Gender Perspectives in Introduction to Access Gender Module #2 ITU Workshops on Sustainability in Telecommunication Through Gender & Social Equality

Presentation #1: The ‘Dirty Little Secret’ About Access

Outline Definitions Definitions Universal Service Universal Service Universal Access Universal Access Other Key Concepts Other Key Concepts Information Revolution Information Revolution Convergence Convergence ICTs ICTs (Advanced) Information Society (Advanced) Information Society Digital Divide Digital Divide

Outline 2 Link Between Telecom & Development Link Between Telecom & Development Moving Beyond Technological Determinism Moving Beyond Technological Determinism ‘The Dirty Little Secret’… ‘The Dirty Little Secret’… Implications Implications Questions Questions

Definitions Universal Service: Availability of a phone service for the individual subscriber Universal Service: Availability of a phone service for the individual subscriber Statistically measured as the percentage of households with a telephone Statistically measured as the percentage of households with a telephone Universal Access: Being able to use a telephone; the affordability and availability of a public phone Universal Access: Being able to use a telephone; the affordability and availability of a public phone

Key Concepts Information Revolution: The globalizing trend in networked digital ICTs currently interacting with other variables to transform the ways in which individuals, corporations, public and private organisations create, process, utilise and disseminate information and, ultimately, reconfigure knowledge for the purpose of adding value to their ongoing interactions Information Revolution: The globalizing trend in networked digital ICTs currently interacting with other variables to transform the ways in which individuals, corporations, public and private organisations create, process, utilise and disseminate information and, ultimately, reconfigure knowledge for the purpose of adding value to their ongoing interactions (Babb 2003) (Babb 2003)

Key Concepts 2 Convergence: The confluence of the once- distinct telecommunication, broadcasting, and computing sectors based on the digitization of technologies and services Convergence: The confluence of the once- distinct telecommunication, broadcasting, and computing sectors based on the digitization of technologies and services ICTs: Information and Communication’s Technologies. New digital ICTs like the Internet are capable of delivering multimedia content ICTs: Information and Communication’s Technologies. New digital ICTs like the Internet are capable of delivering multimedia content

Key Concepts 3 (Advanced) Information Society: Shares many commonalities with the knowledge society (Advanced) Information Society: Shares many commonalities with the knowledge society It is a society that supports knowledge formation It is a society that supports knowledge formation It owes much to the evolution of digital ICTs It owes much to the evolution of digital ICTs It seeks to address the challenge of social justice It seeks to address the challenge of social justice Requires information not only to be plentiful but accessible to the entire society Requires information not only to be plentiful but accessible to the entire society

Key Concepts 4 Digital Divide: The significant/growing rift between those who have access to new digital ICTs/evolving frameworks & those who do not Digital Divide: The significant/growing rift between those who have access to new digital ICTs/evolving frameworks & those who do not Some argue the divide is based on gender, race and socio-economic status, with women, people of colour and the poor largely shut out of the evolving information society Some argue the divide is based on gender, race and socio-economic status, with women, people of colour and the poor largely shut out of the evolving information society

Telecommunication & Development Is there a correlation between investment in telecom & development? Is there a correlation between investment in telecom & development? Causality runs both ways Causality runs both ways ICT investmentsEconomic growth Heather Hudson, 1997

Product Cycles ICT policy-making product cycle has moved… ICT policy-making product cycle has moved… …From utopian pronouncements to critical analyses …From utopian pronouncements to critical analyses Many policy-makers euphoric about ICT potential… Many policy-makers euphoric about ICT potential… …But scholars are becoming more critical …But scholars are becoming more critical Yet, there is still a strong belief that new digital media hold tremendous promise for development Yet, there is still a strong belief that new digital media hold tremendous promise for development Ernest J. Wilson III, 1997

If You Have a Hammer… To someone with a hammer, the whole world looks like a nail… To someone with a hammer, the whole world looks like a nail… It is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail… It is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail… -- Abraham Maslow

Beyond Technological Determinism Each society has its own strengths/weaknesses Each society has its own strengths/weaknesses Different levels of receptivity to technology/change Different levels of receptivity to technology/change Every developmental issue facing less advanced economies is not equivalent to Maslow’s nail Every developmental issue facing less advanced economies is not equivalent to Maslow’s nail Nor is its solution necessarily to be found in the hammer of a specific technology/technological application Nor is its solution necessarily to be found in the hammer of a specific technology/technological application i.e., the new digital ICTs/Internet & the services/applications they make possible… i.e., the new digital ICTs/Internet & the services/applications they make possible…

The ‘Dirty Little Secret’…

Education, Education, Education Access is not just about the technology Access is not just about the technology Access is also about education & learning: Access is also about education & learning: Basic to advanced literacy Basic to advanced literacy Basic to advanced computer skills Basic to advanced computer skills Basic to advanced critical-thinking skills Basic to advanced critical-thinking skills Social learning Social learning

People learn through interactions with society, using modelling to shape their own lives and those of others People learn through interactions with society, using modelling to shape their own lives and those of others Social Learning Theory CognitiveEnvironmental Behavioural

Implications The Impact of Social Learning on Education, Equality, Inclusion and Access

Questions Give examples of some ways in which the success and/or failure of access strategies might be influenced by a person’s or community’s level of education, literacy and/or social learning? Give examples of some ways in which the success and/or failure of access strategies might be influenced by a person’s or community’s level of education, literacy and/or social learning? Give examples of some ways in which gender equality and inclusion in telecommunication’s sectors might be influenced by a person’s or community’s level of education, literacy and/or social learning? Give examples of some ways in which gender equality and inclusion in telecommunication’s sectors might be influenced by a person’s or community’s level of education, literacy and/or social learning?

Questions 2 Give examples of some ways in which the digital divide is reinforced by a person’s or community’s level of education, literacy, social learning, and/or economic development? Give examples of some ways in which the digital divide is reinforced by a person’s or community’s level of education, literacy, social learning, and/or economic development? What are your solutions/strategies for addressing these challenges? What are your solutions/strategies for addressing these challenges?