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| Editorial
The aspect of gender in the whole ICT circle though very important is least debated.
Gender issues, be it women’s education, equality of rights or violence against them, has always been an integral part of any nation’s social reform processes. During India’s struggle for freedom Raja Rammohan Rai, Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, Gandhi and others led movements for the upliftment of women in the society. Traditionally in all the developing economies the social fabric gives advantage to men to know and interact more with the outside world. Women are devoted to a social responsibility of cooking, managing their homes and families. With a result education and learning occupies a backseat for them. First radio, and subsequently television had an immense impact on these women. It became a source of entertainment, information …a window of the world for them. Its accessibility has never been questioned. Easy to operate, it reached and accepted promptly by millions and billions. Cut to the present. ICT is the new buzzword with fashionable gadgets - computers, mobile phones and handhelds have entered society - and with them have arrived several barriers. Unfortunately, a computer is not like a television – it needs some expertise to use. Furthermore, there are issues as to linguistics of the medium. Most of the women in developing countries communicate in local dialects and do not learn English. Dearth of local content is another big issue that makes devices like computers less palatable. If radio and televisions could transcend gender and generate knowledge among women then computers etc too can. Or can they really? As radio and television have shown in the past that ICTs have potential to make a significant difference in women’s lives, it is with this hope that one is looking forward to new tools. After all our prime concern is to address their needs and then comes radio, television, computer. What do you think? Happy reading. |
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