The African Experience with ICT for Rural Women’s Development
K. Meera · InTech eBooks · 2012
ICTs for the development of rural womenInformation and Communication Technologies (ICTs) such as radio, internet, telephone, television, computers and mobile phones can facilitate communication, processing and transmission of information.Singh (1999) defines rural development as the process that lead to sustainable improvement of the quality of life of the rural poor.Rural women play a major role in rural development.ICTs have the potential to improve the quality of lives of the rural women.Information and Communication Technologies for Rural Women's Development (ICT4WD (Joseph 2007) research stems from the lack of understanding of rural women's capabilities for their development through the use of ICTs.ICT4WD is an ongoing project that facilitates the development of rural women using ICTs.The aim of this project is to create awareness of the potential of ICTs and to improve the quality of life of rural women through the use of ICTs in developmental projects.This chapter covers only some aspects of the above ICT4WD research project.The following meta-theoretical considerations guide this research. ICTs have the potential to develop rural women. Rural poverty can be addressed through the use of ICT-enabled projects. The political arrangements, cultural and social barriers would hinder rural women in accessing communication technologies. Mere provision of low cost technologies, good ICT infrastructure and access to the technologies may not necessarily empower rural women.The ICTs should be suited to the rural women's needs. Providing more opportunities for the empowerment of rural women can enhance women's capabilities and lead to rural development.After almost seventeen years of democracy and implementation of many transformative strategies, South Africa still faces many challenges to empower the rural communities.The Constitution of South Africa (Act no 108, 1996) guarantees to improve the lives of all citizens and free the potential of each person.Most of the rural women in South Africa still lack socio-economic opportunities and come from female-headed households.They were deprived of access to land partly due to cultural norms and live in poverty. www.intechopen.comRural Development -Contemporary Issues and Practices 356 Some of the South African rural women still lack basic needs, and have other economic hardships related to HIV / AIDS as well as Tuberculosis in their family.Some women are subjected to human rights abuses and violence against women.When their physical needs were met rural women were satisfied.ICT-enabled developmental projects will provide more opportunities for African rural women's development.