I strongly believe that there is a correlation in the societies that take care of their environments and how they are sensitive in addressing gender issues. The reverse is true for societies that are not keen in conserving thier surrounds.

I have posted this article for the sake of my argument:

Let women ‘turn on’ the computer
Published on September 15, 2007, 12:00 am
By Dennitah Ghati
During the past decade, global communications have changed dramatically.
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are now vital components of life. For the first time, there is an opportunity for those outside the centre of power to have a say in decision-making.
Now, people living in remote villages can bring their perspectives, viewpoints, and experience to the global marketplace of ideas and knowledge.
The most prominent and revolutionary feature of ICTs is their ability to eliminate the barriers of time and space, which have effectively silenced millions of people.
However, if Africans, and especially women and girls are to become fully integrated into the global communication revolution, they require basic level of technical knowledge. More dauntingly, they need full commitment to their development.
Given the capacity of ICTs to access, transfer and apply knowledge and information to almost every aspect of human engagement, women are increasingly being recognised for their potential to carry new global knowledge base economy. The continuous growth of new technologies and their application to social, economic and political processes is creating new opportunities that could enhance quality of life. These days there is e-learning, e-commerce, e-governance and e-everything! These are new concepts that are revolutionising the continent. Unfortunately it is becoming apparent that the benefits of these new developments are not evenly distributed within countries, and between genders.
Women who form a large chunk of the rural poor and illiterate in a developing country like Kenya, face more restrictions than men in the use of ICTs.
Domestic obligations and various social barriers often prevent women from grasping opportunities of new technologies, particularly if the activity involves leaving home, spending household income, or interacting with men in socially complex situations.
With the high poverty levels, women are busy looking for their families’ next bread, and have no time for technologies. There is also lack of interest in investing resources directed at meeting the needs of women. The great potential of ICTs therefore, remains inaccessible to many women and girls.
Similarly, the ICT profession around the world is predominantly male. In schools, the number of girls who take keen interest in ‘tough’ subjects like maths, chemistry or physics is also low.
A research, "Gender Digital Divide in Francophone Africa", indicates that the girl youth has one chance in three less than boys to benefit from the African Information Society. It is even daunting for the girl child in war torn countries.
The forthcoming UN Global Forum on Youth and ICT4D in Geneva, Switzerland, will focus on actively engaging youth in debates and discussions with policy makers.
Many hope girls and ICT will be one of the agendas.
The African Network for Health Knowledge Management & Communication (AfriAfya) in Kenya has incorporated deliberate efforts to promote equal gender representation in all its ICT related programming.
Among the most important approaches to overcome women’s access and use of ICTs is to ensure a gender perspective in ICT based projects.
In addition, technologies sensitive to women’s needs should be designed. Deeper research is needed to determine the status of women in the ICT sector and the gender impact of ICT policy development, among others.
Special efforts must be made for over 85 per cent of youth in Africa to establish connectivity. Given the rapid developments in wireless technology that has helped overcome distance and topography, at a reasonable cost.
Though there is no consensus that ICTs have an immediate role in African development, the gender divide is a key facet. Hence policy-makers and ICT stakeholders should take the lead and consider cultural aspects of each community.
It is unfortunate even as many countries develop their information and technology policies a gender perspective is largely absent.
Lastly, the UN, policy makers, development partners and other stakeholders should put pressure on African governments to engender their ICT policies if Africa is to develop and achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
The writer, a Ford Foundation IFP Kenya alumni works for the African Network for Health Knowledge Management & Communication, Nairobi.
Adapted from Standard Newspaper

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