Gender, information technology and rural development: an overview

Nancy J. Hafkin Presentation to World Bank GENRD Brown Bag 12 November 2003

Starting assumption
ICTs

can and do make an important contribution to agricultural and rural development

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The challenge . . .
To

make it possible for poor rural women to use ICTs in ways that improve food security, provide sustainable livelihoods and improve the quality of life in rural areas.

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Information and rural women

Information

can empower rural women to participate in decision making, exchange ideas with others in developed and developing countries and improve the quality of life of the people of Africa Hilda Munyua
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Why consider gender?

The greatest good

Women

are the majority of the population in rural areas of most developing countries They are highly significant in food production- without women we all go hungry- Kenya proverb. Consideration of their involvement is a quantitative imperative
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The business case

Development

projects that take gender into account are more likely to achieve their objectives than those that do not (World Bank)

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Elimination of poverty
Womens empowerment is a central precondition for the elimination of poverty Addressing gender issues addresses poverty ICTs address the concomitants of poverty:

lack of access to education and health services Lack of productive opportunities Lack of information and isolation

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The equity argument

Gender

equality is integral to a humanrights based approach to development Third Goal of United Nations Millennium Development: promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women

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ICTs are not gender neutral

Substantial

gender differences in access to, impact of ICTs Few women users in developing countries Most women users in developing countries part of small, educated urban elite
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Gender issues in ICT and rural development

Lack

of infrastructure is a gender issue

infrastructure in rural and outlying

Poorer

areas More women live in rural areas than men Urban bias in connectivity deprives more women than men of the universal right to communicate
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Social and cultural issues

Women

have lesser access than men to those facilities that do exist Women have less time to visit public access facilities Facilities may not be located where women are comfortable frequenting Hours may not be conducive to womens use

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Gender bias towards women and ICTs

Fewer

women in science and technology Attitudes that information technology is not for women Other cultural aspects limit womens access

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Education and skills

Women

less likely than men to have the requisite education and knowledge
Literacy Language Computer

skills Information literacy

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Other gender issues

Financial Content Statistics

resources and indicators

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Some possible applications

Improved

communications Improved access to information Economic, social and political applications

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ICTs might fill agricultural extension gender gap

Most

agricultural technology transfer agents male Only 5% of extension services go to women Only 15% of extension agents are women ICTs can focus on content related to subsistence crops, food security
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Some Gender, ICT initiatives

Benin

Microfinance Bankilare Niger DTR-Federation African Media WomenRadio Listening Clubs Nakaseke Telecentre CD-ROM-Rural Women in Africa Ideas for Earning Money Dimitra-www.fao.org/sd/dimitra
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More initiatives . . .
Honeybee

Network-India Self-Employed Womens AssociationIndia Gyandoot/Daar-India Fantsuam-northern Nigeria Moutse Community Radio Station-South Africa
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Gender lessons from ICT projects

Technology empowers, but also affects and alters gender relations Gender is everywhere: no project without gender issues Women emerge from project participation with greater knowledge, self esteem If you dont ask for gender, you dont get gender Need for pro-activity to ensure participation of both men and women
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How to get women into projects:

There have to be guidelines and procedures Gender-goals have to appear in objectives Competent gender analysis needs to enter from beginning of project design Monitoring and evaluation statistics must be disaggregated by sex All projects need to be reviewed for gender issues

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Engendering policy

Insufficient to stop at engendering projects Neither gender, nor ICT are in rural development plans and strategies! Must be done at policy level to ensure women included Needs to be considered in ICT policy, agricultural development policy, technology policy and gender policy

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Ensuring womens inclusionhow to do it?

Work in the policy arena Technology will take care of some access problems (wireless access) Inclusion of ICT training in training and education projects for girls and women Train young women from communities at community centers Develop role models Improve girls and womens education in Africa
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Gender, RD, ICT resources

ICT

for Rural Women: information list of resources, events and organizations on how women can use ICTs to support grassroots productive enterprises. information on productive technologies, prices, markets and small enterprise support.
appropriate
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technologies;
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ICT for Rural Women (contd)

appropriate

software packages and training women how to use them. extension services; linking new ICTs with other communications media; strategies for scaling up and replicating pilot projects; documenting best practices Subscribe: www.wigsat.org
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More resources . . .
ISNAR

Briefing Paper 55, Gender and agriculture in the information society www.isnar.cgiar.org/publications/briefin g/bp55.htm 2002

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CTA Observatory on gender and ICTs for agricultural and rural development

Impact of ICTs from a gender perspective Tried to identify ways in which ICTs can help to empower rural women in ACP countries. http://www.cta.int/observatory2002/ Wageningen, The Netherlands 11 - 13 September 2002
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Priority areas for gender, ICTs and agriculture (CTA)

Mainstreaming

gender. Ensuring participation of poor rural women. Policy. Gender equity in national policy on rural issues and ICTs. Access for rural areas. Content. Capacity building.
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