TECHNOLOGY-AFRICA:
Women Find Reason for Optimism in Internet Usage
James Hall
GRAHAMSTOWN, South Africa, Sep 18 (IPS) - Slowly, but effectively, the
Internet is empowering women in Africa to follow events as they have never
witnessed before. The latest case in point is the women in Somalia who have
been following their country's peace talks in neighbouring Kenya via
Internet usage.
"Women in Somalia could not attend that nation's peace talks. They
learned of developments via the Horn of Africa Regional Women's Knowledge
Network (HAWKNET) on the web, and through this source they became 'virtual
participants' in the event. They then passed on their knowledge through
their communities, and their reports were more timely and trusted than those
broadcast on the state media," says Atieno Aluoch, a delegate at the World
Summit on Information Society (WSIS) to be held in Geneva in December.
Another initiative, the Women's Net Pilot Project in the Limpopo Province
of South Africa has also gotten women involved in Information and
Communication Technologies (ICT).
"Training and, just as important, motivation, is provided to women," says
Aluoch.
Women involved in high-profile positions in the so-called New Media of
Internet and satellite technologies, met in Grahamstown, South Africa, last
week, to discuss gender imbalance in Africa's emerging Information Society,
and found reason for optimism in the solutions they proposed.
"What is needed is access, so women can get their hands on computers and
learn the technology," Zamambo Mkize, the General Manager of South Africa
Broadcasting Corporation told IPS.
Mkize spoke at the African Highway information summit held at Rhodes
University. Tackling the question, "Is the African Information Society a
'men's only' party?" she conceded, "It is true that Africa has been steeped
in patriarchal values that have led inevitably to male leadership roles in
every aspect of society, including those that affect women's lives, like the
media."
Patrician Litho, a board member of Uganda's Media Women's Association,
was blunter, "Africa's Information Society is specifically excluding women."
Usually, women's roles in computer and Internet have been restricted to
lower-level positions, delegates said. The few women who have achieved top
ranks in Africa's media society at the Grahamstown conference felt that
Africa's inability to tap into the potential of its women has hampered
development of New Media in the same way that gender imbalance has hindered
economic, agricultural, social and educational development.
"Correcting this imbalance is a process. Women in power already must
pull other women up, and use the media to showcase the talents and
accomplishments of women," suggested Mkize.
But the women ICT specialists agreed that the argument should be shifted
away from noting social and economic discrimination to practical ways and
tangible action to correct imbalances.
"The barriers to women in New Media must be systematically broken down.
Low literacy and lack of skills must be addressed through education.
Inadequate access to resources must be addressed through government policy.
There is also a need to involve women in drafting such policies," said
Atieno
The WSIS, which will produce a global information policy binding
signatory countries to establish legislation to implement the agreement, is
aware of the need to bring African women into the information age. "Women's
rights will be included in national and international media policy, with
attention paid to women's voices and contributions," Aluoch said.
"If we could get access to ICT, we could communicate with each other
easily through e-mail. Women are proven entrepreneurs. Internet can be
another useful tool," Amanda Singleton, an executive with Telkom
Communications in South Africa, told IPS.
Singleton prioritised general education and poverty alleviation as
preconditions for women's advancement in the information society. "We
cannot hope to give women access to the New Media with poverty lingering.
Getting a phone line and computer when that person doesn't have running
water or electricity is putting the cart before the horse. Education is the
key to ICT usage," she said.
Expanding women's decision-making roles in what news and information is
disseminated will go far to ending gender imbalance, conference delegates
felt.
"It's not a mater of putting in women for the sake of putting in a woman,
but giving equal opportunity for women who have capacity," said Litho.
By capacity, she means women who have developed the management and
technical skills to administer or head companies. Once capacity is
achieved, acceptance must be facilitated in the business world that hires
executives.
"Now it is a matter of building capacity. We need training programmes,
and companies willing to help women achieve the skills needed," Litho said.
The goal, she said, "is women ownership of the media. We look at things
a certain way. On the issue of HIV/AIDS, for example, there is a women's
perspective that needs to be heard on family planning, condom use, AIDS
testing and counseling, and other issues.
"Putting women in decision making positions is important so that women's
issues in general are considered. This won't be at the expense of male
points of view, but it is needed to correct an imbalance," she said.
"I am concerned with the ownership of the media," agreed Mkize. "The
person who controls the dissemination of information controls the very
thought process of readers. Women have essentially become passive
recipients of information. We need to decide more on what is broadcast and
put over the Internet." (END/2003)
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