E- inclusion
► The Internet has facilitated some women’s access to knowledge and information, even in countries where culture isolate women. In Saudi Arabia for example, an Internet service provider —AwalNet —has created a special branch for women surfers
 
► Improving access is about more than a few more women “logging on”. It is about ways to ensure that women who can log on, do so not only for themselves but also to transmit information from the Internet to women who cannot log on themselves
 
► Improving access is part of a broader discussion on global knowledge, which focuses attention on human development obstacles faced by lower income, education and training to gender roles and limited participation in decision-making —that impact upon their successful participation.
 
► The new technologies have made possible the inclusion of a broader spectrum of voices in policy-making. “In preparation for the General Assembly review of progress in implementing the Platform for Action, in June 2000, an effort to guarantee broad participation and input from women around the world was carried out through Women Watch, the UN Internet gateway to global information about women’s concerns, progress and equality. ”Women Watch, a joint initiative by the UN”
 

Source: (Division for the Advancement of Women (1996))
 

E-Campaign
► The Internet is an effective way to communicate with women around the world, enabling them to get information out quickly and to avoid government censorship
 
► It is especially useful for transmitting information requiring urgent action through electronic network
 
► It strengthens the communication between women in the region and international activists
► Internet has played an important role in mobilizing and focusing criticism of the rules governing the global economy, such as the proposed Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI), which was withdrawn in part because of NGO
 
► Internet campaigns. E-mail also brought together many of those who protested at the World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting in Seattle in November 1999 against the undemocratic nature of WTO deliberations. Women’s groups worldwide played an active role in both the campaign against the MAI and the NGO mobilization at the WTO meeting
 

E-Commerce
“According to the World Trade Organization, electronic commerce “can be both products which are bought and paid for over the Internet but are delivered physically, and products that are delivered as digitalized information over the Internet”  www.wto.org/wto/ecom/ecom.htm
► The Internet offers women entrepreneurs access to a wider market faster and at a lower cost than do traditional Market outlets.
 
► Women can also order products on-line. E-commerce training initiatives enable women vendors to develop relationships with interested partners and traders in many parts of the world.
 
► On-line sessions allow them to learn about marketing opportunities, explore ways to combine local and productive resources to meet large-scale demand with quality control, and even to design their own Web pages.
 
“In India, for example, the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) artisan support program works with 6,000 women artisans from the Banaskantha district north of Gujurat. Over 3000 women artisans sell their products through their outlet, Banascraft, which illustrates digital images of their products” www.banascraft.org/ banascraft/sewa.htm
► In 1998 the World Telecommunication Development Conference established a Task Force on Gender Issues in the Development Sector aimed at ensuring that the benefits are made available to all women and men in developing countries on a fair and equitable basis.
 

Percentage of Women among Internet Users , Selected Countries
Country Percentage Country Percentage
United States 51 United Kingdom 43
Canada 51 Luxembourg 42
Hong Kong 49 Venezuela 42
Thailand 49 Brazil 42
Iceland 49 Poland 42
Australia 48 Mexico 42
Sweden 48 Israel 42
Chile 47 Japan 41
Singapore 47 Philippines 41
New Zealand 46 Netherlands 41
Finland 46 South Africa 40
Rep. of Korea 45 China 39
Ireland 45 Belgium 39
Denmark 45 Switzerland 39
Czech Republic 45 France 39
Taiwan 44 Italy 37
Spain 43 Germany 37
Norway 43 Malaysia 36
Austria 43 Indonesia 35
Argentina 43    

Source : E-Commerce and Development Report 2003. UNCTAD
 
 

More Resources
►

Division for the Advancement of Women (1996) Women 2000: Women and the Information Revolution
► Quah,Danny "New Technologies–New Economy: Women as Winners?" (London: Economics Department LSE)
►

Rathgeber, Eva and Edith Ofwona Adera (eds.)(2000) Gender and the Information Revolution in Africa (Ottawa, CA: International Development Research Centre)
►

James, Jeffrey.(1999) Globalization, information technology and development (London: Macmillan Press)
 
► Internet campaigns. E-mail also brought together many of those who protested at the World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting in Seattle in November 1999 against the undemocratic nature of WTO deliberations. Women’s groups worldwide played an active role in both the campaign against the MAI and the NGO mobilization at the WTO meeting
 
  Hafkin, Nancy and Nancy Taggart (2001) Gender, Information Technology, and Developing Countries: An Analytic Study (Washington, DC: USAID)
 
  Sharma, Usha (2003) Women Empowerment Through Information Technology (New Delhi : Authors Press)