By APCNews BERLIN, Germany,
Published onPage last updated on
Two weeks into 2006, Dakar (Senegal) played host to an exciting and educational workshop that brought together IT specialists and journalists from five francophone West and Central African countries. It was organised in partnership with Panos West Africa (PIWA), a Senegal-based group very much involved in ICT policy issues -such as seen among other projects, with the CIPACO website (www.cipaco.org).
What gave the conference a particularly interesting ambiance was the gender balance attendees invited as speakers or participants, and the way that organisers were able to keep focus on gender at the top of the agenda of Universal Access Telecommunications policies.
When people talk about universal access, it is implicit that women would automatically be included as recipients of the service, but the unique factors preventing women from accessing technology are often not addressed. This was avoided in Dakar by putting a special focus on women’s involvement with and access and participation to information and communication technology.
Participants attended various presentations on universal telecommunications services access in the African context, a presentation on gender analysis, and another on the role of communications professionals in the success of universal access. Tying all of these themes together was Marie Hélène Mottin-Sylla (ENDA-Regentic), who gave a presentation titled “Taking into account gender issues in universal service policy: Supporting elements and advances linked to WSIS.”
The outcomes reached by the thirty participants – communications professionals from Benin, Senegal, Niger, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Chad – showed across all of these countries, a great deal of similarity existed with regards to the lack of ICT policy and regulations, especially with regards to gender issues as well as universal service provisions. Participants reported that often, what little exists in the way of ICT policy is there to serve more the corporate sector and business interests, then the citizens needs for sustainable development.
It was agreed that there needs to be a reactivation of ICT policy-making in West Africa, one which calls for both technological advances and a reinjection of energy into making universal access policies that are aimed at helping people – and particularly the most marginalised citizens, including rural people and women – learn about their rights as citizens.
During the conference, communication professionals learned how they could contribute to encouraging the emergence of new ICT policies. Some may go on to lobby their government and others simply to discuss the possibilities for universal access more widely, but there is no doubt that the role of journalists and publicists is influential in bringing universal access and new ICT policies closer to fruition.
“It’s astonishing to see how advances in terms of universal access stay far behind those of technical infrastructure and private services”, said Marie-Hélène Mottin-Sylla. “The definition of universal service has not been updated since 2001,” she goes on as saying. “It only refers to access to landline telephony without taking into account technological advances (internet, wireless connection) that could factor in the development of Africa’s majority,” she adds.
One thing is sure, and that’s that 2006 is off to a strong start in Dakar. Sustaining and spreading this energy and commitment to access, particularly access for women, is the challenge that lies ahead of all of us as the year progresses.
Although acknowledging the success of the workshop, Mottin-Sylla points at the efforts invested in universal service. “They are marginal, compared to those poured into industrial and private developments and remind us of the imbalances caused by structural adjustments”.
