Social Norms
Social norms action with informed and engaged societies
Social Norms
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at lainiciativadecomunicacion.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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World Bank Study of Gender & ICT for Development - Global

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This study aims to find the most effective way for women to become active participants in social and economic change, and to get more involved in the production, use, and application of ICT. The study looks at these five specific areas:
  • The labor market in the ICT sector, as well as other sectors that use ICT
  • Technical education and training
  • ICT-based micro-enterprises, such as community telecenters, and the use of e-commerce to expand existing businesses
  • Social services delivered through ICT, such as health, education, and local government services
  • Policy and regulatory measures meant to encourage gender equality in all these areas.
Main Communication Strategies
Study activities include:
  • Reviewing ongoing and planned projects funded by the World Bank to assess incorporation of gender and ICT
  • Developing indicators of women's participation in the knowledge economy, including participation in the labor force, in education, and in access and use of ICT
  • Reviewing existing literature on gender and ICT
  • Conducting interviews with various stakeholders - including educational and financial institutions, policy-makers, and women's groups
  • Working with various multilateral agencies to assess their activities and perspectives.
Expected products will be a research report and a gender and ICT knowledge package (CD ROM) to serve as training materials and reference documentation for World Bank task managers involved in ICT projects, as well as for project managers, planners, and policy makers engaged in development activities around the world. These products will be disseminated at a workshop during the International Women's Month, March 2003, and the World Summit on the Information Society, December 2003.
Development Issues
Technology, Women, Gender, Economic Development.
Key Points
ICTs have implications for the participation of men and women in the knowledge economy. Access to education, technology, micro-credit, and other resources can facilitate women's entry into the knowledge economy. However, the gender gap may widen because women are less likely than men to receive technical education, or be employed in technology-intensive work. This is especially true in rural areas and among poorer populations, where women are already disadvantaged by their relative lack of education. Though ICT is a resource, it also poses new challenges for women's inclusion into the workforce, as well as for gender parity and women's empowerment.
Partners

Global Information and Communication Technologies Department and the Gender and Development Unit; Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network; the World Bank; the Government of Japan; Large Scale Study Program; Japan Staff and Consultant Trust Fund.

Sources

World Bank site.