Can the Internet Empower Women?
Date: January 1, 1970
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The author argues that the Internet is a symbol of capitalism and of globalisation, but also a tool with tantalising possibilities for advancing women?s rights.
The author argues that the Internet is a symbol of capitalism and of globalisation, but also a tool with tantalising possibilities for advancing women?s rights.
This article may be used in training to:
Spark debates on the pros and cons of IT for advancing gender justice.
Trainer’s notes
A good way to get this discussion going is to start with a provocative statement such as: “It is more important to build dirt roads in rural Africa than to try and make the information super highway accessible to women.” Then look into the arguments that Alloo puts forward, such as the possibility of African women creating their own content; the need to create a “woman’s cyber culture”; that if women shun the Internet they are likely to be even further marginalized; and the need to harness IT to reduce historically created inequalities.
Some training exercises
1) Send participants out to the nearest cyber café. How many women and how many men are using the Internet? How many older women do you find? What can you conclude concerning the “digital divide”?
2) Type in the words Africa, women and the Internet on google and see how many references you find, compared to women and the Internet, for example. What can you conclude?
3) Conduct an impromptu debate on the pros and cons of the Internet for advancing the rights of African women.
Click here for additional training resources and information. Refer to fact sheet eight.
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