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ICT Initiatives, Women and Work in Developing Countries: Reinforcing or Changing Gender Inequalities in South India?
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are increasingly used by developing countries in strategies that see the new technology as having the potential to deliver economic growth, employment, skills generation and empowerment.
There is growing agreement, however, that the impact of ICTs in developing countries is not gender neutral, necessitating an engendered approach to ICT-based projects. This paper argues that ICTs as a form of new technology are socially deterministic, with varied implications for women in terms of employment and empowerment dependent on the context within which the ICTs are utilised.
The paper presents findings from two ICT initiatives in South India showing significant impacts on women's employment, income and social roles. One ICT initiative "gender-blind" and pursued within the globalised, competitive context of an increased role for markets and 'flexibility' has generally reinforced gender inequalities. By contrast, a gender-focused ICT initiative involving significant state intervention has brought about positive changes to livelihood outcomes and empowerment of poor women.
India was selected for two main reasons. First, because it has given a significant imporatnce to ICTs bot on the production side(in the development of its software industaries) and the consumption side(with its significant investments in e-goverment applications and and attemots to push ICTs out into rural areas).
Secondly, because applications of ICTs have taken place through a variety of different models;for example from pure market to pure state, and from gender blind to gender focussed (Singalls and Rogers 2001). India, therefore provides a valuable source of data for other countries seeking to journey towards the "information society" and concerned about the gender consequences of this journey.
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