Gender and ICTs: Empowerment of Women in Telecentres in Jamaica

1
Gender and ICTs Empowerment of Women in
Telecentres in Jamaica

• Satoko Nadamoto
• Gender Institute
• London School of Economics
• and Political Science

2
Contents

• Background
• Research Questions
• Methodology
• Research Findings
• Challenges of Telecentres
• Recommendations
• Further Research

3
Background ICTs and Gender in Jamaica
(Kingston, 2006)
4
ICTs in Jamaica

• Telephone Mainlines 17.4
• Mobile Phone 61.5
• Household with TV 70
• Personal Computers 5.4
• Internet Users 26.5

(2004, World Bank)
5
Gender in Jamaica I

• Adult Literacy Rate (F/M) 91.4/83.8
• Combined Gross Enrollment Ratio (F/M) 77/71
• University of the West Indies (F/M) 66/34
• Female-headed household 45.4
• (PIJ, 2003 JSLC, 2002 UNDP, 2005)

6
Gender in Jamaica II

• Labour force participation rate (F/M) 53.2/71.4
  (PIJ, 2003)
  
• Estimated Earned Income Proportion
• Female US3,279
• Male US4,944
• (UNDP, 2005)

7
Gender in Jamaica III

• Political Representation
• The first female Prime Minister Portia Simpson
  Miller was elected in March 2006.
  
• 2 women in the 14-member Cabinet
• 7 female representatives in the 60-seat
  Parliament (2003, PLJ, 2003)

8
Gender in Jamaica IV

• Violence against women
• 99 of major crimes were committed by men.
• 71 of major crimes were committed by young men
  from the age of 16 to 30.
  
• 24 of murders are attributed to domestic
  violence
  
• A large number of rapes
• (PLJ, 2003)

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Gender in Telecentres in Jamaica
(ISJ, 2006)
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Research Questions

• Is there any gender digital divide in Jamaica?
  If so, what kind of gender digital divide exists
  in Jamaica?
  
• Who is included and excluded in telecentres in
  Jamaica?
  
• Does a telecentre empower women in Jamaica? If
  so, what kind of role does a telecentre play to
  empower women in Jamaica?

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Methodology

• Participatory observation
• Questionnaire survey
• Users
• Trainees
• Focus groups
• Individual interviews to the managers

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Targeted Telecentres

• The Liguanea Cybercentre in Kingston
• ZincLink I in Kingston
• ZincLink II in Kingston
• Bluefields People Community Association in
  Westmoreland
  
• International School of Jamaica in Port Maria

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Findings in Jamaica

• Gender Digital Divide in Jamaica
• Inclusion and Exclusion of Telecentres
• Gender Difference in Telecentres
• Empowerment of Women in Telecentres

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Gender Digital Divide in Jamaica
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Gender Digital Divide in Jamaica
(N160) Nadamoto, 2006
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Urban/Rural Digital Divide in Jamaica
(N160) Nadamoto, 2006
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Inclusion and Exclusion of Telecentres
(ISJ, 2006)
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Inclusion and Exclusion of Telecentres
Annual Report 2004, JSDN
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Inclusion and Exclusion of Telecentres
Annual Report 2004, JSDN
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Inclusion and Exclusion of Telecentres
(N154) Nadamoto, 2006
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Who is excluded from telecentres?

• Old people
• Unemployed
• Poor women and men
• Illiterate women and men
• Rural men

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Gender Difference in Telecentres
(Zinc Link II, 2006)
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Gender Difference in Telecentres
(N114) Nadamoto, 2006
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Gender Difference in Telecentres
(N120) Nadamoto, 2006
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Gender Difference in Telecentres

(N122) Nadamoto, 2006
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Gender Difference in Telecentres

(N120) Nadamoto, 2006
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Womens Empowerment in Telecentres
(Liguanea Cybercentre, 2006)
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Womens Empowerment in Telecentres
(N117) Nadamoto, 2006
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UNDP/Microsoft ICT Training for Disadvantaged
Youth
(Jun.- Dec. 2005)
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Womens Empowerment in Telecentres

• I would like to be able to work in a large
  business using different types of technologies
  including computers.
  
• (An 18-year old woman, ISJ)
• I plan to go further into more computer studies
  to know every aspects of computer and to get a
  job that involves the computer.
  
• (A 25-year old woman, ISJ)

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Womens Empowerment in Telecentres

• I would like to use it a computer on my job,
  help my son and my other family members who have
  no knowledge of computer skills.
  
• (A 25-year old woman, ISJ)
• I would like to use these computer skills by
  helping my children, when I can afford one.
  
• (A 33 year-old pregnant woman with 2 children, LC)

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Womens Empowerment in Telecentres
(N33) Nadamoto, 2006
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Womens Empowerment in Telecentres
(N35) Nadamoto, 2006
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Womens Empowerment in Telecentres
(N33) Nadamoto, 2006
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Challenges of Womens Empowerment in Telecentres

• The lack of opportunity to continue the computer
  training
  
• The lack of job opportunity after completing a
  computer training in a telecentre
  
• Exclusion of poor women

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Challenges in Telecentres in Jamaica

• The shortage of technical staff
• The shortage of trainers
• The lack of the sense of sustainability among the
  managers
  
• Exclusion of the poor

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Recommendations

• Training of the Managers
• Training of the Trainers
• Employment of more technical staff
• Reconsideration of the criteria for the trainees
• The offer of literacy training in telecentres

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Further Research

• Increase the sample size of survey
• Explore the barriers of use in the telecentres
• Focus groups out of the telecentres
• Examine womens empowerment through the use of a
  computer
  
• Individual interviews with successful Jamaican
  women with computer skills

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Thank you!

• Satoko Nadamoto
• PhD Candidate
• Gender Institute, LSE
• Mail snadamoto_at_aol.com