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Gender, information technologyand rural development:

an overview

Nancy J. Hafkin

Presentation to World Bank

GENRD Brown Bag

12 November 2003

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12 November 2003 GENRD-World Bank 2

Starting assumption

ICTs can and do make an important

contribution to agricultural and ruraldevelopment

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The challenge . . .

To make it possible for poor rural

women to use ICTs in ways thatimprove food security, providesustainable livelihoods and improve thequality 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 indeveloped and developing countriesand 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 populationin rural areas of most developing countries

They are highly significant in foodproduction- 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 achievetheir 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 human-

rights based approach to developmentThird 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 ICTsFew women users in developing

countries

Most women users in developingcountries part of small, educated urbanelite

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Gender issues in ICT and rural

development

Lack of infrastructure is a gender issue

Poorer infrastructure in rural and outlyingareas

More women live in rural areas than men

Urban bias in connectivity deprives morewomen than men of the universal right tocommunicate

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Social and cultural issues

Women have lesser access than men tothose facilities that do exist

Women have less time to visit publicaccess facilities

Facilities may not be located wherewomen are comfortable frequenting

Hours may not be conducive towomens use

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Gender bias towards women

and ICTsFewer women in science and

technology

Attitudes that information technology isnot for women

Other cultural aspects limit womens

access

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Education and skills

Women less likely than men to have therequisite education and knowledge

Literacy

Language

Computer skills

Information literacy

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Other gender issues

Financial resources

Content

Statistics and indicators

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Some possible applications

Improved communications

Improved access to information

Economic, social and politicalapplications

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ICTs might fill agriculturalextension gender gap

Most agricultural technology transferagents male

Only 5% of extension services go towomen

Only 15% of extension agents arewomen

ICTs can focus on content related tosubsistence crops, food security

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Some Gender, ICT initiatives

Benin Microfinance

Bankilare Niger

DTR-Federation African Media Women-Radio Listening Clubs-

Nakaseke Telecentre CD-ROM-RuralWomen in Africa Ideas for Earning

MoneyDimitra-www.fao.org/sd/dimitra

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More initiatives . . .

Honeybee Network-India

Self-Employed Womens Association-

IndiaGyandoot/Daar-India

Fantsuam-northern Nigeria

Moutse Community Radio Station-SouthAfrica

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Gender lessons from ICT projects

Technology empowers, but also affects andalters gender relations

Gender is everywhere: no project withoutgender issues

Women emerge from project participationwith greater knowledge, self esteem

If you dont ask for gender, you dont getgender

Need for pro-activity to ensure participation ofboth men and women

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How to get women intoprojects:

There have to be guidelines and procedures

Gender-goals have to appear in objectives

Competent gender analysis needs to enterfrom beginning of project design

Monitoring and evaluation statistics must bedisaggregated by sex

All projects need to be reviewed for genderissues

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Engendering policy

Insufficient to stop at engendering projects

Neither gender, nor ICT are in ruraldevelopment plans and strategies!

Must be done at policy level to ensure womenincluded

Needs to be considered in ICT policy,

agricultural development policy, technologypolicy and gender policy

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Ensuring womens inclusion-how to do it? Work in the policy arena

Technology will take care of some accessproblems (wireless access)

Inclusion of ICT training in training andeducation projects for girls and women

Train young women from communities atcommunity 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 andorganizations on how women can use

ICTs to support grassroots productiveenterprises.

information on productive technologies,

prices, markets and small enterprisesupport.

appropriate technologies;

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ICT for Rural Women (contd)

appropriate software packages andtraining women how to use them.

extension services;

linking new ICTs with othercommunications media;

strategies for scaling up and replicating

pilot projects;documenting best practices Subscribe:

www.wigsat.org
http://list.matrixlinks.ca/mailman/listinfo/ictforruralwomenhttp://www.wigsat.org/http://www.wigsat.org/http://list.matrixlinks.ca/mailman/listinfo/ictforruralwomen

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More resources . . .

ISNAR Briefing Paper 55, Gender andagriculture in the information society

www.isnar.cgiar.org/publications/briefing/bp55.htm

2002

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CTA Observatory on gender

and ICTs for agricultural andrural 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 - 13September 2002
http://www.cta.int/observatory2002/http://www.cta.int/observatory2002/

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12 November 2003 GENRD World Bank 27

Priority areas for gender, ICTs

and agriculture (CTA)

Mainstreaming gender. Ensuringparticipation of poor rural women.

Policy. Gender equity in national policyon rural issues and ICTs.

Access for rural areas.

Content.

Capacity building.

Documents

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