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Dimitra Newsletter No 7, 2002

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Dimitra Newsletter No 7, 2002 Newsletter N° 7 – Brussels, September 2002 Dimitra Newsletter RURAL WOMEN AND DEVELOPMENT Dear Friends, are getting involved in a particularly innova- on the fact that “information technologies FOREWORD Over the last months, the Dimitra tive, entrepreneurial and courageous way in are not a luxury but an essential instrument team has undertaken several missions to information technologies, in spite of their for sustainable development.” If informa- Africa and the Near East to relaunch infor- limited access to resources and infrastruc- tion is not shared and relayed by groups mation collection activities with the partners tures. The women have let it be known that and networks, it is diffi cult to fi ght against situated in these regions, among which they consider access to information to be an hunger and poverty. we have the great pleasure of welcoming essential factor for development, which they Nancy Hafkin and Nancy Taggart show in SANGONeT/Womens’Net in South Africa must dispose of and which they must be able their study ‘Gender, Information Technology and and ONG VIE in Niger. All of these meet- to use and to own. Developing Countries: an Analytic Study’ that em- ings confi rmed that rural populations, and Numerous opportunities for meeting and re- powerment also comes through information particularly women, consider new informa- fl ection are arising to explore ways to adapt access, mastering communication skills and tion and communication technologies as information and communication methods the openness of women to information and a fundamental factor for change, enabling and to broaden the range of their use. The communication technologies – both modern links to be created and encouraging mutual Know How Conference 2002, “A safari into and traditional. These will be referred to support. the cross-cultural world of women’s knowl- throughout the bulletin by their abbrevia- Faced with the amazing progression of Inter- edge exchange,” took place from 22-27 July tion: ICT (Information and Communication net and the rapidity of information fl ows, all 2002 in Kampala, Uganda. This is just one Technologies).1 development actors, particularly women’s of several similar initiatives to which the Rural women themselves are increasingly organisations, but also governments and Dimitra project has participated. This meet- raising their voices to say and to repeat what international and national agencies, are ing allowed for a closer examination of the they experience, what they know, what they aware of the opportunities offered by new obstacles facing rural women, both to access want, and they are taking action consequent- technologies as well as their limitations. It information and to transmit their own infor- ly. Their daily life is hard and they confront it is necessary to fi ght against the common mation to decision-makers. with creativity and imagination: they join to- school of thought which says that Africa is Access to information is a universal right and gether and become fi lm-makers, as in Kenya, not connected, that it has been overtaken by in a press release on 19 July, a few days prior or they create their own radio, as in Burkina the information age and that African women to the opening of the Know How Conference, Faso. They want to see their rights respected, are powerless victims. Let us underline the the FAO denounced the limited access of ru- because their daily survival, their economic fact that Africans, and particularly women, ral women to information. The text insisted security and their physical integrity depend l p. 2 CONTENT Editorial by Marie Randriamamonjy 2 Dimitra new partners he World Food Summit: fi ve years later’ was the the Republic of Rwanda, continued in the same vein: “In the major event for the FAO in recent months. It was the present day and age, we must recognise the fact that women 4 The right to information: – Know How Conference 2002 ‘Toccasion on which to reiterate everyone’s commitment should have the right to land, access to credit, the right to share – Wougnet Online Conference to fi ght against one of the most scandalous inequalities and the benefi ts of agricultural output, the right to inherit property injustices: world hunger. It also gave the opportunity to recall and the right to education.” 6 Women’s voices: that rural women are “key players throughout food production, The two keynote speakers invited to this meeting highlighted – Women’s videos – Rural radios from farm to fork”, as was underlined by the Director General certain fundamental points. Rosalina Tuyuc, Coordina- of the FAO, and crucial partners in the fi ght against hunger tor of the Guatemalan National Organization for Widows 8 ICTs for women’s empowerment and poverty. (CONAVIGUA), former Vice President of Guatemala’s Congress, 9 News in brief: In all, more than 400 people, Heads of State, Ministers, high- a human rights activist and a Maya, recalled that “with our more and more ranking civil servants, representatives of NGOs and civil society, hands we work our land and make it productive, but this has 10 Ufroat and Leisa gathered on this occasion. The Gender and Population division not been suffi cient to ensure food for all. Our land does not organised a side event on 13 June with fi nancial support from yield much, as the best land is in the hands of those who do not 11 Traditional know-how: the Swedish government on the theme of ‘rural women crucial work.” “It is time to take stock of who really feeds the world.” – The seeds of Kokopelli partners in the fi ght against hunger and poverty’. “It is rural women. They are more in numbers, they produce 12 Access to land, a human right Strong words were used in this debate. “In the battle against more and they do it with fewer resources,” added Vandana 14 Resources: hunger and poverty, women, especially rural women, most cer- Shiva, Director of India’s Research Foundation for Science, Tech- conferences, training, books, tainly hold up the heavier half,” began Mr David A Harcharik, nology and Ecology, physicist, and environmentalist. Internet sites Deputy Director-General of the FAO, referring to the old Chinese Margaret Winberg, Swedish Minister for Agriculture, Food and proverb, ‘women hold up half the sky.’ His Excellency Mr. Paul Fisheries and for Gender Equality, co-President of the meeting, Kagamé, honorary President of the meeting and President of declared that, “poverty reduction and establishing food security FOOD AND AGRICULTURE p. 2 ORGANIZATION l OF THE UNITED NATIONS New partners in the Dimitra Project FOREWORD Information within the Dimitra project is shared and updated thanks to the partnership established with regional and sub-regional organisations. Decentralisation of p. 1 l information collection, processing, and onward dissemination to regional partners upon it; also they familiarise themselves with both facilitates access to smaller and lesser-known organisations and provides laws to be able to claim their rights, among them with a chance to give their own information. During the fi rst project phase, which their rights to land, a crucial produc- tion factor. They analyse the texts to better un- PRODDER in South Africa and IRED in Niger were two of Dimitra partners. Their derstand them and to change them for greater disappearance led to cooperation with new partners proposed by the two former ones. equality and justice. The new partners share a lot of common interests with Dimitra, both in terms of This newsletter sets out to sketch the broad working methods and intervention philosophy: SANGONeT/Women’sNet in South trends of this movement carrying great hopes for change, which is devoted to a vibrant and Africa and ONG VIE-Kande Ni Bayra in Niger. positive world and to a better life for all. In this edition, you will also fi nd the usual columns on new books, conference calendar, etc. In In South Africa SANGONeT and Women’sNet addition, inserted within this edition of the newsletter is a 2-page questionnaire asking Facilitating the work of civil society organisations through you to detail the way in which your organisa- information and bridging the digital divide. tion has access (or not) to Internet and to e-mail. Thank you for returning this question- SANGONeT Internet presence to have their content and naire which will help us to understand the Since 1987, SANGONeT (Southern African views published online; diffi culties you can face in terms of Internet Non-Governmental Organisation Network) is the – Thusanang, a user-friendly “one-stop” In- and e-mail access. You are one of over 4 000 only Southern African network dedicated to ternet entry point to provide information organisations receiving this mail and your providing information communication tech- on Southern African development funding response will provide a wealth of information nology (ICT) services to the local civil society issues; which will be passed on to decision-makers organisations. SANGONeT’s mission is to be – Pambazuka, a weekly electronic newsletter at the next meetings on information society a facilitator in the effective and empowering published by SANGONeT, in conjunction and the analyses of which will be transmit- use of ICT tools by development actors. with Kabissa (Washington, D.C.) and Fa- ted to you with the publication of our next SANGONeT provides networking and informa- hamu (Oxford); newsletters. As always, we will welcome your tion technical services to broaden access to ICTs – SBNet, still in planning, it is envisaged that reactions and your contributions with great and empower grassroots organisations. This is this website will have several components, interest and much pleasure. Thank you for particularly useful in forming links, sharing in- including a database of small business reading this newsletter. ¶ formation and co-operating on crucial subjects.
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