Apctt
- 1. ICT for Women Entrepreneurship in Asia-Pacific Expert Group Meeting on ICT Policy from a Gender Perspective Bangkok, December 18-19th, 2001 Bianca R. Tonetti Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology (APCTT)
- 2. Facts and figures Women entrepreneurs manage 35% of SMEs in the region, more than 1/3 of 95% of all enterprises in Asia Pacific The online female population in ASIA in 2000 accounted for 22% of Internet users By 2003 there will be 8 million women Internet users in CHINA and 2 million in INDIA 23% women Internet users in INDIA in 2000 38.7% in CHINA in 2001 Only a small portion of the female population of Asian developing countries is digitally empowered However, out of 15,000 members of IWAPI-Indonesia only 12% have e-mail accounts
- 3. Facts and figures Women’s Internet use in Asia-Pacific and USA Source: Hafkin & Taggart, Gender, IT and Development Countries , AED for USAID, 2001.
- 4. Impact of IT on women’s work Women concentrated at lower skilled employment levels Automation in manufacturing/services Relocation of production New skill requirements Creation of new jobs in: INFORMATION PROCESSING BANKING INSURANCE PRINTING PUBLISHING Conducive policies in India and Malaysia have led to women occupying high-skilled and managerial positions
- 5. Information processing PROJECT SITA AND WOMEN’S e-COOPERATIVE MITRAMANDAL - INDIA Studies in Information Technology Applications (SITA) is a computer-skill training program for 450 women from a disadvantage background and with limited communication skills. It is sponsored by InfoDev - World Bank Global Challenge Award 2000, finalist Stockholm Challenge Award 2000, selected as Most Promising Social Enterprise 2002 Poor response of the job market to the project trainees Self-employment through the women’s cooperative MitraMandal
- 6. Information processing WOMEN’S e-COOPERATIVE MITRAMANDAL MitraMandal Professional Wing Training of trainers R&D marketing and publicity Learning Wing Implements the learning strategy Public/Private Organizations Providers of work Earning Wing Trainers and trainees use IT skills to generate income Source: SITA .
- 7. Information processing PROJECT SITA AND WOMEN’S e-COOPERATIVE MITRAMANDAL - INDIA SITA trainees SITA head trainer SITA senior instructor Source: SITA
- 8. Information processing SECTOR PROFILE IN ASIA CHINA, INDIA, SINGAPORE and VIETNAM are taking large shares of the outsourcing markets in data processing The PHILIPPINES concentrates the largest number of women workers in remote data entry Many new jobs are in call centres and satellite offices performing back office functions
- 9. Information processing OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN IN ASIA Women working in data entry in BANGLADESH would earn 88% more than in local jobs One million jobs in call centres are expected to be created in INDIA by 2007 Women’s attempts to create self-employment are frustrated by their lack of business and marketing skills In INDIA over 350,000 women are expected to be working in remote data processing by 2008
- 10. Information processing CONDUCIVE POLICIES Good telecom infrastructure IT training in and out of school Training in marketing and business development
- 11. Clothing and textile manufacturing RANLIYA GARMENT INDUSTRIES - SRI LANKA Established in 1978 by Ms. Hapuarachchi. Turnover of US$23 million, workforce of 6,000. 95% are women The company utilizes CAD/CAM machines for garment design, computerized sewing and embroidery machine and has a production capacity of 700,000 pieces per month Technology transfer was successful thanks to an easily trainable workforce due to Sri Lanka’s high literacy rate The new technology enhances the productivity while meeting the requirements of international markets in terms of timeliness, pricing and quality standards
- 12. Clothing and textile manufacturing RANLIYA GARMENT INDUSTRIES - SRI LANKA CAD/CAM machine for garment design Computerized sewing machine
- 13. Clothing and textile manufacturing SECTOR PROFILE IN ASIA Asia’s share of total employment in the industry was 72% in 1998 China is the major employer accounting for 20% of the global workforce In 1995 Asia concentrated 80% of global women workers in the textile sector Women take up 71% of the jobs in clothing in the region, with China the major employer (20%) followed by Indonesia and Thailand Source: ILO.
- 14. Clothing and textile manufacturing OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN IN ASIA Computer technology offers opportunities for small and medium women-owned clothing manufacturing units Decentralization allowed by fragmentation of production particularly in garment manufacturing In Italy women subcontractors use IT applications for the instant fashion market Promotion of small-scale sector instrumental for the development of the sector
- 15. Clothing and textile manufacturing Promotion of small-scale sector Entrepreneurship development training Dissemination of technology information Government to initiate, coordinate and share the cost of R&D and training schemes CONDUCIVE POLICIES
- 16. Software programming VIJAY SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS (VSD) - INDIA Shefali Kapoor established an education and career guidance centre in 1990, a computer academy in 1991 and VSD in 1992. Turnover of US$222,000 and workforce of 6 software developers Technology transfer was successful thanks to her post graduation in computer sciences. She entered the business when computer started to be used for back-office support, pay-roll management, inventory control etc. Advantages she found in her business are - availability of personnel possessing technical know-how - know-how could be updated on the job, and - tremendous scope of IT-enabled services
- 17. Software programming VIJAY SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS (VSD) - INDIA Shefali Kapoor Software developers at work
- 18. Software programming SECTOR PROFILE IN ASIA Customized software services are potentially attractive to small and medium sized women enterprises Software sector in INDIA has grown by 50% in the 1990s creating exports, domestic jobs and technical talents The number of women programmers, designers, inventors and fixers of computers is limited in the developing world However in MALAYSIA women are 30% of IT professionals and in INDIA comprise 20% of professional jobs in the software industry
- 19. Software programming OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN IN ASIA Network administration and maintenance are services strongly needed by private sector and government institutions The greatest potential for job opportunities is in the core IT sector In INDIA and CHINA opportunities are available for women in the software industry IT education and training is an area particularly suitable for women
- 20. Software programming CONDUCIVE POLICIES Less expensive courses on IT Introduction of IT at early stages of formal education Increasing the number of girls and women studying IT-related subjects in formal schooling IT training out of school IT info dissemination for girls and women (career fairs) State-private sector cooperation for HRD development Entrepreneurship development training
- 21. Conclusions POLICIES FOR WOMEN’S DIGITAL EMPOWERMENT Rural areas Cost of hardware, software, service Alternative sources of software Cyberkiosks and telecenters Impact assessment of legislation on working women Taxes and subsidies for investment promotion in strategic sectors HRD at al levels Scholarships and reservations Business development programmes for self-employment Infrastructure Regulatory environment Education and training
- 22. Web References http://learnlink.aed.org/Publications/Gender_Book/pdf/Gender_Book_NoPhotos.pdf http://www.totheweb.com/Digital_Divide_White_Paper.PDF http://www.sitaa.org http://www.undp.org.my/partnership/UNDP.pdf http://www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/sector/techmeet/tmlfi00/tmlfi-r.pdf http://www.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/uu37we/uu37we00.htm#Contents