Dr. (Mrs.) Wunmi Hassan, PhD President/CEO High Tech Centre for Nigerian Women and Youths (Non-Governmental Organisation) At Commonwealth Telecommunication Organisation Broadband Conference, Abuja. 16-17, June, 2015 +234-8034241874, reachaoh@yahoo.co.uk
OUTLINE Brief on High Tech Centre for Nigerian Women and Youths NGO Preamble Technology and Social Inclusion The Gender Digital Divide Empowering Women in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) Options and Forward Looking Concluding Remarks 2
About High Tech Centre
Vision To see every Nigeria woman and youth become ICT literate and be able to use ICTs for National development. Mission Empowering women and youth through ICT for research, entrepreneurial development, competitive advantages and National development Objectives Capacity building IT literacy Empowerment Networking Collaboration and partnership
How we operate Capacity building Core team (4-5 Staffs) - Volunteers Resource persons - Tertiary institutions - IT companies Partnerships Government Agencies (NCC, NITDA, Federal and State Ministries, etc) OPS (OMATEK, MICRO ACCESS, etc International (IREX-Beyond Access, IAAN, At Large ICAAN)
Preamble "Those who are members of society, and those who are marginalized from society, have a great need for each other's gifts. The sand of ordinary life is lived in community where people spend their days doing very ordinary things. They write, talk on telephones, teach children, play with babies, wash dishes, go for walks, read books, and cry on each other's shoulders. All of this happens in ordinary places on commonplace streets, all the time, everywhere. This very commonness is a real gift, a real benefit not to be ignored. The gift of surviving and growing through change belongs to the outcast. Living on the margin either bums you out and kills you, or it turns you into a dreamer, someone who really knows what sort of change will help and who can just about taste it; someone who is prepared to do anything to bring about change. If these dreamers are liberated, if they are brought back into the arms of society, they become the architects of the new community; a community that has a new capacity to support everyone's needs and interactions." Jack Pearpoint Technology Inclusion must be carefully integrated into communities especially for women so that its use is positively maximised for desired Change. 7
Technology and Social Inclusion Technology and Social Inclusion now beyond the limited view of haves and have-nots of information and communication technologies (ICTs). Ability to access, adapt, and create knowledge using information and communication technologies is critical to social inclusion. Focus shift from the "digital divide" To: identifying social gaps to be overcome by providing equipment social development challenges to be addressed through the effective integration of technology into communities, institutions, and societies. What is most important is not so much the physical availability of computers and the Internet but rather people's ability to make use of those technologies to engage in meaningful social practices. ICT is an Empowering Technology If rightly deployed by Women or anyone, it leads to productivity, improvements and prosperity of Individual, Organizational, Society at National and Global levels. 8
ICTs for Empowering Women Technologies that supports activities involving the creation, storage, manipulation and communication of information, together with the related methods, management and application. It encompasses modern technologies such as computers, telecommunications, facsimile and microelectronics. technologies that provide access to information through telecommunications. 9
ICTs This includes the Internet, wireless networks, cell phones, Television, Radios, and other communication mediums. They are technologies that determine the efficiency and effectiveness with which we communicate and the devices that allow us to handle information. 10
Technology Inclusion Issues in Nigeria Nigeria's stated Government priority To turn Nigeria into tech hub and tech leader of Africa NITDA Supply of ICT Infrastructure to all LGAs USPF, NITDA & NCC Ensuring telecommunications services is better and easily accessed NCC Good Governance and ICT Deployment for Service Delivery at all Levels NIGCOMSAT, NITDA, etc Women and Girls empowerment in ICT (Tech Girls,etc) FMCT, NGOs To achieve all stated and more, Nigeria needs to have ICT-educated and ICTenabled population. This is not yet the case as at today. People need to have both access to technology and someone who helps them with technology usage 11
Nigeria Internet Usage Nigeria Year (July 1) Internet Users** User Growth New Users Country Population Population Change Penetration (% of Pop. with Internet) Country's Share of World Population Country's Share of World Internet Users Global Rank 2014* 67,101,452 16% 9,365,590 178,516,904 2.82% 37.59% 2.46% 2.30% 8 2013* 57,735,862 4% 2,229,563 173,615,345 2.83% 33.26% 2.42% 2.13% 8 2012 55,506,299 19% 8,826,250 168,833,776 2.83% 32.88% 2.38% 2.20% 8 2011 46,680,049 22% 8,350,181 164,192,925 2.81% 28.43% 2.35% 2.04% 10 2010 38,329,867 23% 7,253,663 159,707,780 2.78% 24.00% 2.31% 1.87% 10 2009 31,076,204 30% 7,094,603 155,381,020 2.76% 20.00% 2.27% 1.76% 10 2008 23,981,601 141% 14,017,018 151,208,080 2.73% 15.86% 2.24% 1.53% 15 2007 9,964,584 25% 2,017,720 147,187,353 2.70% 6.77% 2.21% 0.73% 19 2006 7,946,863 60% 2,992,743 143,314,909 2.67% 5.55% 2.17% 0.68% 19 2005 4,954,121 183% 3,204,983 139,585,891 2.64% 3.55% 2.14% 0.48% 19 2004 1,749,138 136% 1,008,744 135,999,250 2.60% 1.29% 2.11% 0.19% 20 2003 740,394 79% 326,278 132,550,146 2.57% 0.56% 2.08% 0.10% 20 2002 414,116 266% 300,836 129,224,641 2.56% 0.32% 2.06% 0.06% 20 2001 113,280 44% 34,540 126,004,992 2.55% 0.09% 2.03% 0.02% 20 2000 78,740 60% 29,563 122,876,727 2.54% 0.06% 2.01% 0.02% 20 * estimate ** Internet User = individual who can access the Internet at home, via any device type and connection. Source: Internet Live Stats (www.internetlivestats.com) Elaboration of data by International Telecommunication Union (ITU), World Bank, and United Nations Population Division 12
The Communities There are several development issues facing women. Poverty; Social and physical infrastructure; Social barriers ; Capacities of people through education Access to good quality education; Below subsistence levels, etc. Solution lies in awareness, empowering people and providing opportunities for development All these need appropriate technology & communication support. 13
How to Reach the Hard to Reach Who are they??? 14
Options for Developing our Societies A need for a universally accessed venue by everyone is imperative i.e. a sustainable venue. Such ideal venue are public libraries. There are 316 public libraries in Nigeria. If we make them tech hubs with access to ICT and with ICT-competent staff who can help people with technology, it will help Nigeria to become a tech hub Beyond Access have started doing just that As a global movement and in coalition with USPF, NITDA, 5 NGOs and public libraries Please join Beyond Access with US - NGOs to turn libraries into ICTenabling hubs, and achieve the Nigeria set goals 15
Interventions So far with Women & Youths through Libraries 16
Interventions So far with Women & Youths through Libraries Kaduna, Anambra & FCT 17
Action Plan: Role Players GOVERNMENT PRIVATE SECTOR / ORGANISATIONS HIGH TECH CENTRE INDIVIDUALS 18
Conclusions Harness the ICT Technologies delivering the right information, to the right people in the right place and time, in the right way, avoiding haziness. We all have the power to listen to voices that are seldom heard. If we choose to make the time, to learn to listen, and to struggle with the pain and frustration that disempowered people feel, we will see new visions, feel new energy, and find hope in our future. There is power in the powerless. We can be catalysts, or encrusted residue. The choice is ours.
THANK YOU! 20