THE AWORC RESEARCH WOMEN’S USE OF ICT

Objectives

To provide a context of women’s electronic networking in Asia-Pacific

To share the major findings of the AWORC research

Context

world conference on women was major impetus for women's advances in the use of ICTs

expansion of more women & women's networks using the Internet in their work.

study how this trend was developing in the national level

Study the:

level of ICT use how ICT is used in their work what their training and networking

needs are how to advance women's

empowerment through the use of ICT

The Research Methodology rationale and design of the

research was developed collaboratively

a single survey questionnaire was used

common report format was developed for each report

three separate reports have also been written

Content

Countries Surveyed Profile of women’s organisations

surveyed Overview of the information and

communication sector Summary of findings Summary of Recommendations

Countries Surveyed23 countries

Asia: India, Nepal, Indonesia, Philippines, Mongolia, Japan, Korea

The Caucuses and the Central Asia: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Pacific: Fiji, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Tonga, New Caledonia, Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands.

Profiles of Organizations

Overview of the information and communication sector

Sub-region No surveyed

No of responses

Asia ~500 76 Caucuses/ Central Asia

120 18

Pacific 80 14

Asia

uneven development of the telecommunications sector is seen in all the countries except Japan and ROK.

extremes of terrain and geographical features have impacted on the acquisition of telecommunications technology and its diffusion

covers all the major cities but the infrastructure in the provinces and islands is poor

level of economic development is also a factor that has constrained the development of telecommunications infrastructure

Caucuses and Central Asia the new republics still lag behind the

more developed industrial countries with respect to nearly all areas of ICT development

national agencies responsible for the regulation of the telecommunications sector have been established

most of the new republics’ telecommunication sectors are outdated and of poor quality, especially in regions outside of national capitals and major urban areas

a slight increase in the number of women IT students and professionals, gender disparities remain extremely high

technical services and support is slow and expensive.

only a minority of the population is proficient in English, the dominant language of the Web

the number of organizations and individuals regularly using the Internet is still extremely small with respect to overall populations.

Pacific communications structures of Pacific

Island countries and territories are largely colonial legacies

the Pacific’s geographical diversity/vastness is a challenge in connectivity

the Pacific Islands have been slower than other world regions in terms of access to and utilisation of the internet

Summary of findings

Asia

Use of ICTs in Women’s organisations

– ICTs not being used optimally – ratio of computers to full time staff was

approximately 1:1.– most use: administrative, email,

accounting – less use: participation in mailing lists and

on-line discussions, accessing information from the net, advocacy on the net

Information and Visibility– by gaining more visibility through web

sites, having access to donor assistance, and information about international and regional activities relating to the women’s movement

Financial Constraints– women’s organisations had little or no

financial resources for ICT

Gaps in Technical Capacity and Training

– net-literacy and inadequate skills – women’s organisations did not provide

IT training to their staff routinely – women’s organisations also lacked

information on Internet resources, advocacy and lobbying skills, and skills on combining conventional methods of information dissemination and access with the Internet.

The Caucasus and Central Asia region

Useful ICT tools:– Telephone– E-mail– Facsimile– Postal mail

Recipient of the information: – Other NGOs– donors and other int’l organizations– mass media,national governments,

libraries/resource centers, individuals

ICT as a Tool for Empowerment

– conduct research and gain access to news, information

– improve organizational and personal knowledge, skills

– monitor and participate in global women’s initiatives

– disseminate information and publicize materials

– lobby development causes at local and regional levels

– exchange information and experience coordinate activities both in-country and abroad

– contribute to civil society and local communities

– identify new contacts and development partners

– apply for donor funding and other forms of technical support.

Barriers to ICT Use

lack of sufficient technical skills lack of necessary equipment, hardware and soft-

ware lack of financial independence and sustainability Secondary factors

– limited awareness and understanding of the opportunities made available by ICT

– limited knowledge of English– limited number of other on-line local NGOs

with whom to network– lack of comprehension to use ICT for

development

Pacific

Usefulness of ICT– Organizations continue to use more

traditional mediums of communication such as faxes, telephones and snail mail in combination with email

– Very few Pacific women’s organisations utilise the web as a networking facility

Most common use – Communication and networking with

members, partners, networks, international women’s organisations and funders

– Advocacy, lobbying, publicising the organisation

– Research and Information on international news/events

– least useful for information on national events and job postings.

– Improved organizational output/productivity /Saves time and money

Skills and Training– few women's groups who have Internet

access are computer literate but are not formally trained in the usage of the web and its tools

Awareness & Understanding of the Benefits of ICT– lack the skills and financial resources

needed to effectively access and utilise the medium

Combining ICT with Popular Forms of Communication

– radio is still the most popular form of communication in the Islands due to its affordability and accessibility factors and its provision of vernacular services

Connectivity & Access Costs– 95 percent of respondents highlighted the

cost factor as a barrier to access and effective utilisation of ICT

– Women’s organisations are not getting online due to:

• limited funds • high access costs due to Internet Service

Provider (ISP) monopolies,• a lack of reliable connections, and

limitations with facilities in the Islands also fuel the situation.

• audiences are often without access which means that the Internet is not always an efficient means of communication.

Summary of recommendations

Greater Access to ICT decision making

Greater access for the unconnected More educational and training

opportunities for women Training women trainers Training and capacity-building in

basic computer skills and literacy;

Summary of recommendations

Awareness raising about ICT Mobilization of more resources for

ICT and development for women ICT should be expanded for

participatory forms of collaboration, decision-making, and educational and publicity campaigns.

Summary of recommendations

More in-depth follow-up studies should be conducted at the country level

enhance ICT accessibility through convergence of technologies such as radio and the Internet

CommunicationKey to Advocacy

Effective use of communication is a key tool for advocacy. Sound knowledge and understanding of how communication works, including ways to efficiently access and utilise the many tools within, is necessary for social and economic development.

Access to information technology is a rights issue.

Women must ensure that they are given the opportunity to become more computer literate, to utilise the Internet and its many tools for more efficient networking, information sharing and capacity building.

ICT development should be relevant to the region

An effective communications system is one which works for the majority of a people.

ICT development must adopt and effectively to address the cultural, vernacular and geographical needs of the region

The multiplicity of languages and cultures must also be accounted for to overcome gender, economic, digital divides, recognising that language, cultural and generational divides exist in every society