MEASURING GENDER EQUALITY IN ICT4D: AN APPLICATION OF GEM

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MEASURING GENDER EQUALITY IN ICT4D AN
APPLICATION OF GEM

• Afrina Tanzin
• Research Associate, D.Net, Bangladesh
• afrina.tanzin_at_dnet.org.bd

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Background

• For measuring gender equality in ICT4D we
  selected Computer Literacy Programme (CLP) of
  D.Net, objective of which is to empower
  underprivileged youth in Bangladesh through
  computer literacy.

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Research Problem and Methodology

• The main research question is whether application
  of Gender Evaluation Methodology (GEM) makes a
  project more effective for the community.

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Adaptation of GEM

• Developed gender sensitization workshop and
  programme with the project stakeholders
• Wrote article on gender perspective of the
  projects and share the evaluation results with
  them through conference calls and e-mail
  interactions in order to motivate them to invest
  more on girls schools to make the project for
  real underprivileged
• Designed suitable platforms to create awareness
  on gender issues among the teachers and parents

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Findings

• Selection Process Selection process of school
  was consciously gender sensitive. Out of 83
  schools 84 are co-education schools, 14 girls'
  schools, and only 2 boys' schools.
• Girl Students as change agents
• Socially prescribed roles have limited womens
  access to economic resources such as capital,
  skills, and marketing know-how. Social attitudes
  towards girls and women have been changing and
  they are doing better.
• CLP is playing a vital role by establishing more
  CLC in girls schools for capacity building of
  girls.
• The study found that of the girl students
  transmit computer knowledge towards other girls
  as well as boys, family members.

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Findings

• Parents Attitudes
• Guardians are aware about importance of ICT now
  and they are very eager to enrol their girls for
  the course
• Parents are very proud to see certificate of
  completion.
• Now they think that the CLP course will help
  their childrens study, they can work with
  computer, they can develop themselves.
• Almost all guardians agreed strongly with the
  proposition that the students looked more
  confident, comfortable and enthusiastic in a
  computer environment as a result of spending time
  in the CLC.
• They agreed to give permission if their child
  wants to stay at school after class or go to
  another place for learning computer.

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Findings

• Familiarity
• The degree of familiarity for both the genders is
  similar (95) for those who have already
  completed the course.
• This is not the case for the students who are
  currently taking it. While 91 of the boys felt
  that they were either familiar or very
  familiar, only 62 of the girls felt the same
  way.
• Basic computer training of CLP works for a long
  way in alleviating their "fear" of computers 89
  and help prepare them for using this essential
  tool effectively in the work place.

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Findings

• Technology brings Confidence
• Girls were very enthusiastic for learning at
  school
• The students were selected according to merit or
  personal interest not to sex
• Respondents interested to take Computer course in
  their academic education after receiving this
  course
• The respondents felt that hardware knowledge of
  the course helps in academic computer subject

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Findings

• Reduce Digital Divide
• CLP training helps to reduce digital divide by
  introducing computer and internet with girls.
• In the rural areas, where CLC established
  CLC-equipped schools are the only venue of access
  to computers for the vast majority of students.
• Poor and underprivileged students can receive
  training because the course are conducted in the
  school area and it is free for all.

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Findings

• Access to information
• The trained students came to know that ICT
  facilities can help them to get livelihood
  information.
• They knew that they can apply for jobs by this
  communication.
• They can choice their livelihood as their
  capacity.
• They thought that it would help them in their
  professional work.

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Findings

• Overcome Social Barriers
• In 6.6 of the CLCs female teachers were taking
  class of girl students
• In 45 of the CLCs teachers were taking class
  separately for girls and boys
• In CLCs teachers took the class of girls before
  the academic class or in the Tiffin period or
  just after the academic class so that they can go
  home earlier
• 90 of the teachers were found very devoted and
  helpful to both genders

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Uniqueness of CLP

• . CLP is promoting ICT knowledge and usage of
  computers among the underprivileged needy youths
  (equal gender) in Bangladesh.
• . CLP develops facilities and awareness in mostly
  rural and disadvantaged areas for educating and
  training underprivileged youths on ICTs.
• . It integrates local people into the programme
  through their participation in programme
  implementation process.
• . CLP is working for creating enabling
  environment for ICT knowledge and gender.

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Recommendations

• Based on study findings, FGD and observations
  reports study came up with the following
• recommendations
• Rural ICT4D projects should be
  gender sensitive in all stage. In CLP development
  partner VAB-NJ require gender sensitization.
• Rural ICT4D projects should have
  specific activities to influence policy maker to
  be gender sensitive and consider gender as an
  issue during policy formulation.

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Recommendations

• Rural ICT4D projects should also have specific
  activities to empower through ICTs and conscious
  activity to make society aware about gender.

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Recommendations

• To ensure more girls participation in ICT sector
  we should create computer training opportunities
  for girls. VAB-NJ can play important role here by
  sensitizing sponsors to establish more CLCs in
  girls school. CLP team management also can raise
  local fund to establish CLCs in girls school.

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Scope of improvement of GEM adaptation in rural
ICT4D projects

• GEM methodology basically works with qualitative
  data but some time it is hard to reach a
  conclusion with only qualitative data and it
  always deserves a GEM expert. To overcome this
  condition GEM may use a mixed data model.

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Conclusion

• The result of implementing this gender
  evaluation methodology shows that conscious
  efforts can make an ICT4D project gender
  sensitive and address gender gap in accessing
  ICTs for education.

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THANK YOU