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Woman and ICT Samia Melhem Sr Information Technology Specialist The GICT Group US Studies on woman/ICT • Educating Girls in the new computer age – Number of woman in hightech declined – Woman do not do technology (17% only take math / engineers/ CS tracks) • Media Metrix/Jupiter study (51% in 2000, 30% in 96)- Used for marketing – – – – Between 99-00, 35% growth Marketing race to attract women/girls 70% of purchase decisions Health, chat, email, fashion • Internet and American Life Project High Tech jobs in US • 8% of woman in Mgmt Board(13% for other fields) • Glass ceiling. Man / Geek culture • Much better than elsewhere • Woman VIPs tend to fund/encourage IT projects for children/young girls/woman (HP einclusion, Xerox, IBM K-12, Motorolla, MS, Silicon Valley Tech Summits for girls) – Increasing # woman in key IT positions – Helping woman become more IT aware – Encouraging girls in science/IT careers US versus Developing nations & MNA • • • • Enormous Inequality in flow of global Inf. Digital Divide Gender Divide MNA specific issues Internet Usage: Linked to • • • • • • • • • • Gender Race Education Income Geographic location Occupation Access Culture Content Banking/Financial environment Can be addressed with • • • • • Community centers Tele-centers in rural areas After school/night educational programs Cybercafes Using / renting time from a public infrastructure provider • Small pilots addressing specific needs MNA Gender issues for Internet Usage • • • • • • • • • Woman status in society Education Income Geographic location Occupation Culture: Fear of loss of control Access: Public Places Content: Fear of opening-up Information / communications as a threat and not as an enabler Woman/ICT Specific activities • Target Educated woman • Cisco and Economic Commission in Africa – Cisco academy training, 30 graduates a year, Certification and guaranteed high income employment. – Entrpreneurship training • UNDP and Cyberforum in Nouakchott – Civil society, special programs and web sites for woman and HIV information • Various USAID/US State Department and EU educations projects. • Michigan State University Multi-lingual Africa Library project (Senegal) Woman in ICT projects in MNA • Generally depressed market (ME conflict) with some exceptions. Maghreb doing well • USAID funding some educational projects in Egypt. Targeting children in general. • TA (NZ) to evaluate IT education (IFC) • IFC investments in software companies: 70% of developers are woman (Egypt) • Proposals (WB&G orphans, Web princess) • RITSEC Dist Learning: Leadership skills for woman (Egypt, Kuwait and Jordan) Need for Targeted Programs • • • • • • Focus on children/mixed teams For young girls (the earlier the better) University woman advanced IT skills Inclusive (family approach) Content development in Arabic Marketing financial benefits of IT careers Discussion and Next steps • How can the WBG help • Sector Strategy Paper – Gender and ICT annex • Grants : Not enough, do not seem to like girl projects. Not innovative enough • Full fledge projects • Introducing IT education for girls /woman as a component in Education portfolio • Other Suggestions