Letitia L. Lekay9236672

ICT Developments (Trends) & Applications in LIS 821

Table of ContentIntroductionDefining the Digital DivideDefining GenderICT and GenderIssues Pertaining to Gender and Digital DivideDigital Divide and Gender in: USA, UK, Asia &

AfricaBridging the Gender and Digital DivideConclusionBibliography

IntroductionHow the Internet is used differently by

women & men and why?Define digital divideDefine GenderIssues in gender and digital divide, how

countries differ in their roles of the issuesDoes women spend less time online than

men? And why?

Defining the Digital DivideWhat exactly is digital divide?The phrase digital divide is basically a new

label for an earlier expression used to describe the “information haves and have-nots” (Benjamin 2001).

Increasing global integration, but also geographically uneven (Perrons, 2004).

Divide between rich and poor, developed and developing countries (Deegan & Tanner 2002).

Division of technology

Defining GenderGender is different from sexWhen we refer to gender it is often that we

think about women is it so?ICT and the computer are differently

experienced by female and male?

ICT AND GENDERBy 1995, when Internet was dramatically

increased, few women were online (Kennedy, Wellman & Klement, 2003)

It is very difficult to talk about gender and gendered aspects of access of technology

Technologies including ICTs are not gender-neutral, rather the use of ICTs and other technologies by women and men reflects to a large extent the wider socio-cultural and economic context...

Gender differences suited women’s role as role players of sharing friendship.

Issues Pertaining to Gender and digital divideGender and digital divide is more focused on how

women compared to their male counterpartsPerceptions are that women are less suited to, or

interested to work with technologyIn Africa it is a challenge for women to overcome the

burden of marginalizationWomen are also viewed as passive receivers of

information rather than actors able to shape and contribute to decision making of policy formulation in general and the ICT sector in particular

Gender has received little attention in technological adoption and other information technology, although historically, research in the field of computing has found that males have more favourable attitudes towards computers and are less likely to be computer phobic than females (Cheong, 2007).

Digital Divide and Gender:USA, UK, Asia and AfricaUnited States of America, Internet usage stands at

nearly 80 percent of the populationUnited Kingdom, usage stands at 60 percent of adult

population, this still leaves 40 percent of the United Kingdom population outside the scope of citizens

African women were excluded from all aspects of the technology (WSIS, 2002)

Gender discrimination excludes the majority of women from benefiting from the opportunities that technology has to offer as a tool and substance for development and all human enterprise

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Digital Divide and Gender:USA, UK, Asia and AfricaToday in the USA the gender and digital

divide in Internet access and intensity of use have all but disappeared, however a gender divide in the nature of Internet persists, at least for adults

Singapore on the other hand is the forerunner of the highest Internet penetration rates (67%) in the world.

Bridging the Digital DivideIs the gap closing?How is the gap widening?Why do we treat the genders differently?If women form an integral part of all ICT

initiatives, the agenda to drive the advancement of gender within the realm of technology and related fields, the importance and relevance of women in ICT to the gender equality will not only be acknowledged, but will also become a norm

ConclusionOf the topics discussed in this presentation, it

is clear a lot still needs to be done to overcome the gender and digital divide. To create more space for the marginalized which is clearly the women, empowerment to the ICT sector needs attention. Literature outlined that the gap still exists in gender and digital divide, but it also give surprisingly remarks on how women can be competitive in the ICT sector.

Bibliography BIBLIOGRAPHY Cheong, P. H. 2007. Gender and perceive Internet efficacy: examining secondary digital divide issues in

Singapore. Women’s Studies in Communication journal, 30 (2): 206-228. Couldry, N. 2007. New media for global citizens? The future of the digital divide debate. Brown Journal of

World Affairs, 16 (1): 249-261. Deegan, M. & Tanner, S. 2002. Digital futures: strategies for the information age. London: Library

Association Publishing. Gender & ICTs in CEE/CIS. 2004. Bridging the gender digital divide: a report on gender and ICT in

Central & Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Retrieved 7 August 2009 http://www.undp.sk/uploads/Gender%20and%20ICT%20reg_rep_eng.pdf Kennedy, T, Wellman, B & Klement, K. Gendering the Digital Divide. IT&Society Journal, 1 (5): 72-96. Jackson, L.A., Zhao, Y, Kolenic, A, Fitzgerald, H.E, Harold, R, & Von Eye, A. 2008. Race, gender, and

information technology use: the new digital divide. Cyber Psychology & Behavior Journal, 11 (4): 437-442.

Internationals Women’s Day Webblog. 2009. The digital divide: Gender, location, access. Retrieved 6 August 2009

http://www.internationalwomensday.com/article.asp?m Pod B Episode 9. 2006. Computers to Africa. Retrieved 22 August 2009 http://podcastbangla.blogspot.com Tavani, H.T. 2007. Ethics & technology: ethical issues in an age of information and communication

technology. 2nd Ed. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Webb, J, Skaee, D & Carriero, B. Webblog. 2009. Digital Divide: Gender. Retrieved 6 August 2009 http://www.slideshare.net/guest0747a9/gender-digital-divide WSIS Gender Caucus Statement. 2002. Gender Caucus Statement for inclusion in Bamako 2002

declaration: the African regional preparatory meeting for the world summit on the information society May 25-30 2002. Retrieved 7 August 2009

http://www.wougnet.org/WSIS/genderstatement.html

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