Through the use of workshops, training and other methodologies, the project “Gender issues and women’s livelihoods improvement”, a GenARDIS grantee, seeks not only to develop an understanding relevant issues but also how to take advantage of the opportunities offered by ICTs in order to enhance the livelihoods of those in the area. Hassan Hamadu is a techie and the lead trainer of the Kassena Nankana East Community Information Center in Navrongo and is coordinating the project.
The Kassena Nankana Communities are of the poorest in Ghana with over 90% of the population living below the poverty level. There are only two public internet access points in the area; the Navrongo CIC is one and the better equipped. It’s part of number of CICs built nation-wide to provide ICT services and products to rural and peri-urban communities in Ghana.
The objectives of the CIC, currently in operation, are:
- To assist in bridging the digital divide between rural and urban areas of the districts
- To provide community information needs and enhance community integration.
- To create ICT awareness in the rural areas.
- To disseminate relevant and pressing information to the rural communities.
- To provide opportunity for ICT training and support business activities in the communities.
This project will integrate traditional media and ICTs. Discussions on gender issues will take place at a local FM (Nabiina FM) radio, so as to increase women’s usage of the CIC and other ICT access points. These discussions will be facilitated by women’s group leaders, and a conscious effort will be made to balance the resource persons in terms of sex so that the gender issues can be addressed adequately and to prevent the programme from being labeled a women’s programme, which could cause apathy from the men in the community
The idea is also to increase awareness of gender disparities in access to, and usage of ICTs and related issues. The project also seeks to build the capacities of local commercial women in the creation and capturing of relevant content. Training hours will take into account women’s needs, since inaccesible schedules (that collide with agricultural activities or housework) were identified as key factors that prevent women from benefiting from the CIC.
Gender Iisues to be addressed in the Kassena Nankana Districts
1. Limitations of the media on gender issues
The media in the area – largely radio – is not adequately capacitated to discuss gender issues. An inquiry by the CIC reveals that there is no gender desk at Nabiina FM. Due to this, there is hardly any educational discussion on gender issues on air and the programme content rarely contains information that might interest women.
2. Low patronage of women of ICT facilities
In the ICT facilities that exist in the area, women tend to have less access than men. Some of the reasons for this situation will be discussed within the framework of the project. The entire project however is aimed at generating women’s interest in the use of ICTs.
3. Low level of ICT skills amongst women graduates of vocational schools
An informal research done at the center reveals that most of their patrons tend to be males. The few females who visit the center to use its facilities have usually been trained from outside the district. A further inquiry revealed that the local vocational schools either do not have computer laboratories, or these are in unserviceable conditions.
Reaching rural women engaged in commercial agriculture and other rural enterprises
The project seeks to reach womenwho belong to groups who are involved in agricultural production. Their livelihoods depend mainly on the seasonal engagement in agricultural activities in the Kasena Nanakana Districts.
Access to ICTs in the district
Television
The national television station, GTV has a good coverage in the area, but most beneficiaries are not likely to own television sets. Besides, opportunities for women in the area to contribute content to the station, which is largely based in the national capital, Accra, is very limited. Furthermore, the languages of the area, Kasem and Nankani are not represented on the station.
Radio
Two FM stations, URA FM and Nabiina FM compete in the area and have been used extensively by the population for social and other announcements. Most content on these stations is locally generated and in the local dialects. Radio presents a hope for the use of ICTs amongst women traders and professionals.
Telephone
Mobile telephony has seen the highest growth in the area in the last decade. Most individuals can be contacted via mobile telephone either directly or through that of a close associate. Most traders however only make use of mobile phones for voice services and are not adequately literate on the use of other mobile phone facilities made available by the communication providers.
Internet
There are only two public internet access points in the area; one of which is the CIC and is also the better equipped of the two. Patronage of internet facilities is observably very low among women folks in the Kassena Nankana Districts. The CIC intends to use some Web 2.0 tools and SMS as media through which women can market their products and share ideas and best practices. Overall, the access to ICTs is limited and largely one-way.
