Women, ICT and Economic Growth
Digital divide means dividing the world and countries into those
with a growing access to information and into those with decreasing
access to information through the use of information and communication
technology (ICT). Women as labor force or entrepreneurs are hit
strongly by the digital divide. As a growing part of labor force
and economy, women need training, access to information and financial
resources so that they can enhance and benefit from the use of ICT
in new economy.
Women in
New Economy
The mission of SDS/ICT is to promote the use of information technology
in a sustainable, efficient and equitable way.. It is important
to enhance opportunities for women as skilled labor and entrepreneurs
to have access to information, and to acquire knowledge through
information technology tools that will contribute to reduce the
digital and economic gaps between genders.
To enhance
women's capacity to become full members of the new economy, the
following aspects are relevant:
- access
to the ICT technology : to provide access to the use of ICTs
through community centers or business centers in a country
- training
to use the ICT technology: training in the use of ICTs for the
business or ICT business or work
- to provide
information services; information of business, markets and training
- access
to financing and starting an enterprise: to provide training
for women entrepreneurs in financing and how to start a business
- to provide
legal, financial and technological backstopping for small and
medium enterprises, particularly women
- to enhance
flexible economy locally: to strengthen the capacity of small
and medium enterprises, particularly women, in local economy,
- to strengthen
government policy to support small and medium entrepreneurs.
Initiatives
on Women and IT
Women and
ICT Training Project
ICT is planning
to conduct a pilot training project collaborating with women small
and medium entreprise- institutions in the region. Based on interview
and survey, the project will create a methodology (program) to
train women entrepreneurs in IT/Internet area and monitor and
evaluate the results. The successful training program will be
replicated to the other part of the country and the region.
PROLEAD
The purpose
of the Program for the Support of Women's Leadership and Representation
(PROLEAD) is to contribute to increasing women's citizen participation
and access to leadership positions in public and civic life in
Latin America and the Caribbean.
Proceeding the mid-term evaluation of the PROLEAD in Buenos Aires
in May, 2000, PROLEAD conducted a survey on Information Technology
collaborating with IDU (former SDS/SDP/ICT). The result of analysis
of the survey was presented in the meeting and a small workshop
was conducted based on the result. The survey showed that women
leaders in PROLEAD strongly believed the importance of the IT
for women, particularly in the area of empowerment. With IT and
Internet, women can communicate each other, exchange and gather
information that will empower women. The only concern that was
shown in the survey was that in particular society such as indigenous
communities where women's social status is extremely low, the
empowerment of women with IT may cause conflicts between men and
women and even would encourage violence.
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