gisw13_chapters

The different uses of ICTs for women’s rightsThe most commonly used internet applications areemail and search engines, such as Google. Electronicforums, online classes and workshops, blogsand social networks are also occasionally used bywomen’s organisations.However, as a result of skills workshops organisedby AZUR Développement, AssociationDynamique Plurielle and Handicapés Sans Frontières,more women and organisations are nowusing blogs to make their voices heard. 2The personal accounts received from womenrecognise the place of the internet in their work:“Before we had access to the internet, we wouldcall friends on the telephone to let them know thatwe had a meeting. People would either come to themeeting or not, and when the quorum was not met,we weren’t able to hold the meeting and had to pushback certain deadlines. Today, we no longer needto meet up in one location; we are able to connectwith each other via the internet and can exchangeideas there,” stated Carine Ndamba, president ofAssociation Dynamique Plurielle (ADP). As such,the internet has not only facilitated the work donewithin associations, but it has also improved theability of organisations with similar goals to workcollaboratively.Some women’s organisations have seized uponthe idea of using ICTs and the internet to carry outtasks, do research, and communicate with otherorganisations and networks. These organisationshave been able to join regional and internationalnetworks, as well as benefit from the reinforcementof skills, grants and knowledge.Today, “certain at-risk women who have beentrained have created blogs and been contacted byothers, even here in the Congo. Each year, we receiveemails from people who tell us, for example,‘I am a victim of violence and I don’t know whereto go. Am I alone?’ Several years ago, this wasn’tpossible,” said Sylvie Niombo, director of AZURDéveloppement. 3As women’s organisations today search for currentinformation on women’s rights, the internethas allowed them greater access to the informationthey need. Often, existing texts are outdated; for2 The blog feministescongo.wordpress.com publishes variouswomen’s blog entries. Other women’s rights blogs include www.iteco.be/Au-Congo-des-blogs-pour-les-femmes, arletteraymonde.unblog.fr/2009/12/30/la-cedef-bilan-et-perspectives, azurweb.blogspot.com/2008/02/formation-pour-le-leadership-des-jeunes.html and pambazuka.org/fr/category/features/666403 Several blogs published by women on the subject of violencecan be viewed at feministescongo.wordpress.com/blogroll-descongolaisesexample, the Penal Code dates back to 1810. Internetaccess has improved the response to the needsof the women these organisations serve. AmaïcoolMpombo, of the Women Lawyers Association ofCongo, describes this change:Before the internet, people had to head to libraries.Law books are expensive, so most peopledidn’t have them readily accessible. But eventhen, women in the professional world didn’t havemuch time to go to the library. Now, when I’m in myoffice, I can easily access the internet and find theinformation that I need on the subjects that interestme. The internet is of fundamental importanceand helps us greatly in our work, most notably inimproving our research so that we can better helpthe people who contact us.Enough cannot be said about how much the internethas aided in advocating for and inciting change inlegislation, policies and programmes for women.Factors limiting internet usage among women’sorganisationsIt is important to remember that electricity is a prerequisiteto internet access. However, the electricitygrid remains inadequate and unreliable in both urbanand rural zones, presenting a great obstacleto internet access. In Sibiti, Makoua, Mossaka andMossendjo, among other places, the population haselectricity only between 6 pm and 11 pm, and eventhen, it is not guaranteed, despite the current effortsto bring electricity to these areas of the country.As there is a lack of basic infrastructure, it isinherent that there is also insufficient ICT infrastructure.The National Coverage Project seeks to extendaccess to remote areas and to move closer to universalbroadband access. The country also foreseesjoining the fibre-optic cable system in West Africathrough the WACS Project. The CAB Congo-CITCGproject (Central Africa Backbone-CommunicationInfrastructure and Technology) in Central Africashould also improve connectivity.Moreover, competition in the mobile phonemarket has intensified in the past few years. Consequently,approximately 70% of the country’spopulation is covered by a GSM signal as comparedwith 48% in resource-rich African countries, accordingto a March 2010 study published by AfricaInfrastructure Country Diagnostic (AICD). While it istrue that all the mobile phone companies provideinternet access through the use of modems, it mustbe recognised that not only is the service extremelyweak, but certain areas are still not completelycovered.105 / Global Information Society Watch