Using ICT to empower women Cases Lessons Learned Future challenges

1. Creating Opportunities • Using ICT to empower women • Cases • Lessons Learned Future challenges Agenda

2. ICT and Gender • Women are under-represented • Policy-makers • ICT line ministries • Multilateral agencies • ICT workers • Line workers vs. managers or technicians • ICT users • Less than 50% almost everywhere © Education Development Center

3. Using ICT to Empower Women • Access to political power • Access to knowledge and means for knowledge-creation • Access to economic opportunities © Education Development Center

4. Strategy and Action Formulate and implement strategy Law reform Advocacy Education Training Public awareness Institutional reform Service provision Capacity-building Fund-raising Data collection & analysis © Education Development Center

5. UNIFEM End-violence Online Working Group 2,500+ members from 120 countries © Education Development Center

6. End-violence Online Working Group • Fostered knowledge-sharing • Helped NGOs lobby for reform We were people from different cultures, different countries, but we hardly felt it Member from India • Generated networks • Disseminated successful strategies and tools © Education Development Center

7. End-violence Online Working Group • Provided input into policy-making • Built morale • Generated public support • Built knowledge resource This working group was the equivalent of a college course Member from UNDP © Education Development Center

8. Congratulations on a major event worldwide! Felicitaciones! The Video Conference was received via Internet. We will use it here in South America. Heartiest congratulations on this landmark and historic achievement… We got excellent media coverage ... by Star TV News and Star News. Thank you very much again for organizing the Videoconference,.. it was very exciting for our own people End-Violence Videoconference © Education Development Center

9. End-violence Videoconference • Raised awareness worldwide • Raised consciousness within UNGA • Fostered activism Videoconference, broadcast, webcast © Education Development Center

10. Social Action in Africa Women’s Net, South Africa • Make women in government more accessible • Provide women with information and tools for social action © Education Development Center

11. Political Action in Indonesia • Established local “hot spots” • Facilitated coordinated action and common positions Indonesian Women’s Coalition for Justice and Democracy © Education Development Center

12. Political Advocacy in Nigeria Fantsuam Foundation • Focus on empowering rural women • Provides NGOs with a database of information and tools • Trains women to use ICTs to mobilize for democracy • Provides access to resources, e.g., legal aid © Education Development Center

13. DOH Multimedia Center of Excellence © Education Development Center

14. Multimedia Training in Philippines Family Planning Counseling CD Blood Screening for HIV/AIDS CD • Serves multiple audiences • Can be used by novice ICT users • Provides an effective training vehicle • Expands training reach • Extends training options for women © Education Development Center

15. Economic Opportunities in Peru Quipunet • Market local products • e-tourism • One-computer towns disseminate information to rural areas • Workshops on disaster relief • Preserving oral history © Education Development Center

16. Income Generation in India Rainbow Society, South India • E-commerce for rural women • Contacts with suppliers and buyers © Education Development Center

17. Ecotourism Training in Brazil ECO-Eco’Living Institute, Brazil • Provides computer access to health agents, single mothers, students, etc. • Promotes and trains community in ecotourism • Provides access to information on health, etc. © Education Development Center

18. Lessons for the Future Complementary inputs are key • The inputs needed to utilize the technology effectively © Education Development Center

19. IT Skills Capital Access Contacts Business Skills Lessons for the Future All complementary inputs are necessary Benefits © Education Development Center

20. IT Skills Access Lessons for the Future Women lack complementary inputs Unequal access to CIs Exacerbates inequity ...even if the technology is free and accessible © Education Development Center

21. Lessons for the Future Policy implications • “Getting policies right” is important, but... © Education Development Center

22. Lessons for the Future Policy implications • “Getting policies right” is important, but... • The “right policies” ensure access to the full set of complementary inputs © Education Development Center

23. Lessons for the Future Policy implications • “Getting policies right” is important, but... • The “right policies” ensure access to the full set of complementary inputs • Understanding complementary input gaps requires detailed knowledge of specific groups © Education Development Center

24. Lessons for the Future Policy implications • Women need to get access to key decision-making circles, but... © Education Development Center

25. Lessons for the Future Policy implications • Women need to get access to key decision-making circles, but... • Women with power must understand the concrete conditions for specific groups © Education Development Center

26. Lessons for the Future Program implications • Expanding access is important, but... © Education Development Center

27. Lessons for the Future Program implications • Expanding access is important, but... • Technology plus entrepreneurship will close many of the gaps • Real-time translations • Voice recognition • Free wireless © Education Development Center

28. Lessons for the Future Program implications • Key gap: Technology strategy • Know when and how to use what technologies • Opportunities to use them © Education Development Center

29. Lessons for the Future Project implications • E-commerce holds potential, but... © Education Development Center

30. Lessons for the Future Project implications • E-commerce holds potential, but... • Revenue generation will depend on knowledge products © Education Development Center

31. The Challenges for the Future • Address the full set of complementary inputs • Get the right women access to key decision-making circles • Emphasize applications and capacity-building vs. infrastructure build-out • Focus on knowledge-based income generation © Education Development Center