| De: |
"Maja Andjelkovic" [ Profil ] |
| Sujet: |
Summary: Supporting Young Women in ICT4D Projects
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| Envoyé: |
Nov 18th, 2003 - 21:04:20 |
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A common theme that emerged through last week's discussion is the need to present ICT as a versatile tool and clearly outline applications of ICT relevant to young women.
Over half of the posts referred, in one way or another, to the incorrect perceptions of technology on the part of young women as presenting a barrier to their interest and education in ICT.
Terri Willard wrote that, "One of the real strengths of an ICT for development approach to technology training/engagement is that it builds on young people's interests in social and environmental interests. It puts technology back to being a tool rather than the be-all and end-all of life."
In her candid description of her experience in Brazil, Cintia Dias recognized the power of the web to engage people in ICT4D initiatives.
"In my practice I learnt that the web facilities can mobilize people to do things better, to think about things... We have to think also that those people have to have an opportunity to learn and to use what they learn..."
From Egypt, Rania El Keiy wrote about the common misconception that ICT skills are solely needed by ICT professionals. She indicated that to break this image, ICTs must be presented to women as tools for improving their quality of life:
"A common mistake that people in my part of the world fall into is that they think that encouraging them to be involved in ICT or at least to get acquainted with it, and here I mean training, is to increase their employability chances ONLY, rather than improving the quality of their lives. Therefore, in a lot of cases when women don't work either by choice (mostly house wives) or due to lack skills or even opportunities, they don't pursue any knowledge in the field of ICT.
They don't understand that Computers and Internet have the power to radically transform lives by opening up new avenues of knowledge, information, work, entertainment and communication through the connectivity they provide to the world. They provide the tools to every individual to radically better the quality of life. In remote and underprivileged areas, this access women can have to the world can substitute for women lack of formal education. It can develop their personalities tremendously. They would have smaller families, they would learn how to raise their kids in a better way, and they would even learn how to maintain their houses."
We also heard from Nenna, who offered examples of successful ventures such as the Meena Initiative in Asia and the Sara Initiative in Africa.
"The Meena program is in many parts of Asia now. The Sara Pamphlets have been translated into French. The copies are now in distribution in the west and central parts of Africa. They have been so appreciated by communication experts that the series now come on as radio plays. Radio being the most far-reaching means of information dissemination in Africa, and actually the most powerful, if not the only one, in rural Africa, you might imagine to what extent it has gone."
Several posts also touched on effective strategies for engaging young women in ICT4D, a topic that overlaps with the upcoming week's theme: Building Communities of Learning. In one such post, Onyinye Ndubuisi highlighted the need for continuous training for young women, not only through informal community-based approaches, but also through dedicated life-long programs.
For full archives, please visit http://groups.takingitglobal.org/ycdogender/messages
Best wishes,
Maja Andjelkovic
Discussion Moderator
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