design per- policy and regulatory organizations, debate about the impact of this trend sonnel in networks, operating sys- technical standard-setting organiza- for women in the long term. The tems and software. According to the tions, industry and professional orga- debate revolves around which

9 women 2000 and beyond September 2005 women benefit from this new form rent centre of business processing relative to those working in the organ- of employment and the implications outsourcing. Due to the high pre- ized sector and under insecure of the type of work women do in mium placed on increasing produc- employment contracts (if contracts the sector. On the one hand, some tivity, female call centre workers tend exist at all). Women working at home researchers claim that outsourcing to be young and only remain in this also have to make substantial invest- has created different requirements activity for a few years as a result ments to secure their work—includ- for labour, involving only a limited of the sheer pressure of the work. ing the purchase of computers and number of highly skilled professional Studies of call centres in Delhi and payment for electricity and Internet workers and a large pool of semi- in the New Okhla Industrial Authority connectivity. skilled workers. Two reports pre- (NOIDA) demonstrate a lack of oppor- The ILO World Employment Report sented at the regional 10-year review tunities for development and pro- (2001) warns that “as teleworking is of the implementation of the Beijing motion and a high degree of burnout. emerging as an important mode of Declaration and Platform for Action, Very few women are employed at working in the information economy, organized by ESCAP, stated that out- the professional level or in the man- existing social inequalities—particu- sourcing “shows clear signs of agement of business process out- larly gender inequalities—will be rein- labour market segmentation by gen- sourcing.71 forced unless proper policy measures der, caste and class”.68 These Teleworking is another growing are implemented”.72 Promotion of reports also indicated that women employment trend that has opened teleworking for women must recog- employed in business process out- up new opportunities for women, nize the implications for women’s sourcing are mostly from the urban using ICT to enable them to work work burden, given that the division and educated sections of their soci- from their homes. This new organi- of work at the household level is not eties. This pattern of development, zation of work has implications for being changed. While home-based while reducing unemployment women’s multiple gender roles, work does allow women to continue among educated women, will not including their domestic responsibil- to fulfil the domestic roles tradition- contribute significantly to reversing ities in the household. Women, in ally expected of them, it can be at a the unemployment of lower-skilled particular in India and the Philippines, huge cost to women themselves, for women and could in the long-term, do medical and legal transcription example, staying up all night to meet reinforce current socio-economic and maintenance of daily accounts deadlines. The long-term effects of inequities. for small businesses located in north- this type of work need to be further Research by other scholars on ern countries. They are frequently monitored and evaluated. Evaluative women and ICT in Asia presents out- termed “virtual assistants”. Although indicators and benchmarks which sourcing as a major opportunity for they are able to work at home, the determine changes in gender rela- the economic empowerment of women perform their work in addi- tions resulting from teleworking need women. With an expected 500 per tion to the domestic labour expected to be developed and monitored on a cent increase in India’s ICT services of married women, for low wages continuous basis.73 and back-office work, involving jobs for four million people and account- ing for seven per cent of GDP by Malaysian experience of teleworking 2008,69 women’s employment in this sector is expected to grow.70 In the service segment of IT work The findings of E-homemak- of Women and Family f (call centres) where women com- ers in Malaysia, a group Development to develop a prise the vast majority of workers, which has worked since 1998 gender-sensitive teleworking critics focus on the self-denying cul- to support women who choose policy in Malaysia. This proj- tural aspects, where workers have to work from home to balance ect could have a significant to learn the accents as well as pop- their gender roles and respon- impact on gender equality ular speech and culture of the coun- sibilities, show that rather and ICT if teleworking is tries that companies service. Others than finding a balance designed on the need to estab- focus on the fact that women do between household tasks and lish equality between hus- not profit from the flexibility that ICT paid work done at home, bands and wives in all aspects are supposed to represent. They women often deal with of family life, in decision- rather become tied to shifts that increased multiple burdens. making, in household work match peak call times in other coun- E-homemakers is collaborat- and in family responsibili- tries that, for example, frequently ing with Malaysia’s Ministry ties.g come after midnight in India, the cur-

10 September 2005 women 2000 and beyond

reveals that the graduates have ben- languages spoken and only 20 per Access to capacity- efitted in terms of increased and self- cent of people are able to commu- building on ICT confidence and self-esteem and that nicate in English.78 Women make up 82 per cent of graduates of the first the majority of those who cannot Many organizations are working to course had concrete plans for use of access such information because of build the capacity of women to access the skills learned, including in entre- language barriers.79 and use new ICT, through providing preneurship.75 The principle of content repackag- training for ICT-related jobs, as well ing that underlies many ongoing pro- as training for women in using ICT jects is a key to providing informa- in their professions, including small Content and tion to “unconnected” women. Many businesses. In Afghanistan, for exam- stereotypical portrayal “connected” women—particularly in ple, the Ministry for Women’s Affairs, developing countries—act as bridges in collaboration with United Nations of women to unconnected groups in their com- Development Programme (UNDP), The importance of creating and munities by repackaging information has established a computer training distributing culturally diversified and they find online and sharing it through centre for women.74 An InfoDev proj- local content for both traditional and alternative communications channels ect, implemented by Cisco Systems new media has been recognized as and in different languages.80 and the United Nations Economic a crucial factor in the promotion of Women’s ability to produce con- Commission for Africa (ECA), awards diverse cultural and linguistic expres- tent relevant to their needs and pri- scholarships for young African women sion.76 However, much of the con- orities is of particular importance at for training in Internet networking. tent available through the Internet a time when control of mass media Assessment of the training—which and the new media is in languages networks—including radio, television, includes training on gender equality— that are not understood by billions films, newspapers, magazines, cable, of people. The English language has satellite, the Internet and telecom- become a prerequisite for access to munications—is increasingly concen- Generating new jobs for half of the information available on trated in the hands of a few media Korean women the Internet—for example, in search conglomerates. engines, catalogues and other Women’s exclusion from informa- Between 2001 and 2002, the sources.77 In Asia, there are 2,197 tion production means that the diver- Government of the Republic of Korea established several projects for the economic empowerment of women. The Relevant content for women in Latin America Kyonggi Province Program for In Latin America, the reports related to women’s women provides training for women’s movement has status and the advancement women as IT professionals. made concerted efforts to pro- of their rights. Women con- The programme is tailored for duce relevant Spanish contribute directly to the con- women in different life situa- tent on the Internet. In 2003, tents of these portals. tions. For example, unem- a group of women’s organi- Another interesting project ployed women, women heads zations in Argentina created has been developed by Radio of households and handi- the Agenda de las Mujeres FIRE, Costa Rica, the first capped women who want to (Women’s Agenda) portal feminist radio on the enter the work force are and ISIS International–Chile Internet. In addition to the trained in business incuba- launched their portal Mujeres audio of their radio pro- tion. The 10-12 month course Hoy (Women Today). The grammes, the website con- has been completed by about portals provide access to tains written information 600 women, of which nearly important information pro- and a photo gallery of events two-thirds have either found duced in the region on the where women are key actors. employment or started their women’s movement and gen- Radio FIRE supports the own businesses. The course der equality issues. They women’s movement in cam- made numerous accommoda- reproduce articles published paigns on sensitive issues, tions to meet women’s needs throughout the continent and such as violence against and constraints, including make available key docu- women, women in conflict their daily schedules.h ments, research, statistics and areas and child abuse.i

11 women 2000 and beyond September 2005

and prostitution; chat rooms as spaces WomenWatch: the United Nations website for child sexual abuse; file transfer protocol (FTP) as a technological appli- WomenWatch is a United mination against Women, cation for exchanging materials on Nations inter-agency website research and statistics and child pornography; and live video chats on gender equality. It was cre- operational activities within which can facilitate human trafficking ated in 1997 to follow-up the the United Nations system. for sexual purposes.86 1995 United Nations Fourth WomenWatch provides an According to a leading advocate World Conference on Women online database-driven mech- on ICT and domestic violence in the in Beijing. WomenWatch is a anism which links to websites United States, “technology is becom- “gateway” to information on and webpages, and in some ing an integral part of battering tac- work carried out to promote cases to specific documents, tics”.87 Some of the documented dan- gender equality across the on gender equality produced gers experienced by survivors include entire United Nations system. by United Nations entities. surveillance of Internet activity Through WomenWatch, The directory is catalogued through spy software and tracking of information is disseminated into sections on specific top- movement through global positioning on intergovernmental pro- ics, such as the 12 Critical software.88 cesses, in particular the Areas of Concern from the The sex industry has used the Commission on the Status of Beijing Platform for Action anonymity provided by the Internet Women, the work of the Con- and other emerging issues, to violate laws prohibiting sexual vention on the Elimination including the Millennium exploitation and violence with of All Forms of Discri- Development Goals.j impunity, particularly in countries with strong non-regulation policies. By locating their servers in host countries with less restrictive laws, cre- sity of their viewpoints, experiences ators of pornographic websites can and concerns are not well repre- Exploitation of women avoid regulation while still accessing sented. This results in cementing the and girls through ICT global markets. The new technolo- stereotypical portrayal of women in gies have thus enabled the creation the established media. The use of the Internet to per- of online communities, free from com- Concerned about the image of petuate violence against women is munity interference or standards, women projected in the media, par- of increasing concern at global, where any and every type of sexual ticipants at the Fourth World regional and national levels. The violence is possible and misogyny is Conference on Women in Beijing Internet is utilized to normalize and the norm. The average person with agreed that “print and electronic accelerate the sexual exploitation of a computer, modem and search media in most countries do not pro- women and children. According to engine can now find more violent, vide a balanced picture of women’s recent research, the Internet has degrading images in several minutes diverse lives and contributions to soci- increased the commodification of than they could have found in a life- ety in a changing world”.81 The women and sexualized violence, time 15 years ago. Platform for Action called for a bal- including through broadcasting sex- The growing presence of sexually anced portrayal of women and girls ual abuse in real time. Competition exploitative content and use of the in their multiple roles and encouraged among sites has increased the per- Internet for the exploitation of women the “use of non-stereotyped, balanced centage of violent and misogynistic and violence against women has been and diverse images of women in the images.84 used to argue the enforcement of media”.82 A recent comprehensive paper85 policies that will control the content As discussed in the following sec- has outlined the various forms of new that can be published on the Internet. tion, images of women as sex sym- technologies that have been used to For example, there have been calls bols proliferate on the Internet.83 By sexually exploit women. They include for technology that will not only fil- increasing women’s access to train- digital video disks that enable greater ter content but will track down cre- ing on and use of new technologies, interactivity between users and ators and clients of pornographic web- especially the Internet, their ability images; newsgroups for the exchange sites. to combat negative portrayals of of information on how to locate and ICT can be effectively used to fos- women through ICT can be strength- sexually exploit women; websites as ter awareness of the many forms ened. a popular medium of distribution and that violence against women can take marketing of pornographic materials on the Internet and to develop a com-

12 September 2005 women 2000 and beyond

development opportunities, such as Online module on violence against women political participation. Women’s sus- on the Internet in the U.S. tainable livelihoods can be enhanced through expanded access of women In April 2002, the Berkman such violence. Violence producers and traders to markets, and Center for Internet and against women is a critical to education, training and employ- Society at Harvard University social problem that affects all ment opportunities. By using one of launched a six-week online of us in some way. Whether the most important democratizing module on “Violence against we have directly experienced aspects of the Internet—the creation k Women on the Internet”. The abuse, know a friend who has of secure online spaces that are pro- course synopsis stated “[i]n been victimized, or have been tected from harassment—women are this series, we will explore the enjoying freedom of expression and various ways in which vio- confronted with the myriad other forms such violence privacy of communication to oppose lence against women is facil- gender discrimination and to promote take, it impacts how we view itated through the use of the women’s human rights. Internet, as well as ways in the world and shapes our Experiences throughout Africa, which the Internet may be experiences and opportuni- Eastern Europe, Asia, Latin America used as a site of resistance to ties”.l and the Caribbean illustrate creative solutions to provide access to and use of ICT as a tool for participation munity that can both respond to these around rights and gender equality”.91 and, most importantly, to contribute issues and take action.89 The However, the study also cautions that to women’s empowerment. For women’s movement has begun to while documentation of experiences example, the Multimedia Caravan proj- address the enabling role of ICT in is increasing, there continues to be ect in Senegal provided rural women combating violence against women. a need to consolidate research and with the opportunity to develop their The Internet has been used effec- evaluate lessons that will facilitate own ideas on how ICT can be used tively to mobilize activists against effective ICT for development strate- to further their development needs pornography.90 gies, including support for pro-poor and goals. In Kenya, women and men Women’s groups must participate initiatives such as girl’s access to pri- weavers were trained in using the in the development of policies, leg- mary education. Internet to learn new weaving tech- islation and other actions to combat Women’s empowerment is niques and access more realistic the exploitation of women and girls. focused on increasing their power to prices for their products. In Uganda, One critical approach is to increase take control over decisions that shape the Uganda Media Women’s women’s use of the space provided their lives, including in relation to Association established a radio pro- by ICT to discuss and debate vio- access to resources, participation in gramme—Mama FM—where women lence against women on the Internet. decision-making and control over dis- can actively participate and learn about tribution of benefits. For women who development issues such as human can access and use them, ICT offer rights, children, governance, nutrition, Potential for potential, especially in terms of reduc- health, among others. In Poland, the empowering women ing poverty, improving governance, Network of East-West Women dis- overcoming isolation, and providing a seminated information to enhance In developing countries, there has voice. However, existing persistent women’s participation in the European been an increase in pro-poor ICT for gender discrimination in labour mar- Union accession process in European development initiatives. A study by kets, in education and training oppor- Union candidate countries. These proj- the International Development tunities, and allocation of financial ects illustrate the scope of ICT and Research Centre of Canada (IDRC) on resources for entrepreneurship and clearly show that technologies such ICT for poverty reduction strategies business development, negatively as radio, television and CD-ROMs are states that trends show that “ICT impact on women’s potential to fully perfectly acceptable, and in many have been applied to systemic utilize ICT for economic, social and cases more effective forms of ICT improvements important to poverty political empowerment. than web-based solutions, as they reduction such as education, health There is a growing body of evi- can resolve issues such as language, and social services delivery, broader dence on the benefits of ICT for illiteracy or access to the Internet.92 Government transparency and women’s empowerment, through The advent of new technologies accountability, and helping empower increasing their access to health, nutri- and the growing convergence of all citizens and build social organization tion, education and other human media have had a major impact on

13 women 2000 and beyond September 2005 the information and communication work undertaken by the women’s Women’s radio clubs in Zimbabwe movement. The new technologies offer potential for innovative social The establishment of developmental needs and pri- interaction, including peer and bottom- women’s radio clubs in orities. Women posed ques- up communication, and creative Zimbabwe enabled women to tions to political officials opportunities for the creation, repro- network with other rural which were transmitted duction and dissemination of infor- women and to participate in through an information mation relevant for women. There are political life. In Zimbabwe, intermediary. The responses increased opportunities for national, some 52 women’s radio lis- of officials became part of the regional and global distribution of tening clubs are active in the weekly broadcast. The proj- women-generated news, much of Development through Radio ect is now extending the pro- which, in the past, was limited in out- project, aimed at giving rural gramme to women in Sierra reach. The Internet has brought women access to radio and Leone to increase their women’s news and views into the allowing them to participate involvement in the civic and public domain, with countless web- in the production of pro- political life in the rebuild- sites targeted specifically, if not exclu- grammes based on their ing of their country.m sively, to women.93 Availability of technology is only one aspect influencing the potential graphical location of facilities and creates new job and marketing oppor- for empowering effects. Potential for social and cultural norms constitute tunities, focusing in particular on link- empowerment is also affected by additional constraints.94 The improve- ing women producers to expanded socio-cultural aspects, such as class, ment of access for rural women and tourist markets. In March 2005, ESCAP age, ethnicity and race. Women from their participation in ICT will be lim- co-organized a seminar on e-business the same social context may not enjoy ited if access to infrastructure, such opportunities for women. equal access to ICT. as roads and transport, education, The United Nations Educational, training, and economic resources, Scientific and Cultural Organization including financing, is not increased. (UNESCO) capacity-building pro- Empowerment Multiple forms of media and com- gramme for the empowerment of of rural women munication technologies reach more marginalized adolescent girls in women in rural areas. depressed rural areas in Bangladesh, General Assembly resolution United Nations entities have India, Nepal and Pakistan includes lit- 58/146 stressed the need to ensure worked to ensure access to and use eracy and life skills, management of that rural women have access to and of ICT by rural women in many micro-enterprises, micro-finance, and fully participate in the area of ICT. different areas. The UNDP/Japan science education with access to ICT. The resolution invited the World Women in Development Fund has A UNESCO project in Nabanna, India, Summit on the Information Society, supported programmes in Bhutan, on “Networking Rural Women and in Geneva and Tunis, to take into con- Cameroon, Egypt, India, Rwanda, Knowledge” explores innovative uses sideration, while addressing gender Ukraine and to increase rural women’s of databases, intranet portals and web- issues, the priorities and needs of access to ICT. For example, in Egypt, based partnerships in the local lan- rural women and girls as active users model health clinics have been set up guage for the benefit of poor women. of information and to ensure their par- in rural areas and provide, inter alia, The project’s emphasis is on building ticipation in developing and imple- access to and training in health related a framework for information sharing, menting global information and com- information with extensive use of ICT. content creation, off-line information munication technology strategies. In Ukraine, under a project entitled dissemination and web-based part- Effective access to and use of ICT “Sustaining Women Farmers” approx- nerships with organizations located can improve rural women’s leader- imately 2,000 prospective women outside the region. The findings of ship and participation in community entrepreneurs have attended ICT train- this and other innovative models and and economic development activities. ing seminars. In the Arab States, approaches of applying ICT for poverty However, rural women are at the low- UNIFEM has supported the partici- reduction at the grassroots level are est level of the digital gender divide. pation of women in ICT through documented in two UNESCO publi- According to findings of the ITU, lim- a new partnership in a Jordanian cations: Profiles and Experiences in ited infrastructure, affordability and Government-sponsored “E-Village” ICT Innovation for Poverty Reduction education are the main barriers for initiative. Apart from education and and Research ICT Innovations for rural women in Africa. Time, geo- training opportunities, the project also Poverty Reduction.

14 September 2005 women 2000 and beyond

Programmes and initiatives have ICT for the empowerment of indigenous women demonstrated how ICT can be an instrument for women’s economic In the IV Continental En- own language related to empowerment, such as the Grameen counter of Indigenous Women community development con- Phones Programme in Bangladesh, that took place in Lima, Peru cerns, such as health and edu- the Development through Radio in 2004, indigenous commu- cation. Indigenous com- Programme in Zimbabwe, and the nicators discussed the low lev- munities need to build their deployment of competitive wireless els of access to ICT, due mainly own communication initia- options in Bolivia and the Dominican to infrastructure shortcom- tives, participate in networks, Republic, particularly for women in ings. Indigenous women develop capacity for political the informal sector.95 emphasized the value of com- involvement and create E-commerce initiatives can link bining traditional media, alliances with journalists who women producers and traders directly to markets at national, regional or even mainly radio, with commu- support the participation of global levels, allowing them to restruc- nity telephones, to bring up indigenous communities in ture their economic activities and by- n issues for discussion in their society. pass middlemen and male-dominated and exploitative market structures.96 In Gujarat, India, women dairy producers use the Dairy Information System access to market and trading infor- Kiosk (DISK), which manages a data- Enabling women’s mation services and e-commerce base of all milk cattle and provides economic empowerment initiatives); and information about veterinary services • Offering economic opportunities in and other practical information about ICT interventions that are directed salaried employment and entre- the dairy sector.97 at economically empowering women preneurship, as well as in the ICT Notwithstanding these innovative capitalize on the potential of these sector itself and in jobs enabled by approaches, availability and access to technologies as knowledge and net- ICT. the necessary facilities for women working tools for women as producers and distributors of goods and services. The tools are used to con- nect women to new and wider mar- Ideas for earning money in Uganda kets, broaden their social networks and provide them with information A project in the Nakaseke microenterprise, in a audio- that opens up important economic region of Uganda has illus- visual package using local opportunities. trated that poor, largely illit- languages and easily accessi- ICT can provide new opportunities erate women in rural Africa, ble to women with low liter- for women’s economic empower- in areas with limited con- acy skills. Women visited the ment by: nectivity, can benefit from Telecentre and used the CD- • Creating business and employment new ICT. In a 1999 needs opportunities for women as own- ROM enthusiastically. Some assessment, rural women liv- are saving to acquire mobile ers and managers of ICT-accessed ing near the Nakaseke telephones so that they have projects, as well as employees of Telecentre indicated their new business ventures; daily access to market prices need for information on mar- • Creating an environment, including and can make better marketing and prices for food- through training, where women keting decisions. The com- feel comfortable participating in crops and crafts. With funding and support from the munity of women has community development activities become more confident and and advocating for their needs and International Development is working together to devise priorities; Research Centre (IDRC), the • Developing ICT-based tools that International Women’s solutions to reduce their address women’s specific needs Tribune Center (IWTC) poverty. They are also train- and are run by women (for exam- designed a CD-ROM of ICT- ing women from other areas ple, literacy programmes, business based learning materials on in the use of ICT.o planning courses, ICT training,

15 women 2000 and beyond September 2005

women and girls.100 Language and Using the Internet to increase productivity basic computer literacy are prereq- of handicrafts in Argentina uisites for women and girls to ben- PRODEMU, an NGO in improving the packaging, they efit from the use of ICT for education. The under-representation of Catamarca, Argentina, trained increased their sales. This kept women in science and technology young women from a poor young women profitably rural community in the use of adds to the gender differences and ICT for improving the design employed in their community inequalities in this field. and marketing of handicrafts. rather than migrating to work Initiatives that focus on educating By creating a webpage and in cities.p women in poor communities and teaching them computer literacy have demonstrated the value of ICT for remain major concerns. Even a proj- Education women. A study of nine projects with ect such as the CD-ROM project in Education is an area where both a specific focus on women and youth Uganda requires access to a com- developed and developing countries in South Asia showed that ICT use munity telecentre or community are applying a combination of tra- is valued for providing a different access point where computers and ditional and new ICT, adapting, for model of teaching and learning which special assistance are available to cre- example, the use of computers and is practical and hands-on. New ICT ate an environment where women the Internet, radio and television, also allow the process and content feel welcome and comfortable explor- in formal and informal learning, dis- of education to be adapted to learner ing a new technology.98 tance education and in establishing preferences and priorities, thus open- Beyond generating new jobs for e-learning centres—to support edu- ing up possibilities for designing and women, ICT are being used in proj- cation and training of women and girls. providing education in forms that are ects that address other gender equal- High illiteracy rates of women and locally relevant.101 ity issues related to poverty reduc- girls and their lack of ICT training In many developing countries, com- tion. For instance, projects in South are two of the most serious barri- puters are being introduced in schools Asia that focused specifically on ers that prevent them from enter- as a tool to support the learning income generating activities and direct ing the information economy. process. Research has shown that employment benefits for women cre- Continuing gender gaps in educa- classrooms are not free from gender ated a space for information exchange, tion, due to domestic responsi- bias. Therefore, gender-sensitive plan- provided support networks and devel- bilities, lack of mobility and socio- ning of ICT interventions is a pre- oped a range of interrelated social, cultural practices that downplay the condition to ensure equal access and technical and economic skills. importance of education of girls, con- effective use by girl students of com- Participants acquired the confidence stitute enormous challenges for puters in the classroom environment. for autonomous activity that made a significant contribution to their empowerment.99 Functional literacy through ICT in Ghana Although ICT have not yet had a significant impact on creating employ- A project in Ghana uses radio Although faced with prob- ment and generating income for very to develop functional literacy lems such as poor radio infra- poor and marginalized women, there and to provide information structure and inadequate air- is potential through increasing their in local languages on a wide time to offer literacy in 15 engagement with ICT to expand social range of topics. The topics local languages, the project networks and introduce new modes include HIV/AIDS, teenage illustrated that the use of of learning which can play a key role pregnancy, nutrition, com- radio strengthened the cov- munity empowerment, in overcoming poverty in the future. erage of the functional and income generating activities, food preservation, animal development themes of the literacy programme, chang- Enabling women’s socio- husbandry, child labour, and energy-saving. Radio is also ing people’s attitudes towards economic empowerment used to support literacy teach- family planning and con- ICT provides opportunities for ing with more detailed infor- tributing to the establish- women’s socio-economic empower- mation that could not be pro- ment of income-generating ment in many areas, including in health vided in the classroom. ventures.q and education.

16 September 2005 women 2000 and beyond

Some successful efforts have been ICT for education in African countries undertaken by health promoters to World Links, an organization puter labs. High student-to- use radio to effectively disseminate that promotes international computer ratios and first- information related to women’s health, including sexual and repro- tele-collaboration among sec- come, first-served policies do ductive rights and health. Use of the ondary school teachers and not favour girls who are typ- Internet is being explored through students in developing coun- ically heavily outnumbered exchange of information via e-mail, tries, commissioned a gender by boys at the secondary level. online newsletters and listservs.105 assessment study in 2001. Girls have earlier curfew ICT have the potential for delivering The research focused on male hours and domestic respon- locally adapted health information to and female students in four sibilities that limit their women through community access African countries: Ghana, access time. Proposed meas- points. Mauritania, Senegal and ures to correct this gender Uganda. The evaluation bias include encouraging HIV/AIDS found that despite efforts to schools to develop “fair use” ICT are also helping women in make the programme gender- policies in computer labs, HIV/AIDS affected households to sensitive, gender inequalities conducting gender sensitiv- cope, particularly in Africa where AIDS in access persisted. In some ity sessions and advocating remains a major problem and where schools in Ghana and for reducing after-school women and girls often bear the brunt Uganda, girls do not enjoy duties of girls to give them of the pandemic. Women are at equitable access to the com- more time.r greater risk of HIV infection, including as a result of gender inequality. They bear significant responsibility for caring for HIV/AIDS victims and for Health technologies can directly address the survival of families. They are con- There is a vast potential for ICT to women’s health concerns, or how strained by lack of inheritance and facilitate global, regional and national they can build on women’s roles at property rights, unemployment, lack health initiatives for women. The use household and community levels as of access to and control over of ICT by health practitioners in devel- the primary users and disseminators resources, and poor health, including oping countries is quite well of health information.104 malnutrition. established. Organizations such as Satellife102 and HealthNet103 are examples of projects that have been ICT in support of women’s health in Uganda successful in providing health information and connections to develop- The United Nations hospital ambulances and ing country health professionals. Population Fund (UNFPA), in District Medical Officer’s Satellife is a US-based NGO that works collaboration with Uganda’s vehicles. Birth attendants to break down barriers to health infor- Ministry of Health and were equipped with walkie- mation access through innovative Population Secretariat and talkies which improved the applications of ICT. HealthNet is its Uganda district authorities, global communication network, which image of the birth attendants initiated the project, RES- and built confidence in their links health-care workers around the CUER, with the objective of world via e-mail and allows doctors, patients, allowing them to reducing Uganda’s high nurses, researchers, medical students help more women. Rural maternal mortality rate (506 and other health-care providers who health personnel are now had been working in isolation to com- per 100,000) by improving local care and referral sys- able to call and give practi- municate, share experiences and cal advice even when there is access information critical to their tems. The project combined no transport available. The work. communications, transport These kinds of projects exemplify and quality health services. RESCUER project is being how ICT can contribute to improve High frequency (VHF) radios replicated in three districts health conditions in developing coun- were installed at base sta- and there are plans to extend tries. However, there has been too tions, health units, referral it to 30 more.s little attention given to how these

17 women 2000 and beyond September 2005

Network of East-West Women, the ICT supporting women to cope European and North American with HIV/AIDS in Kenya WomenAction (ENAWA), and many others, have constituted an effec- The Kenya AIDS Intervention trained in the use of audio tive global communications network Prevention Project Groupt and video recording equip- in support of women’s advocacy established community- ment to enable them to through training women activists, based informal learning cen- exchange information, for facilitating online dialogues, debates tres in western Kenya, giving example, on farming tech- and discussions across countries priority to orphans, widows, niques, and to raise public and regions and aggregating con- low-income women and older awareness about HIV/AIDS. tent in websites. This network also vulnerable children from The groups were also trained advocated actively for expanding HIV/AIDS affected house- in photography and the use the coverage and commitment of holds. The participants are of drama and traditional oral Governments around media and ICT taught about nutrition, and issues. storytelling as tools for learn- receive training in relevant Within the context of increasing ing, education and develop- skills to enable them to care monopolies in the communications for people living with AIDS ment. A radio/cassette player sector, women’s media and com- and to become economically and a mobile phone were dis- munications networks are taking full and socially empowered. The tributed to each of the groups, advantage of new technologies to project organized a health and the participants were amplify the voices of marginalized and agriculture community encouraged to communicate women. The emergence of ICT has radio network for women with national FM radio facilitated the establishment of alter- who had completed the train- stations—to respond to pro- native media organizations and ing. The participants were grammes, obtain informa- NGOs covering issues that are not organized into six radio lis- tion and share their experi- given adequate attention by the tening groups, and were ences with a wider audience. mainstream media and to reach out to large sections of the population that were previously not served by the mainstream media. The Internet has brought women’s news and Center (IWTC), Agencia Latin views into the public domain, with Enabling women’s America de Informacion (ALAI), countless websites targeted specif- political empowerment FEMNET Africa, ISIS International, ically, if not exclusively, at women.

People around the world are using new technologies in unprecedented ways for networking, movement Fiji suitcase radio project building, political participation and advocacy. Women and their orga- A women’s community is a proactive response to the nizations have pioneered strategic media initiative in Suva commercialization of radio and empowering uses of ICT to pro- (femLINKpacific—Media waves in Fiji and provides a mote women’s rights. The Fourth Initiatives for Women) is pio- space for women who wish to World Conference on Women, as neering a community radio raise their issues, in their own well as the five- and ten-year reviews project using mobile suitcase way, in their local commu- radio equipment with a 100- of the implementation of the nities. The mobile radio proj- watt transmitter. FemLINK Platform for Action in 2000 and ect aims to address gaps in trained young women in sec- 2005, led to massive networking information to and from and mobilization of the women’s ondary schools as its broad- women in rural communi- movement globally through ICT. cast team. Its first broadcast Organizations such as the in May 2004 coincided with ties, especially in relation to Association for Progressive Com- the International Women’s strengthening women’s par- munications Women’s Networking Day for Peace and Dis- ticipation in decision mak- Support Programme (APC-WNSP), armament. The radio project ing.u International Women’s Tribune

18 September 2005 women 2000 and beyond

equality, and empowering minori- Women Mayors Link: connecting ties.106 It can be particularly power- local governance, ICT and gender ful in providing a voice to women who have been isolated and invisi- Women Mayors’ Link is an cent of the project was imple- ble. initiative developed in 12 mented by e-mail and the In recent years, e-governance has countries and territories of Internet increased the level become a priority area of many the Stability Pact Region. The of confidence and satisfac- Governments resulting in the imple- direct beneficiaries are 50 tion of the participants in mentation of programmes that apply ICT in delivering Government serv- women mayors from Albania, using ICT. The initiative was ices and promoting transparency and Bosnia and Herzegovina, successful in promoting net- Bulgaria, Croatia, the former accountability. Beyond delivery of working among women may- Government services and informa- Yugoslav Republic of ors in the region. Despite the Macedonia, Greece, Hungary, tion to the public using electronic gains made, participants still means, e-governance focuses on Kosovo, the Republic of face challenges in effective using these new technologies to Moldova, Romania, Serbia and strategic use of ICT for strengthen the public voice to revi- and Montenegro and their work. Almost half of the talize democratic processes, and refo- Slovenia. The project aimed women mayors had problems cus the management, structure, and to promote the use of ICT to oversight of Government to better improve local and commu- related to the costs. Other challenges include the lack of serve the public interest.107 nity governance, and to pro- E-governance is significant for mote gender issues within capacity-building opportunities that will enable them the exercise of citizenship and direct constituencies. Half of the public participation in Government to use ICT to benefit their women mayors had devel- activities, both of which are key ele- oped strategies on ICT in communities. Language is ments in women’s empowerment local government institu- another barrier faced as the and achievement of gender equality. tions and agencies and 64 per majority of women in the net- Gender-responsive governance cent had specialized depart- work have beginner-level involves the active and meaningful ments dealing with the English skills, while limited participation of women in all levels Internet, e-mail and network relevant content is available of decision-making and ensuring issues. The fact that 90 per in their native languages.v greater transparency and accountability in government.

Information technology can contribute to increasing women’s net- Access to Government services in India working for social and political advocacy, strengthening women’s Gyandoot is an intranet proj- e-mails. Through the project participation in the political process, ect in Dhar district of women have a greater under- supporting the work of elected Madhya Pradesh which con- women officials, and increasing standing of and access to nects 21 rural cybercafes women’s access to government and the local processes. They may located on the roadsides of its services. file complaints regarding central villages. The services common public grievances E-Governance include provision of farm through the Internet and an ICT is a forceful tool to improve gate prices of agricultural commodities, copies of land e-mail reply is assured within governance and strengthen democ- seven days. The complaints racy and citizen empowerment. It can records, facilities to file appli- help foster more transparent gover- cations for caste, income and filed include hand-pump dis- nance by enhancing interaction domicile certificates, land- orders, teacher absences, and between government and citizens, holders’ passbooks of land inadequate access to seeds revitalizing civic institutions and pub- records and loans through and fertilizers.w lic debate, promoting equity and

19 women 2000 and beyond September 2005

Empowering women The Fifth Woman Campaign in Slovakia in the context of The Fifth Woman Campaign, revealed a deepening con- violence against women which ran from November cern and understanding of 2001 to February 2002, was a A virtual space can provide posi- violence against women as a nationwide media campaign tive information on violence against priority issue in the country. on violence against women women and a safe place for victims Some problems were encoun- in Slovakia. The campaign and survivors of violence to discuss tered in using ICT as the was a joint effort of seven their experiences or to seek help. For main medium for the cam- women’s groups. The name women to benefit from these spaces, paign, and the organizers of the campaign was derived they need access and capacities to realized the importance of from the estimation that utilize ICT in this manner. For ICT to face-to-face meetings and dis- every fifth woman has been be an effective tool for advocacy on cussions to augment the cam- a victim of gender-based violence against women, the needs paign’s online activities. violence. In addition to rais- and realities of women must be iden- ing public awareness, the Despite these challenges, ICT tified and addressed. This requires campaign also aimed to sup- played a crucial role in the capacity-building efforts for women port NGOs to advocate for success of the campaign, par- to enable them to trust and use ICT measures to address the prob- ticularly in broadening the as a medium for communicating about lem and assist victims. The audience for the campaign. their experiences. Affordable access Fifth Woman website was cre- The number of visitors to the points for women must also be pro- ated as a platform for pub- website was larger than the vided. Experience has shown that it lishing articles on violence number of people who called is important to complement Internet- against women and facilitat- on the info-line (3,121 calls based advocacy with more traditional ing online discussions. An on the info-line versus 5,672 forms of communication media. analysis of the response website visits).x

Helpline for women Strategies cation strategies. There are many cre- in India for addressing ative examples of this approach carried out by women’s organizations on In Trichy, an NGO created the gender digital the ground. a helpline for women in divide distress to handle issues such as rape, sexual harass- Improving ment, battering and dowry Use of multiple forms harassment, and eve- sex-disaggregated data, of media and indicators and teasing. The complainants communication can disclose information benchmarks technologies anonymously which is Recognition of a gender digital routed to the All Women Future strategies for reaching divide exists, but due to a lack of Police Station for further women, particularly in remote areas, data it is difficult to provide factual action. The service has need to use multiple forms of media evidence to policy makers on the received a positive response and communication technologies. A need to include gender issues in ICT as women can avoid the mix of “traditional” and new tech- policies, plans and strategies. social stigma of having to nology is often the most appropriate Sweeping generalizations based on go to a local police station choice. Gender equality advocates are anecdotal materials are of limited where they may encounter using radio, print media, Internet and value. red tape and corruption. video in innovative manners to expand One of the recommendations of There is also an option of the reach of new technologies. In the forty-seventh session of the e-mailing other types of many situations, the combination of Commission on the Status of Women complaints to the police radio and the Internet is proving espe- in 2003 was to increase efforts to control room.y cially powerful. New ICT can signifi- compile statistics disaggregated by cantly strengthen existing communi- sex and age and to develop gender-

20 September 2005 women 2000 and beyond

as a percentage of total Internet users Project using a multiple ICT approach in Malawi is 45 per cent or more. In most African countries, where such data is not col- Farmwise is a project which casting Corporation, popu- lected by official statistics sources, is helping women farmers larly known as “Farmers estimates of female Internet use as in the rural village of Radio”. Since most farmers in a percentage of total use are 25 per Mwandama in Zomba district, the village listen to this radio cent or less.111 Malawi, to improve agricul- station, it was used to publi- The only area where ITU system- tural production. The project cize the Farmwise project. The atically collects sex-disaggregated developed a computer data- station’s programme presen- telecommunications/ICT statistics base system with a web-based ters used the online input cal- is the employment of women by interface and e-mail facility culator to answer questions telecommunications service pro- to help women farmers deter- from farmers about the types viders.112 While it is valuable to know mine what they can expect to and amounts of inputs they that women comprise the majority of harvest from their land, which employees in telecommunications required, and taught farmers crops can be grown given the companies, the type of work that with Internet access how to soil type and fertility, and women are engaged in and whether what inputs should be used use it. The women were given women have accessed higher- and when. Requests for advice alerts of the relevant radio income, highly-skilled and decision- from farmers were sent by e- programmes and their air- making positions must also be taken mail to the advisers in the times. Brochures were also into account. agricultural extension office. available. As a result of the ITU has recognized that it is impor- E-mail was also used to com- project, productivity in the tant to go beyond the numbers of municate with Radio 1, a sta- district has more than dou- women and men employed, to doc- tion of the Malawi Broad- bled.z umenting the posts they hold and analysing changes over time.113 ITU has recently embarked on a project specific indicators on ICT use and developing countries where women to compile and analyse quantitative needs. Sex-disaggregated data is not make up a high percentage of users, and qualitative gender-sensitive infor- being collected on a regular basis at populations with access to the mation from national and international the national, regional or global levels. Internet constitute a small elite, as sources. This information, which could As a result, the gender digital divide seen in Indonesia, Mexico and eventually be compiled into a data- remains unmeasured and invisible. Philippines.110 base, will provide an important source Standard presentations of ICT statis- Gender-specific, as well as gender- of sex-disaggregated ICT statistics.114 tics have paid little or no attention to sensitive, indicators at the national A major source of sex- gender equality issues. The World level are required to support policy differentiated statistics and indicators Bank statistical database, “ICT at makers in defining gender-sensitive on ICT presently available are market a Glance”, prepared by the goals and recommendations. At the research surveys from a number of Development Data Group, for exam- project level, the collection of sex- countries where Internet commerce ple, provides breakdowns by country disaggregated data is necessary to is already significant or anticipated.115 but without disaggregation by sex for assess if women and men benefit The data available from these sources, any of the indicators. equally from projects and to identify however, concentrate on Internet Areas where sex-disaggregated necessary corrective actions. usage and online behaviour, with refer- statistics and indicators are needed Few countries or areas collect ence to commercial/market analysis.116 have been identified as access and gender-specific ICT statistics. Those Some of the most interesting and usage, content, employment, educa- that do are largely countries or areas substantial work on the collection of tion, consideration of gender issues where the gender digital divide is least gender and ICT statistics is being con- in national ICT policy, representation marked. Canada, Chile, Denmark, ducted by the Republic of Korea. Since in decision-making and the relative Finland, Hong Kong Special Admini- 2000, the Korean Network Information impact of ICT on women and men.108 strative Region of China, Iceland, Center117 has undertaken and pub- It is difficult to get gender-specific Ireland, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand lished quarterly surveys of Internet data on use by country for develop- and the United States all collect sex- use, averaging 5,700 users, with some ing countries. As a result, existing disaggregated ICT usage statistics. In 20 categories of data collected and statistics on Internet usage need to all of these countries or areas, the disaggregated by sex, and in most be interpreted with caution.109 In percentage of female Internet users cases, age.

21 women 2000 and beyond September 2005

“Women’s informatization survey and index Full implementation of development” in the Republic of Korea gender mainstreaming In 2001, the Ministry of that of men’s. Although Gender equality aspects need to Gender Equality released a women scored very high on be fully incorporated in all work related research report on “Women’s awareness, skills and effect, to ICT at national, regional and global informatization survey and the situation of women was levels, including in the development index development” which particularly deficient in of policies and regulatory frameworks, examined the gender digital terms of access and usage, projects and research and data col- divide in the Republic of with women having only 22.9 lection. A basic starting point for incor- Korea. The Ministry based per cent the access of men porating gender perspectives in ICT their research on five cate- and using the Internet 28.2 initiatives is the use of gender analy- gories, from which they devel- per cent as much as men. In sis to ascertain the needs and prior- oped an index of women’s November 2001, the Govern- ities of both women and men and “informatization”—defined as ment of the Republic of Korea the manner in which policy-making, the process by which infor- followed the development of planning and other activities can sup- mation technologies have the index with a survey of sta- port equitable access, use and ben- transformed economy and efits, including employment opportu- society. The categories uti- tistics to compare women and men in terms of informati- nities. lized are awareness, access, A study of hundreds of develop- utilization, skill and effects zation. Among the findings was a digital divide by age, ment projects, either with ICT as the (impacts). The index meas- major sector or with substantial ICT ured the comparative involve- with a serious gap apparent for those in their fifties and components, showed that while more ment of women and men than one-third of all projects had a older. Higher-income women according to the categories. high degree of awareness of gender had a higher rate of informa- The results showed that issues, gender-sensitivity was carried women’s informatization tization than those with lower over to the ICT components in only aa measured 88 per cent incomes. 10 per cent of the projects.120

Lack of data is a fundamental con- Sex-disaggregated data on ICT in the ECE region straint for evaluating the gender impact of ICT and women’s position The United Nations Eco- to education. Thirteen of the in the ICT sector within the region nomic Commission for 42 reporting NSOs had not of Central and Eastern European Europe’s Statistical Division started any official ICT data States and the Commonwealth of conducted an assessment on collection, eleven of which Independent States (CEE/CIS). A gender and ICT data in the were CIS and Balkan coun- recent report from UNIFEM and ECE region in 2003. Ques- tries. Of the CIS countries UNDP118 noted that the limited data tionnaires were sent out which responded to the ECE available are often inconsistent or oth- through the National Statis- Assessment Survey on ICT erwise inadequate for revealing the tics Offices (NSOs). The and Gender Statistics, results indicated a wide range situation of women in relation to the Ukraine was the only coun- ICT sector. A recent initiative of the in data collected in the 19 countries reporting the avail- try to report the collection of Statistical Division of the United official sex-disaggregated ICT Nations Economic Commission for ability of sex-disaggregated data. Some countries, such as data on use and knowledge of Europe (ECE) will make an important computers, through house- contribution to addressing this gap Finland, have highly devel- hold surveys known as and facilitating the efforts of National oped ICT data collection sys- Statistics Offices to improve their data tems which include extensive People’s Security Surveys, collection and to develop gender- sources on new technologies; which have been carried out sensitive data and indicators on gen- while others, such as Russia, since 2001 in collaboration der and ICT.119 only collect data in relation with ILO and UNDP.bb

22 September 2005 women 2000 and beyond

ICT policies and regulatory frameworks Assessment of gender mainstreaming Gender issues need to be identi- in Central Eastern European/Commonwealth fied and addressed in all aspects of of Independent States (CEE/CIS) countries development and implementation of ICT policy and regulatory frameworks. Most countries in the recommended: increased Such frameworks cover a range of CEE/CIS region have de- support for gender and ICT issues, including the development of veloped, or are in the process advocates in the region; gen- a national communication infrastruc- of developing National der mainstreaming within ture (including technology choices), Action Plans for Informa- ICT policies and pro- Government information services, and tion Policies, which guide grammes; further research to tariffs and pricing, which influence national ICT development. A determine the status of women’s access to and use of ICT. gender perspective is largely women in the ICT sector and Policies and regulatory frameworks, absent from these plans. At the gender impact of ICT pol- including legal protection and the right the same time, women’s orga- icy development; specific to privacy and anonymity in transac- nizations in the region have measures to strengthen gen- rarely engaged with ICT tions, interaction and expression, der perspectives within ICT issues and little pressure is directly affect the rights and security projects at various phases, of users, and are of concern to women on policy makers to take gender perspectives into account including planning, imple- as well as men. mentation, and evaluation; Despite the importance of ICT pol- in relation to ICT. A gender capacity-building for ICT icy decisions at the national level assessment indicates that a related to women’s access and use, critical starting point for project personnel on gender ICT policies in most countries give achieving gender balance in equality and its relevance to inadequate attention to gender equal- the ICT sector is equal access ICT; and support for stronger ity perspectives. Further, too few to tertiary level education. It involvement of women and efforts are made to improve women’s also highlights the need to women’s organizations from access to ICT and to increase encourage older women to the region in the WSIS process women’s participation in decision- use ICT. Based on the find- leading to the 2005 Tunis making and management. In 2001, a ings, the following actions are Summit.cc six-country121 study carried out by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) related to the provision would require adequate resource allo- making and policy-making positions. of networking and telecommunica- cations to support initiatives focused However, increasing the involve- tions infrastructure, the facilitation of on increasing the access to and use ment of women and women’s e-commerce, human resource devel- of ICT by women for their empow- groups in ICT policy and planning opment, and the promotion of good erment.123 and monitoring and evaluation will governance and citizens’ participation Some positive examples have, require training on gender and ICT illustrated the lack of attention to gen- however, been identified. A number to increase the potential for their der equality goals and women’s of countries in Africa (Côte d’Ivoire, full participation. One contributor to advancement in national ICT devel- Guinea and South Africa) have taken an online discussion held in opment frameworks and strategies.122 valuable steps towards gender equal- November 2003 on women’s role in There has been relatively little ity in ICT policy. For instance, the ICT, “Talk to Her”, highlighted the involvement of national machineries Telecommunications Act of South importance of women gaining for the advancement of women or Africa includes provisions to redress access to the “language” of ICT. “I of civil society groups. Improved gender imbalance and other areas of think one of the biggest challenges processes of consultation and partic- disadvantage.124 In Asia, the Republic for many young women is grappling ipation need to be developed and of Korea has set an important prece- with the language of ICT for devel- more women should be involved at dent by establishing a proactive ICT opment policy processes. Many decision-making levels. Efforts should policy towards gender equality. times, policy statements are writ- be made in these processes to ensure One means to influence ICT poli- ten (and discussions conducted) that women’s specific needs are cies from a gender perspective is using specialized terms which most addressed, particularly in relation to through encouraging increased par- people would only learn in univer- access, use and employment. This ticipation of women in decision- sity”.125

23 women 2000 and beyond September 2005

Project planning As emphasized in the online dis- give attention to gender perspectives Gender concerns have to be cussion organized by the Division for by ensuring that the basic guidelines addressed in initial stages of ICT proj- the Advancement of Women in 2002, state the need to support women’s ects to ensure that the needs and the main barriers to women’s use of organizations, women managers, and priorities of both women and men ICT continue to be lack of training, lan- take women users into account in their are appropriately considered and that guage and access to necessary tools. planning, as evidenced in the gender equality goals are embedded “The problem of training has to be Dominican Republic and South in project design. A study undertaken faced if we want to be able to express Africa.129 by the World Bank in 2002 of 80 ICT our needs and fears using ICT and if projects concluded that gender issues we want to be producing information were rarely articulated in product and not only consuming it. Women of Further development design and implementation, often any age have to be involved in the of gender-specific tools because donors do not request this training activities and emphasis should information.126 Broad gender main- be put on young girls to become real ICT advocates and practitioners are streaming guidelines for ICT projects actors in public life”.128 developing gender-aware consultation have been proposed by a number of and participation methods and tools Funds for ICT for development organizations with the intention of to assess the needs and priorities of influencing project design and imple- Gender perspectives should be women and to ensure that ICT are mentation. These guidelines build on incorporated into the allocation and effectively utilized as a tool for the well-developed gender planning implementation of funds to support women’s empowerment. These and gender mainstreaming tools that ICT for development. Issues of impor- include training programmes and plan- are now commonly utilized in differ- tance include increasing the allotment ning and evaluation methodologies. ent sector areas.127 of funds for women-specific projects, The Association for Progressive The World Bank study underlined and the consideration of gender Communications Women’s Net- the need for a proactive approach to perspectives in all aspects of the man- working Support Programme (APC- ensure gender-balanced participation, agement of such funds. Attention WNSP), a global network that facili- particularly in projects in developing should be paid to ensuring that tates strategic use of ICT to support countries because of the limited pool sufficient funds are directed to women’s actions and agendas, pro- of women with skills in this area. It capacity-building which is accessible vides gender training for ICT practi- also indicated that those responsible to women and men. tioners and policy makers, and has in for project implementation should take Telecommunication Development this way increased outreach to a wide account of gender relations when Funds (TDFs) have been established range of policy makers, including ensuring women’s full participation in by telecommunication regulators to Government officials in the Balkans, order to avoid backlash from other finance the expansion of universal Andalucia, Spain, the Philippines and community members. Involving all access to ICT in under-served and rural several Pacific island countries. stakeholders in the target commu- areas. Most TDFs are established to The Gender Evaluation Metho- nity, including both women and men, finance ICT access projects, including dology (GEM) for ICT initiatives was in the earliest phases of project design telecentres, phone shops, public tele- developed by APC-WNSP as a is imperative. phones and libraries. Such funds have resource for ICT practitioners. GEM been successfully developed and has been tested in 27 ICT projects Training implemented in many Latin American in over 19 countries in Africa, Asia, Attention to gender perspectives countries (for example, Chile and Peru). Central and Eastern Europe and Latin in existing capacity-building activities Several countries in Africa and Asia America. Projects included commu- and development of specific training are currently working to develop their nity telecentres, education and train- for women’s groups and networks, own TDFs (including Nigeria, Sri Lanka, ing initiatives for women, employ- including national machineries for the Uganda and Zambia). In South Africa, ment projects, networking and advancement of women, is critical to the Universal Service Agency was cre- community building projects and successfully incorporating gender per- ated to implement ICT projects to women’s ICT media, information and spectives in all areas of ICT devel- expand universal access. Very few ICT advocacy projects. The evaluation find- opment. Training is needed at national, projects by NGOs or civil society organi- ings cover issues of access, use of regional and local levels. Government zations have received funding from ICT for employment and economic bodies could support the develop- TDFs. Such projects should be devel- empowerment, and the use of media ment of, and fully utilize the training oped and implemented by women’s and ICT to support advocacy for gen- capacity of, NGOs or civil society orga- organizations or organizations working der equality issues and women’s nizations involved in ICT. towards gender equality. Some funds empowerment.130

24 September 2005 women 2000 and beyond

Gender and ICT Awards Gender equality advocates have Project receiving a GENARDIS grant—The Knowing also initiated awards to highlight good and Growing Network: ICT tools for women organic practices. The Gender and ICT farmers in the Caribbean Awards programme was inaugurated As in many other regions in Agriculture Movement for during the WSIS in Geneva in the world, Caribbean women December 2003. This awards pro- Caribbean women engaged gramme was conceived to recognize play a vital, if under- in organic farming to help gender and ICT initiatives globally and recognized and unsupported them take advantage of the to provide further impetus for main- role in food production. Internet to access and streaming gender perspectives in the Organic farming is highly exchange information about field of ICT. Four innovative and effec- knowledge-intensive and organic farming methods, to tive projects that use ICT for the pro- women farmers often lack promote their businesses, the means to learn more motion of gender equality and and to market their products. about organic production women’s empowerment were rec- The workshop led to the methods and tend to be ognized and received grants to fur- development of a network ther their work. The award winners isolated from market information. To overcome these among participants, taught came from India, Romania and participants how to set up Uganda addressed issues of rural challenges, Networked Intel- and participate in online women and armed conflict, political ligence for Development, an empowerment of women mayors NGO based in Toronto, user groups and provided and poverty reduction strategies for Canada, organized a work- information about organic poor women. The Gender and ICT shop in collaboration with farming and existing net- Awards are organized by the the Jamaica Organic works on the Internet.dd Association for Progressive Commu- nications Women’s Networking Support Programme131 and the Global straints that disadvantage women, Europe and the Commonwealth of Knowledge Partnership.132 The including language, literacy, heavy Independent States”. This is the first Gender and ICT Awards will also be workloads and cultural attitudes. report to compile a substantial inven- awarded in 2005 and will focus on tory of gender equality projects and Research on gender equality the use of ICT for women’s eco- resources for the information society and ICT nomic empowerment.133 in the CEE/CIS region, including ref- In 2003, the GenARDIS (Gender Continued research on gender erences to other resources, relevant and Agriculture/Rural Development in equality and ICT issues at the national, websites and contacts. The report the Information Society) established regional and global levels and docu- examines opportunities and chal- a Small Grants Fund to Address mentation of good practices also con- lenges faced by women in relation Gender Issues in Information and tributes to deepening the under- to the ICT sector and the regional Communication Technologies for Agri- standing of practitioners and policy and subregional diversities and speci- cultural and Rural Development in makers about the interplay of these ficities of the CEE/CIS region.135 Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. technologies with gender equality and Another example is a 2003 report GenARDIS partners include the the empowerment of women. New published by the United Nations Technical Centre for Agricultural and research focused on the gender International Research and Training Rural Cooperation, the International dimension of ICT in various contexts Institute for the Advancement of Development Research Centre is increasing. This expanding resource Women (INSTRAW) entitled, “Over- (IDRC), the International Institute for can be used by Governments, insti- coming the Gender Digital Divide: Communication and Development tutions and organizations at different Understanding ICTs and their Potential (IICD) and the Humanist Institute for levels in mainstreaming gender per- for the Empowerment of Women”.136 Cooperation with Developing Coun- spectives in ICT policy processes and The report synthesizes major research tries (Hivos).134 The competitive ICT for development initiatives. findings on the potential of ICT for awards programme was set up to One recent example is a report women’s empowerment; examines improve outreach to rural women who by UNDP and UNIFEM entitled, the social context of technology; and comprise the majority of the poor. “Bridging the Gender Digital Divide: identifies the main structural barriers The programme responds to gender A Regional Report on Gender and to women’s access to and use of issues in the urban-rural digital divide Information and Communication ICT. Strategies are proposed to over- in ICT infrastructure and to other con- Technologies in Central and Eastern come these barriers and to empower

25 women 2000 and beyond September 2005 women through ICT. Emphasis is placed on the need for women in Support to national machineries developing and developed countries in Africa to effectively use ICT to share knowledge, strategies and experiences to develop their capac- A capacity-building project is facilitate networking at sub- ity to engender the ICT policy- being carried out by the regional and regional levels making and regulation process. United Nations Division for for sharing experiences and In August 2004, the WSIS Gender the Advancement of Women good practices among Caucus launched a competitive pro- to enhance the capacity of national machineries; and gramme of small research grants national machineries for the increase the involvement and (funded by bilateral donors) to sup- advancement of women in influence of national port innovative research on gender Africa to systematically and machineries in national effectively use traditional and and information communications processes on ICT as well as new forms of ICT to achieve technologies from 2004 to 2005.137 their involvement in WSIS II It is anticipated that the supported their goals. The capacity- building project aims to in Tunis in November 2005. research will be presented at the The project includes five sub- Gender Caucus panels to be held dur- enhance dissemination of national data on gender regional workshops and ing the second WSIS in Tunis in a regional meeting, carried November 2005. The overall objec- equality issues; improve out between 2003 and 2005, tive of the programme is to enlarge advocacy and mobilization the knowledge base for gender- efforts; increase access to and a panel on the role of sensitive policy on information com- and utilization of relevant national machineries during munications technologies. Research research at the national level; the WSIS II.ee topics include the analysis and evaluation of efforts to mainstream gender perspectives into ICT policy; appli- national machineries for the advance- centred ICT development and the cations and content including case ment of women, the private sector need to integrate ICT policies with studies; and theories and method- and gender advocacy NGOs within sectoral policies in all areas, such as ologies for better understanding and countries”.138 health, education, agriculture, labour analysing the relationship between It is also important that women’s and industry. It has also highlighted ICT and gender equality. ministries and agencies, gender focal the importance of aligning ICT poli- points, and gender advocates edu- cies with national poverty reduction cate themselves and their member- strategies and the implementation of Enhanced role ship on ICT issues and their rele- the Millennium Development Goals. for national machineries vance to women and consequently In the follow-up to the WSIS coordinate their efforts to participate process, a key priority should be ensur- for the advancement in and influence telecommunications ing that gender perspectives are incor- of women and ICT policy processes and pro- porated into the development and The Commission on the Status grammes.139 These groups should implementation of e-strategies at the of Women, in its consideration of be involved in the development of national level. This will require con- gender equality and ICT at its forty- national gender equality and ICT certed action from gender equality seventh session, recommended that agendas and the provision of train- advocates in Governments, civil soci- action be taken to “strengthen the ing on gender equality and ICT for ety organizations and networks, and capacity of national machineries for Government bodies involved in international and regional organiza- the advancement of women, includ- national ICT policy development. tions, including United Nations enti- ing through the allocation of adequate ties. New partnerships are needed and appropriate resources and the the gender digital with development partners such as provision of technical expertise, to Moving forward academic institutions, the private sec- take a lead advocacy role with respect on addressing the tor and venture capital funds. to media and ICTs and gender equal- gender digital divide An enabling environment at the ity, and support their involvement in national level requires that overall gen- national, regional and international The World Summit on the Infor- der equality policies give attention to processes related to media and ICTs mation Society has led to a stronger ICT and that gender perspectives are issues, and enhance coordination recognition of the value of people- taken into account in identifying the among ministries responsible for ICTs, centred rather than technology- ICT implications in policies in all sec-

26 September 2005 women 2000 and beyond tor areas. Governments must be com- initiating innovative pilot projects to official Government websites, in addi- mitted to adopting specific legislative, increase women’s access to and tion to those websites that specifi- regulatory and administrative meas- use of ICT. cally address gender equality issues. ures to promote gender equality in Gender equality advocates in Priority should also be given to proac- the ICT sector, and to developing national machineries and civil society tively influencing national ICT policy capacity and creating monitoring need to educate themselves about formulation and implementation, and, frameworks to ensure implementa- ICT policy issues and become more in particular, the positions of national tion. Gender-sensitive budget pro- actively involved in the policy process delegations to the World Summit on cesses should ensure that national at the national level, including by the Information Society and other and local budgets allocate specific strengthening their capacity to mon- international and regional meetings resources to support strategies that itor national actions in ICT-related on ICT. Participation of women in will increase women’s participation in areas. To support this work, a more these meetings should be supported. the information economy and ensure substantial body of evidence needs Donors, including from the private that women gain access to new to be developed that can demonstrate sector, can play a catalytic role by employment opportunities in the ICT the links between gender and ICT for mobilizing resources to support inno- sector. Such measures must recog- development. An important goal must vative projects which promote gen- nize the diversity of women and their also be to take every opportunity to der equality in ICT. Examples include roles as producers and consumers of sensitize policy makers about the the production and/or repackaging of ICT; identify the differential impact of importance of gender issues in ICT content particularly relevant to ICT on women and men; and respond through briefings, consultation and women’s interests and concerns; the to the different development needs training. support of women as producers of and priorities of women throughout National machineries for the content, including at local levels; their life cycle. advancement of women should enhancing women’s participation and Another crucial element is ensur- increase the use of ICT in their work representation in business and pro- ing the active participation of all for the advancement of women and fessional organizations related to the stakeholders in the policy process, gender equality, for example, to sup- ICT sector; promoting and strength- including national machineries for port their role as advocates and cat- ening women’s entrepreneurship in the advancement of women and alysts for gender mainstreaming, to the ICT sector, including by identify- women’s groups and networks, and facilitate the production of relevant ing and disseminating positive role providing adequate resources for information on national priorities and models; and facilitating the creation their work. This includes support- to enhance networking and the shar- of networks, mentoring programmes, ing research, compiling sex disag- ing of good practices at national and and the development of business sup- gregated statistics on ICT use and regional levels. National machineries port programmes and linkages employment in the ICT sector, devel- should advocate for relevant content between national and regional dias- oping gender-specific indicators, and on women and gender issues on all pora.

27 women 2000 and beyond September 2005

35 Endnotes http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/gender/Introduction.html 36 United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women; the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE); 1 United Nations Economic and Social Council, 2000, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO); INSTRAW; para. 6. ITU; the International Trade Centre; the United Nations 2 United Nations Information and Communication Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD); the Technologies (UN ICT) Task Force, 2002, para. 2. United Nations Development Fund for Women 3 United Nations, 2003a. (UNIFEM); UNESCO; and the World Bank. 4 United Nations, 2003c. 37 http://www.un.org/womenwatch 5 Gillian Marcelle, 2000. 38 United Nations, 2003a, op. cit., para. 12. 6 Concepcion Garcia Ramilo and Pi Villanueva, 2001, 39 Ibid., para. 1. p. 6. 40 United Nations, 2003b, op. cit. 7 ITU, 2005. 41 http://www.itu.int/wsis/basic/about.html 8 Kerry S. McNamara, 2003, p. 3. 42 WSIS Gender Caucus, 2005, Statement on financing 9 Ibid. issues read by Anita Gurumurthy on behalf of the 10 United Nations Commission on Science and Association for Progressive Communications, Bread for Technology Gender Working Group, 1995. All, CRIS, Instituto del Tercer Mundo (ITeM), IT for 11 Change, the Gender Caucus and the Civil Society Natasha Primo, 2003, pp. 11-12. Financing Working Group at the WSIS PrepCom-2, 12 United Nations, 1995. available from http://www.genderwsis.org/fileadmin/ 13 Ibid., Critical Area of Concern J, Women and the resources/WSIS2Prepcom2/GCInterventiononFinancing.pdf Media, Strategic Objective J. 43 This section draws on an unpublished paper by Karen 14 Ibid., Strategic Objective J.1. Banks, Association for Progressive Communications 15 United Nations, 2000a. Women’s Networking Support Programme, who is a 16 Ibid., IV, B (78) (e) and D (100) (b). member of the Working Group on Internet Governance. 17 United Nations Economic and Social Council, op. cit., 44 http://www.wgig.org/ para. 17. 45 Asian Pacific Women’s Information Network Center, 18 Ibid. Korea Agency for Digital Opportunity and Promotion, and 19 UN ICT Task Force, op. cit., Short Term Actions, ITU, 2005, Seoul-Gyeonggi Declaration on the Equal Point 7. Participation of Women in the Information Society of the 20 Ibid., paras. 1, 6 and 11. Forum on ICTs and Gender for WSIS 2005, 24-25 June 2005, available from http://women.or.kr/wsisforum/ 21 Agreed conclusions on the participation and 46 access of women to the media, and information and Nancy Hafkin, 2002a. communication technologies and their impact on and 47 Natasha Primo, 2003, op. cit. use as an instrument for the advancement and 48 Nancy Hafkin and Nancy Taggart, 2001. empowerment of women. See United Nations 49 Natasha Primo, 2003, op. cit. Commission on the Status of Women, 2003, p. 7. 50 Ibid. 22 http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/ 51 UNDP, 1999, p. 62. 23 http://www.itu.int/home/ 52 Natasha Primo, 2003, op. cit. 24 http://www.unicttaskforce.org/ 53 Anita Gurumurthy, 2004. 25 http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/egm/ict2002/ 54 Ibid. index.html 55 Sonia N. Jorge, 2000. 26 United Nations Division for the Advancement of 56 Anita Gurumurthy, 2004, op. cit. Women, 2002a. 57 Ibid. 27 United Nations Division for the Advancement of 58 Part of the TELELAC (Latin American and Caribbean Women, 1996. Telecentre) Network which consists of a rapidly growing 28 UNESCO, 2004. community of 350 telecentres throughout Latin America 29 Marilee Karl, 2000. and the Caribbean, committed to fulfilling the potential 30 ITU, 1998. contribution that telecentres can make to digital 31 The Working Group on Gender Issues (WGGI) is inclusion strategies throughout the region. See comprised of representatives from Member States, http://www.chasquinet.org/telelac/indexII.html the private sector, the United Nations, international 59 http://www.tele-centros.org/ and regional organizations, NGOs, academia and staff 60 International Labour Organization (ILO), 2001. from ITU-D. This Group has assumed several tasks, one 61 Anita Gurumurthy, 2004, op. cit. of which is to sensitize the ICT community about the 62 As cited in Sophia Huyer and Swasti Mitter, 2003. need for, and importance of, gender sensitive 63 programmes and policies. See http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ Nancy Hafkin, 2003. gender/WGGI/index.html 64 Swasti Mitter, 2001. 32 For an overview of Gender Issues in ITU-D, see 65 Nancy Hafkin, 2003, op. cit. http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/gender/Introduction.html 66 United Nations Commission on the Status of 33 ITU, 2002b. Women, 2003, op. cit. 34 ITU, 2002a. 67 Sonia N. Jorge, 2001.

28 September 2005 women 2000 and beyond

68 Javati Ghosh, 2004, and Nancy Hafkin, 2004. 107 Bill Mead, e-Governance: Toward a Practitioner’s 69 Manjeet Kripalani, Pete Engardio and Steve Hamm, Definition (Washington, D.C., American Society for Public 2003. Administration, 2003), available from http://www.aspanet. 70 Nancy Hafkin, 2004, op. cit. org/source/communities/documentArchive.cfm?section= 71 Javati Ghosh, 2004, and Nancy Hafkin, 2004, op. cit. Communities&CmtyId=160&ParID=26 108 72 ILO, 2001, op. cit. Nancy Hafkin, 2003, op. cit. 109 73 Association for Progressive Communications Nancy Hafkin and Nancy Taggart, 2001, op. cit. Women’s Networking Support Programme (APC-WNSP), 110 Sophia Huyer and Swasti Mitter, 2003, op. cit. Gender Evaluation Methodology (GEM) website available 111 Michael Minges, 2003. from http://www.apcwomen.org/gem/ 112 Nancy Hafkin, 2003, op. cit. 74 Lina Abirafeh, “Afghan women: one year later, 113 ITU, 2005. creating digital opportunities for Afghan women”, 114 Ibid., “Key points highlighted in the meeting”, p. 10. Development Gateway (2003), available from 115 Nancy Hafkin, 2003, op. cit. http://www.developmentgateway.org/node/134111/sdm/ 116 Ibid. docview?docid=427938 as cited in Anita Gurumurthy, 117 2004, op. cit. See http://www.krnic.or.kr. 118 75 http://www.uneca.org/itca/cnra/train_partners.htm Lenka Simerska and Katerina Fialova, 2004. 119 76 See, for example, UNESCO, 2004, op. cit. United Nations Economic Commission for Europe 77 Statistical Division and UNDP (n.d.), Gender Statistics Rosa M. Gonzales, 2004. Website for Europe and North America, available from 78 Ibid., and Sarmad Hussain, 2004. http://www.unece.org/stats/gender/web/genstats.htm 79 Natasha Primo, 2003, op. cit. 120 Nancy Hafkin 2002a, op. cit. 80 United Nations Division for the Advancement of 121 Australia, Japan, India, Malaysia, Philippines and the Women, 2002b. Republic of Korea. 81 United Nations, 1995, op. cit., para. 237. 122 Concepcion Garcia Ramilo and Pi Villanueva, 2001. 82 Ibid., para 246. 123 Sonia N. Jorge, 2001, op. cit. 83 Top Ten Reviews, Internet Pornography Statistics, 124 Nancy Hafkin, 2002a, op. cit. available from http://www.internetfilterreview.com/ 125 Maja Andjelkovic, 2003, “Talk to her: a dialogue to internet-pornography-statistics.html action among young women in ICT”, consultation report 84 Donna M. Hughes, 2002. of on-line discussion, 24 October–17 November 2003, 85 Ibid. hosted by the International Institute for Sustainable 86 Jaclyn S. M. Kee, 2005. Development, available from http://www.takingitglobal. 87 Cindy Southworth, 2003. org/opps/event.html?eventid=3411 88 Ann Krantz and Karen Nakamura, 2002. 126 Nancy Hafkin, 2002a, op. cit. 89 See, for example, Harvard Law School, Berkman 127 Examples of guidelines can be found at Center for Internet and Society, 2002b, Violence against http://www.bridge.ids.ac.uk/reports_gend_CEP.html#ICTs women on the Internet: The Internet and the sex 128 Gillian Marcelle, 2000, op. cit. industry, available from http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/ 129 Sonia N. Jorge, 2002. vaw02/mod3-2a.htm 130 Association for Progressive Communications 90 Anita Gurumurthy, 2004, op. cit. Women’s Networking Support Programme, (APC-WNSP), 91 Randy Spence, 2003, pp. 4-6. op. cit. 92 United Nations Division for the Advancement of 131 See http://www.apcwomen.org Women, 2002a, op. cit. 132 See http://www.globalknowledge.org 93 United Nations, 2003b, p. 7. 133 http://www.genderawards.net/the_awards/2005.htm 94 Rebecca Holmes, 2004, pp. 25-28. 134 http://ictupdate.cta.int/index.php/article/frontpage/29 95 United Nations Division for the Advancement of 135 Lenka Simerska and Katerina Fialova, 2004, op. cit. Women, 2002a, op. cit. 136 Sophia Huyer and Tatjana Sikoska, 2003. 96 Anita Gurumurthy, 2004, op. cit. 137 http://www.genderwsis.org/research.0.html 97 See http://www.digitalpartners.org/disk.html 138 United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, 98 United Nations Division for the Advancement of 2003, op. cit., para. 4 (x). Women, 2002a, op. cit. 139 Nancy Hafkin, 2002b. 99 Natasha Primo, 2003, op. cit. 100 Ibid., p. 23. 101 Don Slater and Jo Tacchi, 2004, op. cit. Box Endnotes 102 http://www.satellife.org/ 103 http://www.healthnet.org a United Nations Division for the Advancement of 104 Sophia Huyer and Swasti Mitter, 2003, op. cit. Women, 2002a, op. cit. b 105 Anita Gurumurthy, 2004, op. cit. http://www.cemina.org.br/ c 106 United Nations Economic and Social Council, 2000, http://www.genderawards.net/gict_pr_db.shtml op. cit. d Don Slater and Jo Tacchi, 2004. e Don Slater and Jo Tacchi, 2004, op. cit.

29 women 2000 and beyond September 2005

f In 2003, E-homemakers conducted an evaluation plan called “A Study on How Gender Dynamics Affect Teleworkers’ Performance in Malaysia”. The main References objective of the evaluation was to explore how women’s Bonder, Gloria (2002). From access to appropriation: family lives and home situations affect teleworking and women and ICT policies in Latin America and the their job performance. http://www.ehomemakers.net/ Caribbean. Paper presented to the United Nations g Association for Progressive Communications Women’s Networking Support Programme (APC-WNSP), Expert Group Meeting on Information and Commu- op. cit., Report on the M4M Interviews and Focus nication Technologies and their Impact on and Use as Group Discussions, available from http://www.apc an Instrument for the Advancement and Empowerment women.org/gem/gem_tool/phase2/m4m_visit_report.doc of Women, hosted by the United Nations Division for h See Kyonggi Women’s Development Center, the Advancement of Women, Seoul, Republic of Korea, http://www.womenpro.or.kr/ 11-14 November 2002. Available from http://www.un.org/ i See Mujeres Hoy at www.mujereshoy.com, Agenda womenwatch/daw/egm/ict2002/reports/Paper-GBonder.PDF de las Mujeres at www.agendadelasmujeres.com.ar and Radio Internacional Feminista (FIRE) at www.fire.or.cr Ghosh, Jayati (2004). Globalization and the economic j http://www.un.org/womenwatch empowerment of women. Paper presented to the United k Harvard Law School, Berkman Center for Internet and Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Society, 2002a, Violence against women on the Internet: the Pacific (ESCAP) High Level Intergovernmental Modules 1-5, available from http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/ Meeting to Review the Implementation of the Beijing vaw02/index.html l Harvard Law School, Berkman Center for Internet and Platform for Action and its Regional and Global Society, 2002c, Violence against women on the Internet: Outcomes, Bangkok, Thailand, 7-10 September 2004. Safety on the Internet, available from http://cyber.law. Available from http://www.unescap.org/esid/GAD/Events/ harvard.edu/vaw02/module5.html2002c High-level%20meeting%20Sep%202004/English/Jayati% m Nancy Hafkin and Helen Hambly Odame, 2002. 20Ghosh.pdf n http://www.radiomundoreal.fm Gonzales, Rosa M. (2004). Role of media and communi- o United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women, 2002b, op. cit. cation: new possibilities for local content distribution. p United Nations Division for the Advancement of Information for Development, vol. 2, No. 6. Available Women, 2002b, op. cit. from http://www.i4donline.net/june04/roleofmedia.asp q R. Siaciwena, 2000. Gurumurthy, Anita (2004). Gender and ICTs: Overview r Anita Gurumurthy, 2004, op. cit., and Victoria L. Tinio, Report. Brighton, United Kingdom: Bridge. Available from 2003. http://www.bridge.ids.ac.uk/reports/CEP-ICTs-OR.pdf s George Koomson, 1999. t http://www.kaippg.org/ Hafkin, Nancy (2002a). Are ICTs gender neutral?: a u The inaugural Fiji broadcast of femTALK 89.2FM aired gender analysis of six case studies of multi-donor live in May 2004 from St. Joseph’s Secondary School in ICT projects. Background paper for United Nations Suva. See http://lyris.spc.int/read/messages?id=31083 International Research and Training Institute for the v Association for Progressive Communications Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) “Virtual Seminar Women’s Networking Support Programme (APC-WNSP), Series” on gender and ICTs. Available from http://www. op. cit. un-instraw.org/en/docs/gender_and_ict/Hafkin.pdf w Vikas Nath, 2000. x http://www.piatazena.sk/engl/index_engl.htm _____ (2002b). Gender issues in ICT policy in developing y Ibid. countries: an overview. Paper presented to the United z Bessie Nyirenda, 2004. Nations Expert Group Meeting on Information and aa Republic of Korea, Ministry of Gender Equality, 2002, Communication Technologies and Their Impact on “Study of women’s informatization survey and index and Use as an Instrument for the Advancement and development”, statement by Republic of Korea at APEC Empowerment of Women, hosted by the United 2nd Ministerial Meeting on Women, Guadalajara, Nations Division for the Advancement of Women, Seoul, Mexico, 28-29 September 2002, available from http://www.apec.org/apec/documents_reports/ministerial_ Republic of Korea, 11-14 November. Available from meeting_on_women/2002.html as cited in Nancy Hafkin, http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/egm/ict2002/reports/ 2003, op. cit. Paper-NHafkin.PDF bb Angela Me and Marie Sicat, 2003. _____ (2003). Some thoughts on gender and telecommu- cc Lenka Simerska and Katerina Fialova, 2004, op. cit. nications/ICT statistics and indicators. Paper presented to dd Nidhi Tandon, 2004. the 3rd World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Meeting, ee See http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/meetings/ Geneva, 15-17 January 2003. Available from http://www. workshop/natmach-ict04/namibia-apr04.htm itu.int/ITU-D/ict/wict02/doc/pdf/Doc46_Erev1.pdf _____ (2004). Gender responsive information society. Paper presented to the United Nations ESCAP High

30 April 2004 women 2000 and beyond

Level Intergovernmental Meeting to Review the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) (1998). Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and its Gender and Telecommunication Policy in Developing Regional and Global Outcomes, Bangkok, Thailand, 7-10 Countries (Resolution 7) of the World Telecommunication September 2004. Available from http://www.unescap.org/ Development Conference, Valletta, 1998. Available from esid/GAD/Events/High-level%20meeting%20Sep%202004/ http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/gender/resolutions/WTDC% English/Nancy%20Hafkin.pdf 20Valetta%20Res-7.pdf Hafkin, Nancy and Helen Hambly Odame (2002). _____ (2002a). Gender mainstreaming in ITU (Resolution Gender, ICTs and agriculture: a situational analysis. 70, rev.) of the World Telecommunication Development Paper presented to the 5th Consultative Expert Meeting Conference, Marrakech, 2002. Available from http://www. of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural itu.int/ITU-D/gender/resolutions/PP-MARRAKESH-RES% Co-operation (CTA) ICT Observatory Meeting on Gender 2070revE.pdf and Agriculture in the Information Society, Wageningen, _____ (2002b). Mainstreaming Gender in ITU-D Pro- Netherlands, 11-13 September 2002. Available from grammes (Resolution 44) of the World Telecommuni- http://www.agricta.org/observatory2002/documents.htm cation Development Conference, Istanbul, 2002. Available Hafkin, Nancy and Nancy Taggart (2001). Gender, from http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/gender/resolutions/WTDC% Information Technology and Developing Countries: 20ISTANBUL-Res-44.pdf An Analytical Study. Washington, D.C.: Academy for _____ (2005). Final Report of the World Telecommuni- Educational Development. Available from http://learnlink. aed.org/Publications/Gender_Book/Home.htm cation/ICT Indicators Meeting, Geneva, 10-11 February 2005. Available from http://www.itu.int/md/meetingdoc. 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31 31 women 2000 and beyond September 2005 gressive Communications and Women’s Networking Nath, Vikas (2000). Empowerment and governance Support Programme. Available from http://www.genderit. through information and communication technologies: org/upload/ad6d215b74e2a8613f0cf5416c9f3865/VAW_ women’s perspective. Paper presented at the ICT_Drft1MARCH2005.pdf International Conference on Women in the New ICT Era: Koomson, George (1999). Telemedicine in rural Uganda. Challenges and Opportunities, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Africa Recovery Online, vol. 13, No. 4, (December). 23-24 October 2000. Available from http://www.cddc.vt. Available from http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/ edu/knownet/articles/WomenandICT.htm afrec/vol13no4/26musoke.htm National Council for Research on Women (2004). Krantz, Ann and Karen Nakamura (2002). Helpful or Missing: Information about Women’s Lives. New York: harmful?: how innovative communication technology National Council for Research on Women. 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32 September 2005 women 2000 and beyond network. ICT Update, issue 21 (October). Available from Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2003, http://ictupdate.cta.int/index.php/article/articleview/367/1/69/ Supplement No.7 (E/2003/27-E/CN.6/2003/12). Available Tinio, Victoria L. (2003). ICT in education. e-Primers from http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/csw47/ Series. Bangkok, Thailand: UNDP. Available from documents.html http://eprimers.apdip.net/series/info-economy/edu-toc United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (1999). United Nations (1995). The Beijing Declaration and Human Development Report 1999: Globalization with a Platform for Action. Report of the Fourth World Human Face. Available from http://hdr.undp.org/reports/ Conference on Women in Beijing, 4-15 September 1995. global/1999/en/ Sales No. 96.IV.13. United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women, _____ (2000a). Further Actions and Initiatives to Department of Economic and Social Affairs (1996). Implement the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Women and the Information Revolution. Women2000, Action. Outcome document of the twenty-third special No. 1/1996. Available from http://www.un.org/women session of the General Assembly (A/RES/S-23/3). watch/daw/public/w2cont.htm _____ (2000b). United Nations Millennium Declaration _____ (2002a). Report of the United Nations Expert (A/RES/55/2). Available from http://www.un.org/ Group Meeting on Information and Communication millennium/declaration/ares552e.htm Technologies and Their Impact on and Use as an Instrument for the Advancement and Empowerment _____ (2003a). Declaration of Principles. Building the of Women, hosted by the United Nations Division for Information Society: A Global Challenge in the New the Advancement of Women, Seoul, Republic of Korea, Millennium. World Summit on the Information Society, 11-14 November 2002 (EGM/ICT/2002/Report). Available Geneva, 10-12 December 2003 (WSIS-03/GENEVA/ from http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/egm/ DOC/4-E). Available from http://www.itu.int/wsis/docs/ ict2002/reports/EGMFinalReport.pdf geneva/official/dop.html _____ (2002b). Report of the Expert Group Meeting on _____ (2003b). Participation In and Access of Women Participation and Access of Women to the Media and to the Media, and Information and Communication Their Impact on and Use as an Instrument for the Technologies and Their Impact on and Use as an Advancement and Empowerment of Women, hosted by Instrument for the Advancement and Empowerment of the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women. Report of the Secretary-General (E/CN.6/2003/6). Women, Beirut, Lebanon, 12-15 November 2002. Available from http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/ Available from http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/egm/ GEN/N02/760/05/PDF/N0276005.pdf?OpenElement media2002/reports/EGMFinalReport.PDF _____ (2003c). Plan of Action. World Summit on the United Nations Economic and Social Council (2000). Information Society, Geneva, 10-12 December 2003 Ministerial Declaration on Development and International (WSIS-03/GENEVA/DOC/5-E). Available from http://www. Cooperation in the Twenty-First Century: the Role of itu.int/wsis/docs/geneva/official/poa.html Information Technology in the Context of a Knowledge- _____ (2005). In Larger Freedom: Towards Development, based Global Economy (E/2000/L.9). In Official Records Security and Human Rights For All. Report of the of the General Assembly, Fifty-fifth Session, Supplement Secretary-General (A/59/2005). Available from http://www. No. 3 (A/55/3/Rev.1), chap. III. Available from http://www. un-ngls.org/UN-report-largerfreedom.pdf un.org/documents/ecosoc/docs/2000/e2000-l9.pdf United Nations Commission on Science and Technology United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Gender Working Group (1995). Missing Links: Gender Organization (UNESCO) (2004). Preliminary Draft Equity in Science and Technology for Development. Convention on the Protection of the Diversity of Cultural Ottawa/London/New York: International Development Contents and Artistic Expressions (CLT/CPD/2004/CONF- Research Centre/Intermediate Technology Publica- 201/2). Available from http://portal.unesco.org/culture/ tions/UNIFEM. Available from http://web.idrc.ca/en/even/ev.php-URL_ID=26320&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC& 9359-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html URL_SECTION=201.html United Nations Commission on the Status of Women United Nations Information and Communication (2003). Report on the forty-seventh session of the Technologies Task Force (2002). Plan of Action. Available Commission on the Status of Women. In Official from http://www.unicttaskforce.org/about/planofaction.html

33 women 2000 and beyond September 2005

Publications World Survey of the Role of Women in Development Women and Migration A flagship publication of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, the 2005 World Survey on the Role of Women in Development addresses key issues related to women and international migration. The migration of women has always been an important component of international migration. A gender perspective is essential to understanding both the causes and consequences of international migration despite that a dearth of data on women and migration makes it difficult to assess the full implications of international migration for women. Migrant women contribute to the economic development of their country of destination and to the country of origin through financial contributions from remittances, the improvement of their own skills or their contributions to the improvement of the education and skills of the next generation. Women often migrate officially as dependent family members of other migrants or to marry someone in another country. Various international instruments specifically or gen- erally enumerate the rights of migrants. Many national laws on emigration and immigration of voluntary migrants include discrimina- tory provisions that affect the protection of migrant women. Refugee women and girls face particular problems regarding their legal and physical protection. The trafficking of people for prostitution and forced labour is one of the fastest growing areas of international criminal activity and one that is of increasing concern to the international community. International migration affects gender roles and opportunities for women in destination countries. Some countries have laws that particularly disadvantage women migrants as well as native women who marry foreign men. Migration can profoundly affect the health and well-being of both migrating women and women staying behind when their spouses migrate. The 2005 World Survey analyzes key issues on labour migration, family formation and reunification, rights of migrant women, refugees and displaced persons, as well as trafficking of women and girls. It sets out recommendations, which, if adopted, will improve the situation of migrant, refugee and trafficked women.

Sales No. E.04.IV.4 • ISBN 92-1-130235-8 • Price $19.95 Handbook for Parliamentarians The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and its Optional Protocol This Handbook, produced by the Division for the Advancement of Women of the United Nations Secretariat in collaboration with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, offers a comprehensive and educational presentation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and its Optional Protocol. The Handbook presents the background to and content of the Convention and the Optional Protocol and describes the role of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which secures implementation at the national level. It provides examples of good practices and gives an overview of what parliamentarians can do to ensure effective implementation of the Convention and encourage use of the Optional Protocol. It also proposes model instruments and reference materials as aids designed to facilitate the work of legislators. The Handbook is available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

Sales No. E.03.IV.5 • ISBN 92-1-130226-9 • Price $18.95 Women, Peace and Security Study submitted by the Secretary-General pursuant to Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) This study on women, peace and security was mandated by Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) and the preparation was coordinated by the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women in close cooperation with the Inter-Agency Task Force on Women, Peace and Security. It indicates that while women and girls share experiences with men and boys during armed conflict, the culture of violence and discrimination against women and girls that exists during peace times is often exacerbated during conflict and negatively affects women’s ability to participate in peace processes and ultimately inhibits the attainment of lasting peace. The study documents how, over the last 15 years, the United Nations system, Member States, regional organizations and civil society increased efforts to better respond to the differential impact of armed conflict on women and girls and recognized women’s efforts in conflict mandates of peacekeeping and peace-building missions as well as in the programming and delivery of humanitarian assistance; representation of women at all stages and at all levels of peace operations, in humanitarian operations and in decision-making processes in post-conflict reconstruction; as well as improved compliance with existing international legal norms. The study draws on the collective experiences of the United Nations system: it analyses the impact of armed conflict on women and girls; it describes the relevant international legal framework; and it reviews the gender perspectives in peace processes, peace operations, humanitarian operations, reconstruction and rehabilitation, and in disarmament, demobilization and the reintegration processes.

Sales No. E.03.IV.1 •ISBN 92-1-130222-6 •Price $25.00

34 September 2005 women 2000 and beyond

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Back issues of Women2000 and Beyond http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/public/w2000.html

Women and water (February 2005) Integrating a gender perspective into United Nations human rights work (December 1998) Making risky environments safer: women building sustainable and disaster-resilient environments Sexual violence and armed conflict: United (April 2004) Nations response (April 1998)

Women, nationality and citizenship (June 2003) Women and decision-making (1997)

Gender dimensions of ageing (March 2002) Women and the information revolution (1996)

Widowhood, invisible women, secluded or The role of women in United Nations peace- excluded (December 2001) keeping (1995)

The cover is adapted from “Stardust”, 1998, by Edwina Sandys

This issue of women2000 and Beyond was prepared by the Division for the Advancement of Women, Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, with Ms. Chat Ramilo, Ms. Nancy Hafkin and Ms. Sonia Jorge.

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