Gender and ICT

“Achieving E-Quality in the ICT Sector”

UNIFEM/Cisco Initiative

5th Annual Meeting for Telecom Development in the

Arab Region

Phoenicia Intercontinental BeirutMay 28-31, 2003

Some Facts …

Some Facts

• Constitute 70% of the world’s 1.3 billion absolute poor • Work 2/3 of the world’s working hours• Earn 1/10 of the world’s income• Own less than 1/100 of the world’s property

Women …

Human Development Report 2000

Some Facts

• Constitute 2/3 of the 65 million illiterate Arab adults• Are the fastest improving in education• Have weak performance in economic and political empowerment• Have the lowest rate in women’s participation in work force

Arab Women …

Arab Women Development Report 2002

UNIFEM/Cisco InitiativeObjectives and Components

UNIFEM/Cisco Initiative

To empower women in the ICT sector, through building their capabilities and professional skills, ensuring equal opportunities with regards to the ICT job market and securing a gender sensitive policy environment• Executing Agency: UNIFEM• Implementing Agencies: GOJ (MoICT, MoE, MoHE, MoP, MoL), UN Agencies,

NIC• Collaborating Agencies: GOJ, Cisco Systems, Cisco Foundation• Funding Agencies: Cisco Systems, Cisco Foundation, UNIFEM, GOJ

Objective …

Job Placement

Capacity Building

Policy Advocacy

Information Base

UNIFEM/Cisco Initiative

Positively affect IT policies and policy forums through systematic monitoring that highlights gender gaps, women’s potential contributions and participation

Establish gender focused Cisco Networking Academy Programs (CNAP) through national institutions for the provision of high quality training for women

Link CNAP graduates with the ICT Job Market (through Bridging-Training workshops and the job placement program)

Components…

Develop and disseminate an information base that reflects a gender analysis of opportunities and challenges in the ICT market and policy environment

Achievements and Success Stories

Capacity Building - Cisco Networking Academy Program

• Pilot Gender Focused CNAPs established and 60 Instructors trained

Achievements and success stories

• 80 Classes opened and 800 Students enrolled (65% females)• 600 completed semester 1&2, 100 graduated & certified (280 hrs.)• Database and tracking system developed• High demand from students and institutions • New experience, new method of learning

• Phase II ‘Capacity Building’ action plan developed

Job Placement Program

• Soft skills training workshops enhanced market required skills

• Promotional and media campaigns raised awareness among students and ICT market stakeholders

Achievements and success stories

• Gender training workshops raised awareness on gender issues

• Network of market stakeholders created

• Coordination with Recruitment Programs and Initiatives• Phase II Job Placement Action Plan developed

Policy Advocacy and Awareness

• Promotional and media campaigns targeting policy makers resulted in raising awareness on gender and development

• UNIFEM/MOICT Task Force developed mechanism to gender-sensitize national ICT initiatives

• Network of policy makers created

Achievements and success stories

• Phase II Policy Advocacy Action Plan developed

• Major National ICT Initiatives are gender-sensitized

Achievements and success stories

Gender Sensitive Information Base

• “Jordanian Women in the ICT Space” Research covering Jordan’s ICT Sector, women in Jordan (students, users, professionals and policy makers) and qualitative and quantitative assessment of women in ICT

• Research acting as a reference for planning ICT strategies and formulating national ICT initiatives

• High demand for Research findings by policy and decision makers

Ms. Kariman Abu MughliPrincess Eman Information Technology Community CenterMs. Abu Mughli joined the Cisco Program when she heard about the UNIFEM/Cisco initiative Because she believes that IT isa crucial tool for development. “I am not an IT person, yet Ijoined to help my children learnhow to use the Internet effectively”.

Alia Gharaibeh and Hayat Al-JibaliAjloun University CollegeBoth Alia and Hayat have been appointed as lab technicians inYarmouk University. “If it wasn’t for the Cisco training, I don’t think I would have been appointed,this is a great opportunity for us”.

Shireen Hassan, Wadi Seer College Immediately after finishing her training,Shireen trained at a leading computer company that specializes in buildingNetworks. “I was amazed that they immediately accepted me. But I was evenmore amazed to find that I was able toapply all that I have learned from my Ciscocourses in my training. My training periodwent so well that the company promisedto hire me after I finish my studying. They even asked other Cisco students to trainand work with them”.

Dua’a Jankhot – YWCADua’a was chosen from severalcandidates to work in an IT company. Dua’a says her Cisco training at YWCA’s VocationalTraining Center has helped herfind a job and has been very useful at her new job.

Key Obstacles and Lessons Learned

Key Obstacles

• Lack of interest among females due to stereotyping, lack of role models and poor exposure

• Lack of commitment from partners, academies, contact persons and instructors

• Lack of awareness on benefits of ICT for development and the need for ‘gender-balance’ in the ICT market

• Access to PCs, poor Internet connection and English language barriers

• Family pressure and socio-cultural norms

• Gender-blind policies and lack of gender-sensitive statistics and information

Lessons LearnedRaising awareness on the benefits of the program is an integral part for the success of the projectEstablishing a steering committee and developing regular communication among members is of great importanceDocumenting and updating database and tracking system is a key requirementConducting soft skills training workshops (including Human Development and Career Development skills) is of great importance Formulating specialized task forces consisting of stakeholders, policy makers and experts raises awareness, creates commitment and helps develop better plansRegularly updating information and statistics on the ICT sector and disseminating among stakeholders and strategy planners, help facilitate dialog with policy makers and achieve objectives

Future Plans ..

Future Plans

• Awareness: Launch an awareness campaign targeting market stakeholders, introduce role models and advocate new ICT practices

• Capacity Building: Ensure quality implementation, establish more networking academies in educational and training institutions and update database and tracking system

• Policy Advocacy: Strengthen communication with policy makers, monitor and evaluate changes, advocate formulation of ‘positive’ policies, update research and ensure engendering ICT policies & initiatives

• Job Placement: Conduct soft skills workshops, create regular communication network with market stakeholders, establish career counseling office and monitor ICT job market

• Extension and Expansion of the project

Thank You…