Women worldwide view ICT as vital to meet goals

GENEVA, Switzerland – Women have expressed overwhelming support for the importance of information and communications technology (ICT). A survey of women from all regions of the world shows striking solidarity in the belief that ICT is critical to women for meeting their personal and professional goals in overcoming the inequality of the so-called "Digital Divide" and as entrepreneurs.

The survey was released on World Telecommunication Day, which commemorates the founding of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 1865. The theme of this year’s celebration is "ICT for all – empowering people to cross the Digital Divide."

ICT can be extremely effective in improving governance, according to Yoshio Utsumi, ITU secretary-general. "It gives a voice to people who have been isolated, invisible and silent, and lets them speak out regardless of their gender and where they live," he said.

But access to ICT has not been equitable. "It varies greatly among countries, and within countries too, between urban and rural areas, between the rich and the poor, between the educated and the illiterate, between men and women."

Information access

Ninety-nine percent of women surveyed in six geographic regions view access to ICT as important to women entrepreneurs. The most important reason given is "improved information sources," and the second, "opportunity to learn through shared experience." This is consistent across regions, except in Africa where "access to additional markets" ranks second. Women from all regions rank "improved customer access and service" as third.

It is important to note that women view ICT as an opportunity to improve their economic well-being but to do this they also rank it highly as an opportunity to share their experience. This view is also supported by many of those surveyed who add other reasons such as increased opportunities for cooperation, community economic development and personal empowerment.

Professional fulfillment

When asked if ICT helps them meet their professional goals, 97 percent agree that they do. The main reason: increased efficiency in the workplace. The only regional exception is Latin America where "improved information sharing" ranks highest. This factor is ranked second by all other regions. The role of ICT in providing "increased opportunities for education" ranks third regardless of region.

The importance of information sharing is again noted by many who add other reasons such as "network building" and "increased equality between men and women" that resulted when ICT is deployed in the workplace.

Availability, literacy

While women make up 42 percent (on average) of all the Internet users globally, this ranges from less than 30 percent in Morocco, India and Turkey to more than 50 percent in Canada and the United States. However, the data do not include many of the least developed nations where access to ICT is often the most difficult.

When asked to rank the most important issues that need to be overcome to bridge the "Digital Divide," the most important factor identified is "availability of ICT" followed by the need to improve "literacy levels."

This is consistent regardless of region, with the exception of North America where increasing "awareness of the potential of ICT for women" is judged the most important. Improving "literacy levels" ranks third after ICT availability.

It is significant to note the relatively low ranking by all regions of "access costs," "language" or "time availability" as perceived obstacles to overcoming the "Digital Divide." Given the need to "multi-task," especially by women who increasingly have to balance professional and family commitments, it could be expected that "time availability" for ICT would, in fact, be a more significant concern.

Solidarity of opinion

The solidarity of opinion among women as to the importance of ICT holds true even when the responses are divided among those who classify themselves as primarily employed in the private, government or non-government sectors.

"Improved information sources" and the "opportunity to learn through shared experiences" are ranked as the top two reasons why ICT is important to women entrepreneurs.

As for the importance of the role of ICT in helping women meet their professional goals, "increased efficiency in the workplace" and "improved information sharing" again rank at the top.

There is a divergence in opinion on which issues are the most important for women to overcome the "Digital Divide." Those in the government and private sector agree that the need to improve "literacy levels" is the most important factor, while those from the non-government sector rank "availability of ICT" as the most critical issue.

The information gathered from the survey will provide input to the ITU as it moves forward in planning for the World Summit on the Information Society.

The United Nations summit, to be convened under the auspices of the ITU, will be held in Geneva in December 2003 and Tunis in 2005. The summit’s goal is to develop an action plan to bridge the "Digital Divide" between information "haves" and "have-nots."