Partner: IDRC, CIDA
Locale: Lahore, Faisalabad, Karachi, Hub, Hattar and Sialkot
Team Member: Nazima Shaheen
Background
The importance of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to economic development has been recognized widely during the last decade. The development promises made by the significant growth of ICTs are challenged by the so-called digital divide. The ‘digital divide’ refers to the drastic differences in levels of ICT access between different population groups. While in Pakistan during the past years, the number of mobile phone users and computer applications has been tremendously increased, rural areas are significantly underserved. A significant but largely invisible aspect of the digital divide is the gap in access to and use of ICTs between women and men, girls and boys. For Pakistan, the assessment for gender-specific ICT use and its impact on development has yet to be made.The specific objectives of the project are to measure the extent of the gender digital divide in rural Pakistan, to raise awareness about the issue and to draw lessons for appropriate technology and governance conducive for improved access of women and girls to ICTs. The research techniques include gender specific FGD’s, structured questionnaires and key informant interviews. Dissemination of the research is an important focus and will be done through a seminar series, academic presentations, trainings, policy briefs, newspaper articles etc.
Measuring the Gender Digital Divide in Rural Pakistan
ICTs for Women’s Empowerment – Learning from Best Practices
- Malaysia: eHomemakers – Empowering Women through Home Based Income Earning
- Pakistan: Visual Anthropology – Woman to Woman Video Project
- India: Foundation of Occupational Development (FOOD): Inter-city Marketing Network for Women Micro-entrepreneurs
- Pakistan: National Commission for Human Development: Community Technology Learning Centers
- India – Datamation Foundation, UNESCO and Babul-ulm Madrassa : Community Multimedia Center at Seelampur- Zaffarabad , Delhi
- Bangladesh – Grameen: Village Phone Project
- Bangladesh – D.Net : Pallitathya Help Line (Call Center for the Poor and the Under Priviliged)
- Afghanistan – Voices for Humanity : ‘Sada’ Civic Education Project
- Morocco – Susan Schaefer Davis: Women Weavers Online
Dissemination
1. Panel “Bridging the Subcontinent’s Gender Digital Divide” during 2007 10th SDC “Sustainable Solutions: A Spotlight on South Asian Research”
- SDPI seminar“Information and Communication Technologies for Women’s Empowerment”on August 11, 2008
- Gender Digital Empowerment– Setting Context By Imran Sikandar Baloch
- SDPI Seminar Press Release
- “The great divide” Article by Imran Sikandar Baloch (The News)
- Study group meeting “Women and ICTs: Exclusion or Empowerment?” on August 13, 2009 (Click hereto view Programme)
- Presentation: “ICTs for women’s empowerment – learning from best practices” by Nazima Shaheen, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI)
- Presentation: “The Gender Digital Divide in Rural Pakistan: How wide is it & how to bridge it?” by Karin Astrid Siegmann Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI)/ISS
- Presentation: “ICT Education from a gender perspective” by Sana Shams, Center for Research in Urdu Language Processing National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences Pakistan
- Press Release of Study Group Meeting
- Press Coverage (The News) “Mobile Phones Alone Can’t Empower Rural Women”
- Stakeholder Workshop “Women And ICTs: Bridging The Gender Digital Divide” August 21, Islamabad, 2009
- Workshop Programme: Women And ICTs: Bridging The Gender Digital Divide
- Action Plan: Women and ICTs: Bridging the Gender Digital Divide
- Presentation: “The Gender Digital Divide in Rural Pakistan: How wide is it & how to bridge it?” by Karin Astrid Siegmann Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI)/ISS
- Presentation: “ICTs for Women’s Empowerment – Learning from Best Practices” by Nazima Shaheen
Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) August 21, 2009
- Press Briefing Islamabad Press Club, August 24, 2009
- Training Workshop: “Empowering Women Through Information and Communication Technologies” December 16 – 17, 2009
- Training Programme
- Presentation: “Development of local radio programme” by Rafia Arshad, UKS Foundation
- Presentation: “Use of satellite phones for tele-health” by Rasheeda Panezai, MAHEC Trust
- Press release of the Training
- Panel “Women and ICTs in South Asia: Exclusion or Empowerment?” during 2009 SDPI’s 12th SDC “Fostering Sustainable Development in South Asia Responding to Challenges”
- Concept Note
- Abstract: “The gender digital divide in rural Pakistan: How wide is it and how to bridge it?” by Karin Astrid Siegmann, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI)/ISS
- Abstract: “Exploring gender gaps in rural E-Governance in India: A Case study of e-gram Suraj ( E-Rural Good Governance Scheme) scheme of Chhattisgarh state of India” by Anupama Saxena, Guru Ghasidas University Bilaspur
- Abstract: “ICTs for women empowerment: Learning from best practices” by Nazima Shaheen, Sustainable Development Institute (SDPI)
- Presentation: “Exploring Gender Gaps in Rural E-Governance : A Case Study of e-gram suraj Scheme of Chhattisgarh State of India” by Anupama Saxena, Guru Ghasidas University Bilaspu
- Awareness Raising Workshop: “Role of Information and Communication Technologies in Women’s Development” April 29, 2010
Related Links
- Bridge Overview Report “Gender and ICTs” by Anita Gurumurthy
- Dareecha
- Digits4Change
- Film “Moving mountains” on Baltistan Health & Education Foundation of Pakistan’s telemedicine project in Skardu
- Film “Weaving locally, trading globally” on KADO’s e-commerce project in Hunza
- Internews Women in Media project “Meri Awaz Suno”
- Pan Asia Networking (PAN) localization, a regional initiative to develop local language computing capacity in Asia
- Remote Patient Monitoring System with Focus on Antenatal Care project of the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (FAST-NU)
- Universal Service Fund established by the Government of Pakistan (Ministry of Information Technology)
For further details please contact:
Nazima Shaheen
Research Associate
nazima@sdpi.org
or
Karin Astrid Siegmann
Visiting Research Fellow (SDPI)
siegmann@iss.nl