ICT for Women Entrepreneurship in AsiaPacific

1
ICT for Women Entrepreneurship in Asia-Pacific
Expert Group Meeting on ICT Policy from a
Gender Perspective Bangkok, December 18-19th,
2001 Bianca R. Tonetti Asian and Pacific
Centre for Transfer of Technology (APCTT)
2
Facts and figures

• The online female population in ASIA in 2000
  accounted for 22 of Internet users

• By 2003 there will be 8 million women Internet
  users in CHINA and 2 million in INDIA

• 23 women Internet users in INDIA in 2000
• 38.7 in CHINA in 2001

• Women entrepreneurs manage 35 of SMEs in the
  region, more than 1/3 of 95 of all enterprises
  in Asia Pacific

• However, out of 15,000 members of IWAPI-Indonesia
  only 12 have e-mail accounts

• Only a small portion of the female population of
  Asian developing countries is digitally empowered
  

3
Facts and figures
Womens Internet use in Asia-Pacific and USA
Source Hafkin Taggart, Gender, IT and
Development Countries, AED for USAID, 2001.
4
Impact of IT on womens work

• Women concentrated at lower skilled employment
  levels

• Automation in manufacturing/services
• Relocation of production
• New skill requirements

• Creation of new jobs in
• INFORMATION PROCESSING
• BANKING
• INSURANCE
• PRINTING
• PUBLISHING

• Conducive policies in India and Malaysia have led
  to women occupying high-skilled and managerial
  positions

5
Information processing
PROJECT SITA AND WOMENS e-COOPERATIVE
MITRAMANDAL - INDIA

• Studies in Information Technology Applications
  (SITA) is a computer-skill training program for
  450 women from a disadvantage background and with
  limited communication skills. It is sponsored by
  InfoDev - World Bank

• Global Challenge Award 2000, finalist Stockholm
  Challenge Award 2000, selected as Most Promising
  Social Enterprise 2002

• Poor response of the job market to the project
  trainees

• Self-employment through the womens cooperative
  MitraMandal

6
Information processing
WOMENS e-COOPERATIVE MITRAMANDAL
Professional Wing Training of trainers RD
marketing and publicity
Earning Wing Trainers and trainees use IT skills
to generate income
MitraMandal
Learning Wing Implements the learning strategy
Public/Private Organizations Providers of work
Source SITA.
7
Information processing
PROJECT SITA AND WOMENS e-COOPERATIVE
MITRAMANDAL - INDIA
SITA trainees
SITA head trainer
SITA senior instructor
Source SITA
8
Information processing
SECTOR PROFILE IN ASIA

• CHINA, INDIA, SINGAPORE and VIETNAM are taking
  large shares of the outsourcing markets in data
  processing

• The PHILIPPINES concentrates the largest number
  of women workers in remote data entry

• Many new jobs are in call centres and satellite
  offices performing back office functions

9
Information processing
OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN IN ASIA

• One million jobs in call centres are expected to
  be created in INDIA
• by 2007

• In INDIA over 350,000 women are expected to be
  working in remote data processing by
• 2008

• Womens attempts to create self-employment are
  frustrated by their lack of business and
  marketing skills

• Women working in data entry in BANGLADESH would
  earn 88 more than in local jobs

10
Information processing
CONDUCIVE POLICIES

• Good telecom infrastructure

• IT training in and out of school

• Training in marketing and business development

11
Clothing and textile manufacturing
RANLIYA GARMENT INDUSTRIES - SRI LANKA

• Established in 1978 by Ms. Hapuarachchi. Turnover
  of US23 million, workforce of 6,000. 95 are
  women

• The company utilizes CAD/CAM machines for garment
  design, computerized sewing and embroidery
  machine and has a production capacity of 700,000
  pieces per month

• Technology transfer was successful thanks to an
  easily trainable workforce due to Sri Lankas
  high literacy rate

• The new technology enhances the productivity
  while meeting the requirements of international
  markets in terms of timeliness, pricing and
  quality standards

12
Clothing and textile manufacturing
RANLIYA GARMENT INDUSTRIES - SRI LANKA
CAD/CAM machine for garment design
Computerized sewing machine
13
Clothing and textile manufacturing
SECTOR PROFILE IN ASIA

• Asias share of total employment in the industry
  was 72 in 1998

• In 1995 Asia concentrated 80 of global women
  workers in the textile sector

• China is the major employer accounting for 20 of
  the global workforce

• Women take up 71 of the jobs in clothing in the
  region, with China the major employer (20)
  followed by Indonesia and Thailand

Source ILO.
14
Clothing and textile manufacturing
OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN IN ASIA

• In Italy women subcontractors use IT applications
  for the instant fashion market

• Computer technology offers opportunities for
  small and medium women-owned clothing
  manufacturing units

• Decentralization allowed by
• fragmentation of production particularly in
  garment manufacturing

• Promotion of small-scale sector instrumental for
  the development of the sector

15
Clothing and textile manufacturing
CONDUCIVE POLICIES

• Promotion of small-scale sector

• Government to initiate, coordinate and share the
  cost of RD and training schemes

• Entrepreneurship development training

• Dissemination of technology information

16
Software programming
VIJAY SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS (VSD) - INDIA

• Shefali Kapoor established an education and
  career guidance centre in 1990, a computer
  academy in 1991 and VSD in 1992. Turnover of
  US222,000 and workforce of 6 software developers

• Technology transfer was successful thanks to her
  post graduation in computer sciences. She entered
  the business when computer started to be used for
  back-office support, pay-roll management,
  inventory control etc.

• Advantages she found in her business are
• - availability of personnel possessing technical
  know-how - know-how could be updated on the job,
  and
• - tremendous scope of IT-enabled services

17
Software programming
VIJAY SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS (VSD) - INDIA
Shefali Kapoor
Software developers at work
18
Software programming
SECTOR PROFILE IN ASIA

• Software sector in INDIA has grown by 50 in the
  1990s creating exports, domestic jobs and
  technical talents

• The number of women programmers, designers,
  inventors and fixers of computers is limited in
  the developing world

• Customized software services are potentially
  attractive to small and medium sized women
  enterprises

• However in MALAYSIA women are 30 of IT
  professionals and in INDIA comprise 20 of
  professional jobs in the software industry

19
Software programming
OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN IN ASIA

• Network administration and maintenance are
  services strongly needed by private sector and
  government institutions

• The greatest potential for job opportunities is
  in the core IT sector

• In INDIA and CHINA opportunities are available
  for women in the software industry

• IT education and training is an area particularly
  suitable for women

20
Software programming
CONDUCIVE POLICIES

• Introduction of IT at early stages of formal
  education

• Less expensive courses on IT

• State-private sector cooperation for HRD
  development

• Increasing the number of girls and women studying
  IT-related subjects in formal schooling

• IT info dissemination for girls and women
  (career fairs)

• IT training out of school

• Entrepreneurship development training

21
Conclusions
POLICIES FOR WOMENS DIGITAL EMPOWERMENT
Regulatory environment
Infrastructure
Education and training

• Rural areas
• Cost of hardware, software, service
• Alternative sources of software
• Cyberkiosks and telecenters

• Impact assessment of legislation on working women
• Taxes and subsidies for investment promotion in
  strategic sectors

• HRD at al levels
• Scholarships and reservations
• Business development programmes for
  self-employment

22
Web References

• http//learnlink.aed.org/Publications/Gender_Book/
  pdf/Gender_Book_NoPhotos.pdf
• http//www.totheweb.com/Digital_Divide_White_Paper
  .PDF
• http//www.sitaa.org
• http//www.undp.org.my/partnership/UNDP.pdf
• http//www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/sector/
  techmeet/tmlfi00/tmlfi-r.pdf
• http//www.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/uu37we/uu37w
  e00.htmContents