Access in AsiaPacific, with a Focus on Gender and Empowerment

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• Access in Asia-Pacific, with a Focus on Gender
  and Empowerment

By Isa Seow
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ICT Access Challenges/Problems in Asia Pacific

• - High costs for connectivity - ICT
  infrastructure not adequate, especially in rural
  areas - Low levels of literacy an underlying
  issue - Less transparent policy and regulatory
  environment for market access, competition, other
  areas - Developing country governments have to
  prioritize between water, sanitation,
  electricity, etc very basic needs (huge
  issues)- Local language fonts and relevant
  content not available
• - Social issue? families think men should be
  educated, be in technical studies stream and
  breadwinner, not women

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Why is the Gender Issue Important?

• - Women make up to 70 of Worlds poor - UN
  Declaration of Human Rights makes reference to
  equal status of Women - Limited Role of Women
  affect lives of others family, children, etc -
  Womens economic and social status are important
  e.g. cases of sex selective abortions - The
  problem generally falls into UNDP work programme

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• ICT PERCENTAGE WOMEN USERS
• Latin America 38
• Europe 36
• Asia 22
• - In the three regions, Asia has the least
  number of Women ICT Users. (Source Nancy and
  Taggart) Harvard/Radcliffe

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Directions for the Future
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How Can ICT Help?

• Recognise inherent link between ICT and
  Empowerment of Women - As an economic/business
  tool to gain independence (improves productivity)
  - As a medium for education - Allows networking
  of women / groups - Source of content about
  reproductive health, disease, needs of children,
  child mortality, etc - Increased bargaining
  power in family and society - A two-way process,
  governments gain important knowledge about
  womens well being statistics, etc

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New Work Opportunities in Digital Economy

• ICT is a medium for economic opportunities
  and independence. - E-commerce,- Teleworking,
  - Call Centers, Data Conversion- Medical
  Transcription. - Back Office Operations Content
  Development Deposition summary. Insurance claims
  processing. Geographical information systems. Web
  design, the list goes on See Swasti Mitter,
  Asian Women in the Digital Economy see also,
  digitaldividedata.org

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A Proposed Approach 3 Pronged
StrategyLiteracy, Content and Empowerment
(Policy)

• In a recent paper, recommendation was to
  address specific ICT and Gender problems, not
  general digital divide issues thus1. Literacy
  Basic skills such as reading, writing etc
  important. Present literacy rates- Women make 64
  of global illiterate. Also, encourage women to
  move into technical fields. 2. Content
  (specific content such as reproductive health,
  child-care, financial resources, teleworking
  information, womens groups, role models, etc)
  Also support font work.

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• 3. Empowerment Continue to support women leaders
  to make high level recommendations. To latch on
  and provide support, directions, etc. Work with
  women leaders, women ICT specialists, to find
  medium- longer term solutions

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• At its most foundational levela practical
  approachTo include a Gender analysis, or
  perspective wherever possible, from proposals to
  projects, policy formulation, initiatives,
  awareness programs, etc. Ask how does it
  reflects on gender in most or all circumstances.

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The Policy Approach

• - To consider engendered policy approach. For
  example, focus on gender-specific telephone
  penetration statistics instead of geographical-
  Recognise the need for more women representation
  at policy-formulation levels- Support education
  and training of women at planning/policy
  stagesGoals1. To Ensure equitable access in
  ICT Sector2. To Ensure ICTs contribute further
  to positive change in Gender relations.

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• Examples of Gender ICT Projects in Asia-Pacific

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Organisation
Activities
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Activities
Organisation
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Thank you7th December 2002