SDPI. ICTs for women s empowerment learning from best practices. Nazima Shaheen Sustainable Development Policy Institute August 13, 2009

Transcription

1 ICTs for women s empowerment learning from best practices Nazima Shaheen Sustainable Development Policy Institute August 13, 2009

2 Background Overview NCHD: Community Technology Learning Centers (CTLC) Visual Anthropology-Woman to Woman Video Project ehomemakers-empowering Women through Home Based Income Earning (Malaysia) Foundation of Occupational Development (FOOD): Inter-city Marketing Network for Women Micro-entrepreneurs Conclusions

3 Case Study 1: NCHD: Community Technology Learning Centers (CTLC) Target Group local women residents between the age of At least 10 years of Education Objectives impart basic computer skills inoculate life skills while engaging the learners in various Activities Image:

4 CTLC cont. Coverage 14CTLC in four provinces 8 in earthquake hit areas The process fee waived off for deserving candidates 3-4 months sessions/year, 2hrs contact time, 6 days a week Graduates, further trained in the data bases & data entry image:

5 CTLC cont. Opportunities learners employed in data entry of Universal Primary Education Project & Local government s projects Confidence essential income generation

6 CTLC cont. Milestones 2638 underserved female successfully completed ICT training 307 successful graduates got ICT related jobs, 93 graduates already working, got increments in their salaries 235 engaged in data entry of Universal Primary Education

7 CTLC cont. Policy recommendations legal safeguards for such type of ppp model, in IT policy Government s support for replication of similar projects

8 Case Study 2: Visual Anthropology-Woman to Woman Video Project Target Group Non literate rural women in NWFP Objectives film interviews to camera based on open questions Track through the house to see the ordered use of space, relative access of male and female within households, proximity of pollutant latrines to household wells & placement of water taps, drains & latrines to household wells

9 Woman to Woman Video Project cont. Coverage Keshki village (near Peshawar) Image:

10 Woman to Woman Video Project cont. The process 3 videos shot 1 st video-exemplary household, woman using filtered water & washing the hands with soap 2 nd video-a servant girl, washing pots & pans from running water using ash & not soap 3 rd video-revealing water taps placed close to latrines Videos played back to 50 women

11 Woman to Woman Video Project cont. Opportunities visual access to houses, never visited before due to clan disputes & class differences Increased interest of women engaged in filming, during return visit of project team

12 Challenges Woman to Woman Video Project cont. Women reluctant to show their videos to public health engineers & male project staff No meaningful intervention without sensitizing the decision makers

13 Woman to Woman Video Project cont. No Fault Videos - A part solution Filmed elderly women- able to lift burqa & interact more freely More influential as mother in law & mothers of sons Condemnatory tone tp daughter in laws admonishing about the wastage of water

14 Woman to Woman Video Project cont. Opportunities Project officials & gov. functionaries introduced Participatory Rural appraisal An action plan drawn Excellent opportunity for illiterate & marginalized segment of society to communicate their views to policy makers

15 Woman to Woman Video Project cont. Policy recommendations Video can be considered as the most powerful tool of empowering the rural & illiterate women Image: -video-camera-operator2.jpg

16 Case Study 3: ehomemakers-empowering Women through Home Based Income Earning (Malaysia) Target Group Poor, urban immobile women Objectives Provide a work from home solution for women to balance between work & family life Equip poor women with basic knowledge of computer & internet (Salaam Wanita) Provide info on social prejudice & self defeating mindset Image:

17 ehomemakers cont. The process 1 st three years-seven conferences on entrepreneurship & materialism by Mothers for Mothers Network Constructed Mom4Mom.com by small group of volunteers To meet the demands of community, Gov funded the e-homemakers project Creation of ehomakers.net - trilingual e- homemakers portal (offering a host of community services Image:

18 ehomemakers cont. Milestones Home guidebook , officially recognized by Ministry of Women & distributed to 20,000 readers Increased home based ventures amongst its members Generated revenue for network s sustainability by transforming business opinions of home workers Image:

19 Milestones ehomemakers cont. Since 2003, ehomemakers notes, concept attracted men. Now ratio of men to women 50:50 10,000 members of ehomemakers, 10,500 unique visitors, 28,000hits, 100,000 page views

20 ehomemakers cont. Policy recommendations Can be replicated with the government s support There is a need to translate the ICT content into local language

21 Case Study 4: Foundation of Occupational Development (FOOD): Inter-city Marketing Network for Women Micro-entrepreneurs (India) Target Group Self help women groups in chenai Objectives Use technology to build social networking amongst the poor Image:

22 FOOD cont. Coverage 100 self help women groups ( women) The process CBOs trained in marketing and use of social capital short listed products circulated to help in assessing demand for products in the city cell phones given to facilitate contact between production and marketing groups

23 FOOD cont. The process Training in Marketing and networking shanties regular meetings between buyers and the producers financial sustainability-each women group contribution Rs. 5000

24 FOOD cont. Milestones Active members earn a profit of between 500-2,000 rupees /per month over 300 groups involved in network network enabled women (in the groups) to increase their margins, volume of sales & marketing reach into new urban areas

25 FOOD cont. Lessons learnt use of cell phone allowed women groups to extend their reach women spends profit for the welfare of the whole family project encouraged disabled women to participate in the business process

26 Conclusions Information inequality Need to understand and transform the technology to people s needs Information versus knowledge Usage of ICTs - world. structure of power in the Political will and understanding of gender issues in the ICTs arena.

27 Thank you!