Gender and Technology: A rights-based and intersectional analysis of key trends

This report employs an intersectional feminist framework to identify and analyze key trends related to gender and technology. It aims to provide a holistic picture of how gender and technology are embedded in and influenced by a myriad of intersecting issues and challenges that complicate how ICT for development (ICT4D) initiatives concretely impact women’s lives. Based on synthesized research, the report provides recommendations for relevant stakeholders on how to approach the field of international development using technology as a tool for social good in ways that benefit the most marginalized members of our global community.

Information Infrastructures: the Conduit Power of ICTs in Africa

In this article, I make a case for considering Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructures outside the narrow prism of ICT for development (ICT4D), but rather as an alternate mechanism to exercise political power in Africa. I refer to ‘infrastructures’ rather than ‘infrastructure’ because the former has a broader definition. Infrastructures may be material, informational or structural. Infrastructure relates to the physical and organisational structure and facilities a society or an organisation needs to function, such as roads, electricity and communication systems. Owing to the inability to overcome weaknesses in state capacity, the expression of power in the global South often differs from the global North. ICT infrastructure is transnational with power oscillating between state and non-state actors but offers African countries a surrogate system of administration for individual territories. I draw on the concept of infrastructural power to describe how a state may harness ICT infrastructure, or information infrastructures, to increase its influence within its territory and extraterritorially.

ICTs for Community Development: Bridging Conceptual, Theoretical, and Methodological Boundaries

The aim of this special issue is to collect and put into dialogue theoretical, methodological, critical, and applied contributions dealing with the variety of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) uses in community development. In this introduction to the special issue, we first provide the readers with a quick overview of the field, conducted by analyzing the lexicon of titles and abstracts published in the past few years in information and communication technology for development journals. We will then briefly elaborate on the concept of “users” as a pivotal dimension that can shed light on the complex interlinkages between technological artifacts and sociocultural factors involved in ICT usage. The focus on user, in fact, highlights some relevant issues concerning the relation between ICT, people and communities. Drawing on these premises, the papers collected in the special issue will then be briefly described. These contributions come from a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches, include the uptake of innovative technologies as well as top-down interventions, and focus on different regions of the world. The cross-fertilization and the range of disciplines included in this special issue result in a kaleidoscope in which different facets can be mixed, showing the individual, community, and societal aspects of community use of ICT for development.

Implications of ICT for Development on Enhancing Rural Entrepreneur Program (REP) at Telecentres in Malaysia

This paper examines rural social entrepreneurship program in rural Malaysia communities. The program seeks to promote and turn rural entrepreneurs into social entrepreneurs by strengthening their economic activities and enhancing social capital. This paper focuses on a component of the rural entrepreneur program (REP), namely the Social Entrepreneur Club (SEC). The club runs the rural entrepreneur program and upholds the program’s objectives. It promotes the socialization of rural communities by engaging them in entrepreneurial activities. The club operates under the Rural Internet Centre (RIC); a telecentre that provides space for rural communities to enhance their ICT knowledge and skills. However, despite the opportunity provided, some of the rural entrepreneurs do not show adequate interest in the program as they prefer being entrepreneurs, but not social entrepreneurs. Thus, the success of the SECs depends on the entrepreneurs’ participation in the program, the geographical locations and the support from the telecentre managers. This paper employs the economic gardening concept and community informatics approach to empirically gather evidence to test the theory on ICT for development; particularly rural development for rural communities. A quantitative method has been used to measure the implications of ICT in this program. Data from the entrepreneurs is obtained through an online survey which has been conducted across the varying regions in Malaysia. The quantitative data is supported by interviews (qualitative method) with telecentre managers. The primary data has been triangulated to analyze the results. The key findings show that the SEC is seen as economic development strategy by creating jobs, as well as increasing income and business opportunities. It also strengthens social networking needed to build social capital within and outside of the rural communities. Hence SEC is also a community connector and can be used as an indicator on the quality of rural communities’ wellbeing.

If You Build It, Will They Come? Exploring Narratives That Shape the Internet in Nepal

Nepali information and communication technology (ICT) policies, informed by dominant international discourses on internet and ICT for development, have attributed a ‘self-evident’ positive impact to economic growth. Such a conception is inconclusive and hides the underlying socioeconomic inequalities and the barriers they oppose to universal connectivity ambitions. The self-evident discourse overlooks the importance of adjacent infrastructures like electricity, critical for efficient functioning of a ‘digital society’. History has shown Nepal’s eagerness to buy the irrational exuberance of the dot-com era. It also shows policy targets were not based on local evidence and experiences. While the question about when the next bubble will emerge and burst is debatable, the techno-deterministic arguments need to be checked in light of evidence. We offer insights from import trajectories since the drafting of the first IT policy. The proliferation of mobile phones is explored in light of data consumption (i.e., usage) and access during the deadly earthquake in 2015. The evidence clearly highlights the mismatch between connectivity ambitions and socioeconomic realities in a stratified information society. We contend that the self-evident visions of connectivity need to be checked empirically. We call for internet and ICT policies that have a nuanced conceptualisation of access and its gradation.

ICT for Development in Nigeria

Prior studies have x-rayed the potentials and impetus for development that can be resultant from a full scale adoption of ICT in Africa particularly in Nigeria. Current challenges relating to infrastructures, cybercrime, government policies and so on that mitigate the benefits accruable from a virile ICT growth have also been highlighted. However, research also needs to really address possible areas of developmental benefit of ICT to rural target groups such as farmers, extension officers, health and social workers This paper explores possible alignment of ICT4D2.0 goals to ICT development in Nigeria. It posited that the digital divide that ICTD1.0 sets to bridge are still very evident at grassroots level. Adding computing and Internet functionality to technologies that already penetrate the grassroots such as mobiles phones, radios and televisions will enhance ICT4D2.0 goals in Nigeria. This will in turn increase productivity among this target group with attendant contribution to national development.