Articles & Research on Women and Information Technology

This section links you to current articles and research on women using, developing and making technology. We also include articles on gender and ICTs.

Telecoms agency for SA’s poor samples Highlife
01/10/2008 Lesley Stones Business Day
A CASH-STRAPPED agency designed to take telecommunications into poor areas has been criticised for spending R281000 on an advertorial

A CASH-STRAPPED agency designed to take telecommunications into poor and rural areas has been criticised for spending R281000 on an advertorial in a British Airways in-flight magazine. The Universal Service and Access Agency of SA often complains that the government gives it too little money to take voice and data services to everyone. Yet it spent E 29000 on an article and advert in the December to January edition of Highlife.

Click here: Business Day, MYBoardband

DoC: Telecoms costs too high
12/11/2007 My Broadband
The Department of Communications says that the ‘high cost to communicate’ remains a challenge. In its recent Annual Report presentation in parliament the Department of Communications (DoC) said that while costs are coming down the high cost to communicate remains a challenge for the department. The DoC further highlighted issues like broadband infrastructure, the low level of ICT usage by Government, businesses and citizens and the limited local content development capacity as other challenges.

Click here: http://mybroadband.co.za/

Digital Migration Policy
11/14/2007 South African Department of Communications
The digital migration of the broadcasting systems concerns the move away from analogue to digital technologies. It is connotative of time for society to adapt to the digital environment as a critical policy consideration. The length of time to migrate to the digital environment will be determined by political, economic, cultural and social factors. One of the objects of the overarching policy presented in this document is to identify these factors in general and to contextualise them to the realities of South Africa.

This document presents the government policy position on the digital migration of broadcasting systems. The document identifies several policy positions pertinent to the migration of broadcasting systems to the digital environment. The rationale of the policy is not only technological inevitalism associated with digital technologies. The overarching policy is fore grounded on the fundamental structural shifts that manifest the co evolution of technology and society. Over and above the overarching policy is also fore grounded on the realities of the South Africa as a developing nation within the challenges that face the Continent of Africa within the global context.

Click here: http://www.digitalmigration.gov.za/

Women in the Information and Communication Sector in South Africa
11/09/2007 Tina James (editor), Natasha Primo, Ronel Smith, Joan Roodt, Nina Evans
This study was commissioned by the Embassy of Finland in South Africa as part of a larger study to investigate mechanisms
for stimulating the increased participation of women in high-level ICT skills in South Africa. This report forms
Part 2 of three documents and presents a snapshot of the situation of women in high-level Information and Communication
Technologies (ICTs) in South Africa. The  ndings are based primarily on desktop research carried out during the period February to July 2006, strengthened by consultations with selected South African experts and key players. During South Africa’s recent past women of all races were barred from achieving their full economic potential due to both legislative and non-legislative discrimination. As a result few women hold senior positions in government and industry. In 2002 women accounted for only 9 percent of all directors in South Africa and 21 percent of management.
This trend was also evident in the ICT industry, where only about 20 percent of the current ICT work force is female.
Only 0.9 percent of IT industry managers are African women with coloured and Indian women accounting for 0.6
percent and 1 percent respectively. A more recent ICT skills audit, conducted in 2005 1, indicates that there has been
very positive movement in changing the demographics of available human resources in the ICT sector. It is however
of concern that the numbers of degreed professionals and those with higher tertiary quali cations are declining.
Likewise the demographics at managerial and supervisory levels in the ICT sector still continue to show large discrepancies
between men and women, and a predominance of white males2. Addressing this imbalance in order to ensure full participation of women in ICT is crucial - the ICT industry is seen as one of the key drivers of the South African economy and the ICT sector has been identi ed as one of the key sectors by the South African government through its various national initiatives.

Click here: Meraka Institute

Go, Ivy, go! Communications gets cracking
06/14/2007 Guy Berger
Commentators have often called for Dr Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri to go, meaning that she should exit her position as Minister of Communications. It hasn't happened. Instead, she's got going in a different way. Her Department of Communications is now trotting along at a respectable pace that can only be good news for the internet and associated media growth in South Africa. This is despite its disputes with Post Office personnel, and its website still having too many dead links. It is also despite delays in the promised broadcasting digital migration policy that was due to be gazetted three weeks back.

Click here: Mail & Gaurdian, MyBroadband

TELECENTRES, ACCESS AND DEVELOPMENT: Experience and Lessons from Uganda and South Africa
11/02/2006 Sarah Parkinson
This study examines the role that shared access centres play in government strategies to provide universal access to information and communication technologies (ICTs). It also aims to shed light on the external factors that affect the performance of these centres. The analysis draws on the experiences of South Africa and Uganda in 2003, at the policy and community levels. Both countries have policies regarding universal access and have taken steps to achieve their policy goals.

In this study, shared access centres are understood to exist in the context of a broader universal access policy, which is itself embedded in a national development policy framework. They are affected, and sometimes directly created, by policy and implementation processes, and involve a variety of actors at the local, national and international levels. Key actors include licensed telecommunication operators, regulators, donor agencies and local professionals.

The book is available online.

Click here: IDRC

Free/open source software (FOSS) policy in Africa: a toolkit for policy-makers and practitioners
01/15/2006 Bridges.org
This Toolkit provides relevant background and related resources specifically targeted to support policy-making in Africa. The toolkit promotes an approach that aligns FOSS policy and strategy with broader objectives for social and economic development. The toolkit is split in two parts.

The main report provides a broad overview of how FOSS fits into national ICT policy-making, outlines the areas where governments can take policy decision related to FOSS as well as some of the possible approaches, and lists activities related to FOSS policy from across Africa. It recommends an approach to FOSS policy-making linked to national development goals. It discusses some of the main development goals, and provides direction on how to move from theory to practice. The report part of the toolkit is split into three modules, which represent different steps in the policy-making process.


Click here: Bridges

Study: Freedom of Information Laws
02/05/2004 UNESCO
UNESCO has published a study of freedom of information laws that examines best practices in 10 countries. Written by ARTICLE 19 Law Programme Director Toby Mendel, "Freedom on Information: A Comparative Legal Survey" analyses laws in Bulgaria, India, Japan, Mexico, Pakistan, South Africa,Sweden, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The study that is available at http://www.article19.org/docimages/1707.pdf
examinex international standards and trends, and outlines nine principles governing effective freedom-of-information laws. The survey also looks at the public disclosure policies of two international institutions - the United Nations evelopment Programme and the World Bank.

Click here: UNESCO

Mugabe cracks down on Internet
12/15/2003 Basildon Peta
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's embattled regime is planning drastic new measures to control all broadcast and internet-based information, reports say. The move comes barely a day after Mugabe accused Britain of using the internet as its new tool in trying to recolonise the Third World.

Media organisations in Zimbabwe now fear that the government could soon move to regulate their internet websites, which would deal another heavy blow to freedom of expression in the country. The Mugabe government has already shut down the only independent daily newspaper in the country, the Daily News.


Click here: Independent Online

WSIS Gender Caucus
07/10/2003
The WSIS Gender Caucus consists of representatives of organisations that responded to an invitation by UNIFEM to contribute to ensuring that gender dimensions are included in the process of defining and creating a Global Information Society that contributes to sustainable development and human security.

Click here: WOUGNET Gender Caucus webpage

WSIS NGO Gender Strategies Working Group (WN-GSWG)
07/10/2003
The NGO Gender Strategies Working Group was formed at the first WSIS PrepCom Meeting in Geneva in July 2002 as one of the sub-committees of the Civil Society Coordinating Group (CSCG). The groups involved in this effort are: the African Women's Development and Communications Network (FEMNET), Agencia Latino Americana de Informacion, Association for Progressive Communication-Women's Networking Support Programme, International Women's Tribune Centre, and Isis International-Manila.



Click here: Gender Working Group Website

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)
07/10/2003
The World Summit on the Information Society will provide a unique opportunity for all key stakeholders to assemble at a high-level gathering and to develop a better understanding of this revolution and its impact on the international community. It aims to bring together Heads of State, Executive Heads of United Nations agencies, industry leaders, non-governmental organizations, media representatives and civil society in a single high-level event. The roles of the various partners (Member States, UN specialized agencies, private sector and civil society) in ensuring smooth coordination of the practical establishment of the information society around the globe will also be at the heart of the Summit and its preparation.
The official website has basic information as well as some useful documents and links.

Click here: WSIS

Telecenters and the Gender Dimension: an Examination of How Engendered Telecenters are Diffused in Africa
05/11/2003 Johnson, K.
Telecenters have become an important component to development programs that seek to narrow the digital and knowledge divides that exist throughout the world. Despite the proliferation of telecenters throughout Africa, women continue to be cut off from essential info-communication resources that could improve their lives. This thesis examines the relationship between gender differences, telecenter design and women's accessibility to information and communication technologies (ICTs). By examining how these elements interact in the context of the diffusion model, this thesis suggests that the incorporation of the gender dimension into telecenter designs can enhance the diffusion of engendered telecenters, thereby increasing women's access to ICTs and improving their ability to contribute to the evolution of Africa"s information society.

Click here: Siyanda The Communication, Culture and Technology Program (CCT), Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Georgetown University

Overcoming the Gender Digital Divide: Understanding ICTs and their Potential for the Empowerment of Women
04/11/2003 Huyer, S. and Sikoska, T.
The "gender digital divide" is used to describe the existing inequalities and biases in access to and use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) by women and men. The fact that ICTs have so far been predominantly designed and created within male-dominated environments and that ICT policies are usually formulated by male policy-makers has contributed to this divide. Yet ICTs, when appropriately harnessed, also hold great potential for women's empowerment on an individual level (better self-esteem, increased confidence and more career opportunities) as well as on a collective level (improving their advocacy, lobbying and networking activities). This paper synthesizes major research findings contained in the five background papers commissioned by the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (UN INSTRAW). The report explores the leading approaches to maximising the potential of ICTs for women's empowerment, examines the social context of technology, and identifies the main structural barriers to women's access and use of ICTs. Strategies are proposed to overcome these barriers and empower women through ICTs. Priority among them is the need for women's groups to share experiences and knowledge to strengthen their lobbying skills, and to gain expertise in engendering the ICT policy-making and regulation process.

Click here: Siyanda (INSTRAW)

Putting Gender on the Agenda of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)
01/11/2003 Walker, A.
Through this power point presentation, the author provides a short but comprehensive overview of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), scheduled to take place in December 2003. She also outlines how gender issues will be integrated into the WSIS process by various gender advocates. The different stages of the Summit are explained and a timeline presented of the regional preparatory meetings and the three international preparatory conferences (PrepComs I, II and III) which lead up to the WSIS. The author then gives an overview of those taking part in the event including UN agencies, governments, Civil Society actors and the private sector, with a focus on the WSIS Gender Caucus, the NGO Gender Strategies working group and the Civil Society plenary. The presentation is being constantly updated until the WSIS takes place. We recommend that you print this document before reading it.

Click here: Siyanda, APC WNSP

See No Evil: How Internet Filters Affect the Search for Online Health Information
12/01/2002 Victoria Rideout, MA, Caroline Richardson, Ph.D., and Paul Resnick, Ph.D.
Concern has been raised as to whether Internet filters block young people’s access to non-pornographic health information. Despite prolonged and impassioned debate about the potential impact of blocking software, there is surprisingly little empirical evidence regarding blocking errors, particularly as they might affect access to health information. Most reports
have been anecdotal rather that systematic in nature and have not focused on health searches in particular.

Click here: Kaiser Family Foundation

The Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) as a Tool to Bridge the Gender Digital Gap: A Case on the Use of a Locally-Developed CD-ROM by Rural Women in Uganda
09/11/2002 Mijumbi, R.
The majority of rural women in Africa have limited or no schooling and usually only speak their local languages. This constrains their capacity to benefit from ICT initiatives which require computer and educational literacy and the ability to understand English. Therefore, ICT projects targeting rural communities in Africa need to address this issue through use of appropriate technologies. The report assesses an innovative project that involved developing a CD-ROM for rural women in Uganda by the International Women's Tribune Centre (IWTC) entitled "Rural Women in Africa: Ideas for Earning Money". The CD-ROM is an interactive, audio-visual learning tool in the local language that targets rural women interested in income-generation projects. Results from using the CD-Rom were mixed. Some women found that it lacked detailed information on how to establish the projects mentioned in its chapters, while others found that the information included in the CD Rom was incomplete. However, the overall assessment seemed to indicate that when mobilized and with consistent access to computers (through Telecentres for example), women would be willing to use the CD-Rom and to benefit from its content.

Click here: Siyanda UN International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women

Gender, ICTs and Agriculture: A Situation Analysis for the 5th Consultative Expert Meeting of CTA’s ICT Observatory meeting on Gender and Agriculture in the Information Society
08/11/2002 Hafkin, N. and Odame, H.
How can resource-poor rural women in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) use Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to improve their agricultural production, food processing and food provision? This paper analyses the situation of gender, ICTs and agriculture in ACP nations, through identifying opportunities and challenges to rural women's effective use of these technologies. The report provides an overview of gender and ICT concerns in these countries, along with an extensive survey of key organizations and initiatives dealing with gender and ICTs. These include innovative projects on information exchange, access provision, rural income generation, ICT skills training for micro enterprise development, rural Telecenters, wireless connectivity, rural radio and ICT-assisted education. The paper also analyzes gender-related projects implemented by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) ACP-EU and proposes actions for including gender concerns in CTA's work. Priority among them is promoting research, training and capacity building, and access to ICTs, as well as increasing networking and exchange of experiences.

Click here: Siyanda (Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU)

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and their Impact on and use as an Instrument for the Advancement and Empowerment of Women
07/11/2002 Marcelle, G.
When used effectively, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can be a powerful tool for women's empowerment. They can create better opportunities for women to exchange information, gain access to on-line education and to engage in e-commerce activities. Yet to date, many women worldwide are still not fully able to benefit from using these tools. This is often due to lack of connectivity, inadequate access, illiteracy, and to language and behavioural barriers, among other obstacles. This report is a summary of an on-line discussion held by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women (UN DAW) in June/July 2002 on "ICTs and their Impact on and Use as a Tool for the Advancement of Women". It was organised in preparation for an Expert Group Meeting on the same topic in November 2002. The paper highlights successful case studies from many countries on the use of ICTs as a tool for economic empowerment, participation in public life, and for enhancing women's skills and capabilities. It also explores strategies to integrate a gender perspective into national ICT policies. The report ends with a call to all stakeholders to work on improving connectivity, access to ICT skills training and eliminating negative behavioural attitudes to women's full engagement with ICTs

Click here: Siyanda, Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW), International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and United Nations ICT Task Force Secretariat