Summary

Rapid shifts in global productive processes towards knowledge intensive economies have laid the groundwork for the ascension of ICTs. A long-term vision for the potential value of IT requires the conceptualisation of technology as a “social-technical couplet” that society uses to:

• Navigate and think through the structures, policies and process of IT diffusion.
• Develop policy advice and plans to make IT an empowering tool for pro-poor and gender sensitive development.

These require thinking about IT discourses and envisioning them in light of a social agenda and socially responsible processes. The rapid spread of ICTs begs for new rules and regulations, but nevertheless, any new ethos cannot bypass the essential vision of equalitive development.

Key Points

South Asia is one of the least gender-sensitive places in the world and it is no surprise to see that IT policy in the region has no provisions for mechanisms to alleviate poverty, facilitate women's entry into the IT economy or in any other way allow them to benefit from its introduction. There is little or no discourse within IT policies on how to integrate women into the economic revolution that is taking place. Furthermore, systemic failures of the social support network have left disadvantaged groups in an even more precarious position, with the most negative impacts accruing to women and children. The author argues for the need for an articulation of pro-poor social interest policies throughout the different levels of ICT infrastructures. This task is twofold and requires the development of a vibrant social sector through the empowering processes of entrepreneurship and volunteerism in the IT field and the building of capacity for communities to share and improve old and new knowledge resources. This articulation must be based on universal principles of interactivity, dignity, and cooperation.

While e-commerce surges ahead, the commercial products and services of the silent and marginalized segments of society are left virtually untouched. Women in rural areas find themselves in a “triad of traps” of perpetuating poverty, remoteness and opportunity lag. A pro-poor and gender sensitive vision that responds to this triad should view IT as a potential solution for poverty eradication and the enabling of opportunities for wealth generation through the marketing their skills and products. Pro-poor policies will also recognize the importance of disclosure and improving access for public domain information and knowledge through the use of the Internet. The spread and diffusion of IT is a “social-technical couplet” that requires that the opportunity to utilize the resultant information and knowledge is evenly distributed. Synergies between social, community-based initiatives and technical wares must be developed so as to enhance people's capacity to use knowledge. Community based development around IT seeks an alternative to the traditional, charity-based approaches to poverty eradication and strives towards sustainable income generation opportunities for the poor.

The author notes that the success of developed states is premised on the IT influenced tinkering with knowledge endowments by:

• improving on knowledge products, services, and processes;
• exploiting old and new knowledge resources, and;
• developing the innovative capacity of the public, private and social sectors.

In concluding the author reiterates the need for pro-poor and inclusionary development strategies that will allow for the harnessing of IT by poor communities and disadvantaged groups. It is only then that IT will be enabled as a tool for poverty reduction.

Source: Zubair Faisal Abbasi "Pro-Poor and Gender Sensitive Information Technology: Policy and Practice" from the International Conference on Information Technology, Communications and Development (2001).

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