[quote="Lisa-Cespedes"] Question 2 opened on 6th July 2. When we talk about the role of gender in implementing ICT4D projects, what are some of the first steps that could be taken? [/quote] Gender issue is an important topic. Hence, when considering gender inclusive ICT4D, the following steps needs to be considered: 1) [u]Develop advocacy and communication plans[/u] to intended to raise public awareness about the importance of the gender empowerment and participation in development projects. 2) [u]Develop plans to create ICT infrastructures [/u]to create an enabling enviroment and access. 3) [u]Develop training programmes[/u] to educate, stakeholders/beneficiaries: 3.1) Trainining local leaders, religious authorities, youth organization, and government authorities 3.2) Training for women TOT's on ICT4D. 3.3) Training for women and men on how to use ICT 4) [u]Develop codes of conduct on ICT use and participation[/u], so as to ensure full gender participation 5) [u]Develop IEC materials, social marketing plans[/u] to sell ICT4D. 6) [u]Develop M&E plans with clear indicators[/u] that ensure the implementation of the planned programmes and ensures the smooth continuation of the programme. Regards

Daer All, ICT could greatly increase the gender participation when women literacy rates in developing countries increases. Low literacy impedes women from challenging male counterparts, so as to accept their participation in all aspects of social development, as equal partners as well as leaders. Therefore, giving more focus ICT programs to raise the female literacy, will reduce the exisiting situations. Moreover, using the available ICT technoligies, such as the (TV -Where applicable), community radio, and mobile phones to prpomote or encourage participation will be of great importance. Mohamed .

Dear Maureene, Mobile phones and community radio are important ICT tools, but to be usefel for all it requires people awareness and attitude change, as well as a government that support and promotes the initiative of equal use ICT infrastructures, and encourages participation from the onset. One can say that community radio, might be dominated, and influenced by one gender, but, if in the planning stage there are codes of conducts, rules and regulations and conditions set, then the end result of the project clear. Howver, the culprit can be said is how onset of the program looks like; if the main players are women, then, men will stay out and you will see the divide and vice vers. However, to avoid such a scenario, participation should be fair, equal and transparent, so that roles are shared and everyone is involved. On the other hand, the mobile phone, one can argue there is no gender divide attached to it, but, economic capacity, literacy generations gap. therefore, mobile phone, will not be an area where one can sense a gender divide, but, economic, generations and literacy gap. Nevertheless, the rural people who got exposed to mobile phone (regardless of gender) feel empowered as many of them depended on middle-men in the past, presently, almost all of the rural farmers with mobile phones contact their clients and directly arrange the product they need, the time they need and transportation. To my understanding, the combination of the ICT4D tools, will greatly benefit populations and encourage more participation, since it creates self-confidence - itfone can use computer, then when he/she touches a mobile phone will not be alienated. Therefore, combining and encouraging participation will be of great importance to the rural projects. Best regards Mohamed

Dear All, Presently I am in Thailand working with CCDKM as a consult on the telecenter projects, What experience, is a political will from the Thai government side (MICT) to create the required ICT infrastructures all over the country, with over 300 telecenters established until the end of 2009, while the grandiose plan of the MICT is to set up 1000 telecenters by end of 2010. This is is a positive development towards reducing the digital divide between urban and rural as well as poor and the rich since urban telecenters are mainly based in poor people areas. However, the problems seen inthe telecenter projects are not gender divide, but a generation gap and lack of awareness among the populations. The main reason for the gap is due to the limited promotion activities done by the telecenter operators who mainly focus on schools since there is no a nationwide communication or awareness campaign on the telecenter projects in Thailand. Hence, task of promotion and commgunication to the community where the telecenter is located is left to the operators hands, and due to the limited capacity at their disposal, they focus on the feasible actions such as involving students and encouraging the young to bring another young friend or relative most of them youn. As a result, most adults don't know about the telecenters, and those who know believe it is for the teenagers and children only, since the majority of the users who frequent the center are young. The mainly solutions to this could be a holistic approach that encompasses ICT infrastructure development, (continued) support to the telecenters as well as regular use of communication, public awareness and promotion components, until the critical mass is reached (after M&E R&D approve it) that will secure the intended goals of reducing the gap, whether gender, age, economic or literacy, among all the populations, in particular the rural. Regards Mohamed

[quote="Lisa-Cespedes"] Question 1- Opened 5th July 1. What is the importance of considering gender issues when working in ICT4D rural and agricultural projects and programmes? What are the key gender issues? [/quote] The key gender issues when working on ICT4D in rural and agricultural projects or even other development porjects are the following: [u]Key gender issues[/u] 1. [u]Illiteracy[/u]: Is the key stumbling block to rural communities, regardless of their genders. 2. [u]Low income[/u]: Is also a factor that causes people to miss joining the ICT4D projects, since they require to working long hours to get living for them and their children. 3. [u]Social setting[/u]: Is maybe a paramount problem, since in most social setting in developing countries, the females are always in the back seat, reason cultural believes, and division of labour within the society. Causing women to lag behind on the development issues. 4. [u]Lack of awareness[/u]: It is the lack of public communitcation and ignorance about the role of women in development that females are most of the time missing from development projects, [u]Suggestions[/u] a) To reduce the gender gap, Government and development organizations ensure that girls are educated and encoraged to actively participate in development project, b) To international financial institutions and donors should ensure that governmenta and other stakeholders set out to establish the necessary ICT infrastructures and monitor its implementations c) To Organizations involved in ICT4D should develop communication and awareness programmes intended to reduce the present the gender gap and influence the cultures to accept the role of women in development. Regards

Hi, ICT can reduce transaction through telebanking. (If the illitecary complex among rural residents is taken care of, through empowering with ICT itself using the mobile phone, the telecenters etc.) ICT reduces transaction costs if regular information on commodity pricing is availed to the rural people and loan systems are structured through ICT, so that it becomes important for the rural people to demand for ICT education. It also reduce transation costs by eliminating the middle-man factor. Mohamed

Hi, ICT is usefull and can play a major role when farmers are enabled. However, we mostly talk about roles and benefits that are obvious to us (interllectuals), but certainly, not known to many farmers. For example, the traditional ICT (the media) as Sameera pointed out the TV and radio, good toold, but, in reality are not accessible to many rural people in Africa. As such, ICT role might not be visible. To some areas NGOs use mobile TV screen and a video player to show rural people important farming information or techniques, but, since, most of the time the video played is in foreign language understading seems either limited of extremely low. To me the role ICT can play is more on increasing the literacy level, as a means of a new attractive technology that might attract the attention of the rural people and can be a potent tool in reducing illiteracy and increasing agricultural production. Mohamed

Hello, My name is Mohamed Alasow, I am working as a consultant with the Research Center for Communication Development and Knowledge Management (CCDKM), an academic institution in Thailand I am involved in the CCDKM efforts to support the rural telecenter development in Thailand in collaboration with the MICT and other stakeholders. Nice to be part of this important forum, that might pave the way for the active participation of female in ICT projects from onset as well as involvement of other focus groups like the rural people, the urban poor and the uneducated. Best wishes Mohamed

My name is Mr. Alasow, I am a last year Master Degree student from Kasetsart in Thailand, doing Development Communication. My Thesis is on Rural ICT.