English: Cyber dialogue summary for 30 November 2011, Gender and ICTs

16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM ON GENDER VIOLENCE

Date: 30 November 2011

Theme: Gender and ICTs

Facilitator: Saeanna Chingamuka (GL GMDC Manager) and Shuvai Busuman Nyoni, GL Gender Justice Manager

Question one: How can women from your community benefit from having access to ICT’s?

• It increases their participation in the civic, social, political and economic processes critical to achieving change.
• Exposure to information, be it about rights,how to access resources etc.
• Enables us to communicate with our leaders about our needs.
• They are able to carry out their productive, reproductive and community roles; to conduct their bussineses; to work in the ICT industry; to find resources for themselves, their families, their work and their communities; and to have a voice in their lives, their community, their government and the larger world.
• They are able to realise their human rights including the right to communicate.

Question two: What valuable innovations or insights or economic changes are women missing out on when they have no access?

• Women in rural areas have no access to gender equality issues because they have no access to ICT’s.
• Concentration of ICT’s in the urban areas limits the accessibility of new technologies for women because many poor women in developing countries live in rural areas.
• Enabling broader access will enhance womens participation in societal and developmental proccesses.

Question three: Those who have access to ICT’s, how has that affected your life? Has it made it better or worse?

• The issue of safety, especially around children and youths; exposure to pornograph, luring young people for sex and trafficking.
• Access has made it better for me, Idid not know much about issues affecting our country, I can send a message anywhere and recieve instant feedback.
• If ICT’s are not embraced development in countries will lag behind so it is important.
• Many people have cellphones which are being used to access different kinds of information.
• Cellphones have proved to be a good way of disserminating information although sometimes it is limited to urban areas.
• It is has not changed peoples lives due to the fact that its expensive to access.
• Technologies need to be monitored in order to effectively use them as they can bring harm although they are good.
• They contribute to immorality and extramarrital affairs as a down side.
• It has made the world an accesible global village where one can access information.

 Question four: What kind of ICT’s are available in your community? Please give some examples.

• Computers and internet .
• Mobile banking via the MPESA system in Kenya.
• Radios, televisions and cellphones, sms platforms.
• An NGO called NYDT in Zimbabwe allows the youth to come to their offices and use internet services.
• An sms service in Kenya called Mfarm developed by a young woman notifys farmers on the prices of crops from various markets.

Question five: How can the police and other organisations use ICT’s?

• Extensive education inorder to effectively use ICT’s.
• Create avenues for ICT’s to be useful in people’s lives.
• Basic computer training to semi literate women as well as technical training to enhance women’s employment opportunities.
• Availability of financial resources to train and educate on use of ICT’s.
• Sensitisation in various ways.
• Change in attitude towards technology.
• Find ways in which ICT’s can be use in local languages to maximise benefits.