Empowered Through the Internet



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Women’s Internet Use in Five South Indian Villages: Obstacles and Opportunities
Author Information:
Dr. Michael L. Best
Assistant Professor
Sam Nunn School of International Affairs
Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA 30332-0610
mikeb@cc.gatech.edu
Phone: 404-894-0298
Fax: 404-894-1900
Dr. Sylvia Maier
Assistant Professor
Sam Nunn School of International Affairs
Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA 30332-0610
sylvia.maier@inta.gatech.edu
Phone: 404-385-2829
Fax: 404-894-1900
Abstract:
Gender, Culture and ICT Use in Rural South India
Michel L. Best and Sylvia G. Maier
In this article we explore how womenuse and perceive information technology in five villages in rural Tamil Nadu, India. We analyze the outcomes from structured in-depth interviews with seventeen women Internet kiosk users and twenty-two women who never used the Internet (non-users). Our intention is to systematically document the information and communication needs of women in rural South India as articulated by the women themselves. We identify several critical issues that must be taken into account in the design of information and communication technology (ICT) projects. Our findings suggest for four main conclusions: (1) women find ICTs useful, (2) there are gender-specific usage patterns and perceptions of ICTs, (3) obstacles to ICT use are generally structural (time, location, illiteracy) and not personal (e.g. a prohibition from a relative), and (4) manifestations of gender awareness correlate with perceptions of obstacles to ICT use. Information and communication technologies hold great promise in the drive for development and poverty reduction in the global South, yet in order to ensure that the entire population reaps the benefits of these technologies a clear understanding of the specific needs of women and other disadvantaged groups is imperative.

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