Information and Communication Technology for Social Inclusion - Essay Example

Socially excluded groups and Information: Understanding the role of Information/ICTs for social inclusion. There is a widespread concern over the gender divide in Information Communication Technology. This is due to the notions of certain culture and society that exclude women from computer related education which is crucial for their personal and professional success. The essay is aimed to establish that inclusion of women in ICT is essential for the social and economic progress of a nation. There is an apprehension that women are not given equal opportunity in the field of computers. This evokes a situation that women are not included in the information society. Women are not present in the field of computer science and they have not made any reasonable contribution to the design of ICT products. But there are notable transition to ICT and its effect on education, home and office. This indicates that computers are used equally by men and women in all fields like internet, mobile phones and other equipments. There is a convergence of genders in the use of computers. Due to these factors many European countries have taken public steps to include women. In the year 2003, an extensive research was conducted on 30 such initiatives in Europe. The objective of the research was to find out the basic goals of inclusion and to learn the success of inclusion policies and to extend knowledge and guidance and thereby induce the formulation of new inclusion policies. The observations of the research were used to protect the formation of an information society to all and enhance the opportunities of the success of ICT projects. Policy makers, NGO’s and enterprises were to benefit from the outcome of the research that aimed to accomplish the advantages of computer use by both men and women at work and eradicate the gap between men and women in dynamic working environment (Strategies of inclusion, 2005). Information and Communication Technology is a key to emphasize the importance of social inclusion. This gives new opportunities to women who are not included in the society. Women should be gives access to information so that there is no gap between the two genders. ICT is essential for the present day life of a person. It is used in our day to day activities to use anything from public service to entertainment and culture and political and community indulgence. However all are not eligible to reap the benefits of ICT. In Europe, people are unable to access ICT due to technical reasons like lack of proper technology, motivation, skill, cost and inadequate attitude. However, women should be included wherever technology is available. E-inclusive society should be ambition of every community. This requires action, policy and procedure from the government and private enterprises with specific thrust on stimulating equal digital opportunities that ensures women are included to access ICT (An information society for all, 2007). Equality of gender in the use of ICT ensures that the system is dynamic, creative, engaging and multidisciplinary. Several symposiums are conducted to create awareness and need for inclusion of women in ICT. The symposium usually thrust on factors like women, work and computerisation, gendering technology: structure and design, gender issues in ICT at school and informatics education and gender relations towards ICT in day to day life (Gender and ICT, 2004). There are differences in the approach towards integration of women as full contributors and leaders in the development of ICT. Apprehensions about the inclusion of women in ICT design are different in different countries. The role of women in an ICT environment is to communicate and perform as user and designer of ICT. The use of ICT by a women can be assessed in a five step approach that includes absence of women from ICT not considered, women added to the present ICT facility and design, women issues and approaches are considers as an issue, anomaly and deterrent from the basic rules of ICT, focus on women as workers, designers and users of ICT and complete includes of women in all matters of ICT. This approach can be use to formulate a policy towards the next level of including women in ICT (Women and ICT 2005). In the United Kingdom, the government and leading information and communication technology companies as well as educational institutions now claim that ICT skill training offers inclusion into the new dynamic and prosperous economy of the country. Private and public training in the United Kingdom for ICT skills aims at single woman parents who are socially excluded. However there arises a systemic paradox during this process. I.e., the training program objective of inclusion of lone women parents are opposing broader policy goals like work life balance. All those assumptions that are related to ICT skill training are critically analysed using the concepts of community of practice, classificatory systems, as well as marginalisation. Another argument raised in favour is that, ICT training programmes should be accompanied by changes in pedagogical practices that can accommodate a variety of needs of those sections of the society who are targeted for inclusion. It also advocates positive changes in employment atmosphere. To conclude, the programmes and initiatives followed by different parties like government, private parties, educational institutions, employment agencies towards reduction in the gap caused by non inclusion has a vital role in overcoming the problem of digital divide (Gillard H. et al. 2007). Women’s learning partnership is a leading NGO in the United States that conducted a seminar titled Cultural Boundaries and Cyber Space: Womens Voices on Empowerment, Leadership and Technology. The seminar observed that the significance of training women in ICT’s would change their lives and provide benefits that will bring a sea change to the lives of woman living all around the world. The seminar also observed that there are immense potentials for woman who undergo training of ICT. It reemphasised the fact that ICT’s can overcome cultural boundaries and act as a vehicle that can be used for cross border communication. The role of ICT’s in the field of leadership training establishes that women can take up any activity provided that proper training is given. ICT is crucial in eradicating gender disparities and bias faced by woman in different fields of the society. ICT’s is a part of education and application at workplace that assists the creation of knowledge and exchange of knowledge in turn will remove problems like illiteracy, poverty and lack of political empowerment among women. ICT’s enable participatory approaches, improves democracy as well as accountability and total development of a society and community. ICT’s should be viewed as a vehicle that encourages information exchange, contribution and application. Hence the women do not adorn the role of consumers of knowledge but producers of it. It is a widely known fact the expertise of women is not applied in information technology and content development. The inclusion of women in ICT can be substantiated by educating girls. The World Bank can assist the empowerment of women in ICT by providing funds for different kinds of projects that work towards gender equality of ICT. Information Technology should be included as a common subject for girls and boys at all levels of education to reduce the gender divide. Education policies for the inclusion of women in ICT should develop a friendly and encouraging approach that has long standing positive effects on women in their life and at their workplace (Afkhami, M & Melham, S. 2000). There is a greater requirement for women to be included in the information society through ICT policy in developed and developing economies. ICT is the most wanted knowledge base that is required to meet the demands of the 21st century that redefines the method of communication, education and entertainment. ICT is a tool for the development of an individual in all aspects of life that has no substitute. Hence inclusion of women to access information will reflect in the progress of society, economy, environment and political area and make a drastic change to the global and national outlook. A report of UNESCO states that women form a major work force of the economy in the developing nations. When economies are equipped with information, women should have equal access to information through the use of ICT. It will enhance the livelihood of people and create a sustainability that would result in the social and economical development of the society (Rahim, R.A. 2008). Number of words: 1386. Reference Afkhami, M & Melham, S. December 19, 2000. Using information and communication technologies to empower women in the MENA region. Available: http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTGENDER/0,,contentMDK:20621878~isCURL:Y~menuPK:489311~pagePK:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:336868,00.html. Accessed: August 8, 2008. An information society for all. 2007. Available: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/tl/soccul/eincl/index_en.htm. Accessed: August 8, 2008 Gender and ICT: Strategies for inclusion. January 20, 2004. Available: http://www.steunpuntgelijkekansen.be/main.aspx?c=*GENDERICT. Accessed: August 8, 2008. Gillard H. et al. 2007. ICT Inclusion and Gender: Tensions in Narratives of Network Engineer Training. Available: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a768435612~db=all~jumptype=rss. Accessed: August 8, 2008. Rahim, R.A. July 22, 2008. Creating a world of equal opportunities. Available: http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2008/7/22/itfeature/1611961. Accessed: August 8, 2008. Strategies of inclusion: Gender and the Information Society (SIGIS). 2005. Available: http://www.rcss.ed.ac.uk/sigis/. Accessed: August 8, 2008. Women and ICT: global issues and actions. 2005. Available: http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1117419. Accessed: August 8, 2008. Read More