Milestone or Minefield? - Gender, Technology and Development in the CARICOM Single Market

• Author: Dr. Leith L Dunn
• Pages: 361-386

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Milestone or Minefield?

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25 Dr. Leith L Dunn

MILESTONE OR MINEFIELD?

GENDER, TECHNOLOGY AND

DEVELOPMENT IN THE CARICOM

SINGLE MARKET

Introduction: The Global and Regional ICT Agenda

The 2005 World Summit of the Information Society (WSIS) developed a

global Plan of Action (Tunis Agenda) to facilitate the use of technology for

development. The Plan reflects the complexities created by the global

revolution resulting from the convergence of Information and Communication

Technologies (ICTs). Regional plans to implement the WSIS/Tunis Agenda

are outlined in the Plan of Action for the Information Society in Latin America

and the Caribbean eLAC 2007.1 This Plan supports: a) access and digital

inclusion; b) capacity building and knowledge creation; c) public transparency

and efficiency; d) development of relevant policy instruments; and e) the

creation of an enabling environment for ICT development and use. Specific

goals, actions and a timeframe have been developed for its implementation.

Given the gendered realities of Caribbean countries, technology developments

must be assessed to determine their potential gender impact in the region.

Having made commitments by ratifying international human rights

conventions, Caribbean countries must therefore assess the differential impact

of the emerging ICT agenda to promote gender-sensitive development in the

region.

The 2005 Tunis Agenda for the Information Society aims at ‘providing

equitable access to information and knowledge for all,’ ‘recognizing the role

of ICTs for economic growth and development,’ and supporting achievement

of the MDG goals by 2015.2 The Tunis Agenda/Plan of Action includes:

a. mainstreaming and aligning national e-strategies;

362 CSME: Genesis and Prognosis

b. developing and implementing enabling policies aimed at …

promoting the development of Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises

(SMMEs);

c. building ICT capacity;

d. Implementing effective training and education, particularly in ICT

science and technology, that motivates and promotes participation

and active involvement of girls and women in the decision-making

process of building the Information Society;

e. paying special attention to the formulation of universal design

concepts and the use of facilitating technologies that promote access

for all persons, including those with disabilities;

f. promoting public policies aimed at providing affordable access at

all levels;

g. improving access to the world’s health knowledge and telemedicine

services;

h. building ICT capacities to improve access and use of postal networks

and services;

i. using ICTs to improve access to agricultural knowledge;

j. developing and implementing e-government applications;

k. supporting educational, scientific, and cultural institutions;

l. enhancing the capacity of communities in all regions to develop

content in local and/or indigenous languages;

m. strengthening the creation of quality e-content, on national, regional

and international levels;

n. promoting the use of traditional and new media;

o. reaffirming the independence, pluralism and diversity of media, and

freedom of information;

p. strongly encouraging ICT enterprises and entrepreneurs to develop

and use environment-friendly production processes;

q. incorporating regulatory, self-regulatory, and other effective policies

and frameworks into national plans of action and e-strategies;

r. protecting children and young people from abuse and exploitation

through ICTs;

s. promoting the development of advanced research networks;

t. promoting voluntary service… to help maximize the developmental

impact of ICTs;

u. promoting the use of ICTs to enhance flexible ways of working,

including teleworking, leading to greater productivity and job

creation. 3