Ledares rörelsemönster
? en kvantitativ undersökning
New forms of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have become more influential in development contexts. The concept of ?The Digital Divide? points at a large division between rich and poor countries regarding access to ICTs. Critics say that the debate concerning this topic for far too long has focused mainly on the technology itself rather than social factors which impact social inclusion and development. Scholars agree that ICTs holds a tremendous potential, but how is this implemented in development contexts and how can it be used with more sensitivity towards local preconditions and social aspects?This paper aims to examine how ICTs are being used in the context of development within an India based organisation for women called SEWA (Self Employed Women?s Association). SEWA is an organisation with about 800 000 members that work to strengthen poor, self-employed women in the informal sector within six Indian states. The purpose of the report is to investigate how new ICTs are used within SEWA and what they mean to its members regarding employment, standards of life and social development. The research questions are: A) How does SEWA work to implement ICT in the everyday life of its members? B) Which forms of ICTs are used within SEWA and what do they mean for the members? And C) How has the implementation of ICTs affected the employment opportunities, life standards and social development of the SEWA members?The research is done through a qualitative method based on personal interviews and group interviews during April 2006 in Ahmedabad, India. The theoretical framework includes earlier research, and concepts like The Digital Divide, Technology determinism, Social capital, The Network Society, Gender relations and Empowerment. The empirical data is answering our research questions and quotes from the interviews are referred to and interpreted. Our results are discussed related to the theories and a few of our main conclusions include the following:SEWA is integrating ICTs in the everyday life of its members with thorough respect for local preconditions, needs and through education. Despite the fact that they work solely with poor women they use the full range of ICTs in different areas of their organisation. SEWA is an example of how appropriate technology can help poor and vulnerable women to receive better education, income possibilities, social safety and access to information in underprivileged societies. SEWA has a strategy to work with ?employment through ICT? which has contributed to a personal development of their female members. Not only have their confidence and status within the society improved but also their awareness of intrinsic values and rights. Furthermore the use of ICTs has helped in easing the existing inequalities between men and women within SEWA:s reach, even though gender issues has been quite a struggle for the organisation and its members.