Ugandan Women and The Web

A talk on the use of the internet by women in Uganda vis-à-vis policies and regulations promoting this use.

Transcript

1. UGANDAN WOMEN & THE WEB
2. ICT POLICY IN UGANDA
3. REGULATION  To regulate and coordinate IT Services in Uganda, the National Information Technology Authority of Uganda (NITA(U) was established under the NITA-U Act of 2009.  The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) is the government regulatory body of the communications sector in Uganda. Although owned by the Ugandan government, it acts independently. Its mandated responsibilities include licensing, regulation, communications infrastructure development and the expansion of rural communications service.  Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is a Government Ministry providing strategic and technical leadership on all matters of information and communications technologies.
4. LEGISLATION  Uganda has several laws & policies governing ICT;  Uganda Communications Act enacted in 2013  NITA (U) Act 2009  The Computer Misuse Act 2011  The Electronic Transactions Act 2011  The Electronic Signatures Act 2011  The Regulation of Interception of Communications Act 2010  The Anti-Terrorism Act 2002 (Amended 2015)  Access to Information Act 2005  National ICT Policy
5. GENDER ISSUES IN ICT Physical access to infrastructure. If the technology isn’t there, you can’t use it. Infrastructure is a gender issue. At present, a huge gender gap exists in access to communications. Infrastructure is concentrated in urban areas, and the bulk of Ugandan women live in rural areas. (A survey by the Uganda Communications Commission found that only 6% of women are online. Kampala has the largest gender gap in Internet access across 10 cities surveyed globally. Only 21% of women reported having used the Internet, versus 61% of men) Ugandan Women have the social burden of looking after the young and elderly and thus find it harder than men to migrate to towns and cities. The urban bias in connectivity thus deprives women, more than men, of the universal right to communicate. (To address this; the UCC Act 2000 & amended in 2013 mandates equitable provision of communication services across the country. The law requires UCC to ensure ICT access & Infrastructure provision & distribution throughout the country including the establishment of the rural communications development fund.)
6. Social and Cultural Barriers. Gender bias in attitudes towards women studying or using information technology. There are problems in attracting young women to science and technology studies. Financial resources All ICT facilities cost money. Women are less likely than men to own phones, computers, radios and televisions, or to access them when they want to, in the case of household possession of the technology. (NITA’s provision of Free Wifi will go a long way in providing affordable access) Content. Most platforms do not meet the information needs of women, are in a language that many of the women can not read. Therefore ICT remains of little interest and value to Ugandan women. (The National Electronic Government Policy Framework of 2010 aims at continuous improvement in the efficiency of and access to government information and services to meet citizens’ expectations. i.e Govt should take the lead. E.g by starting the translation of government portals to local languages.
7. CHALLENGES  Many of these laws & policies are inadequately implemented and tend to limit access to information as well as freedom of expression that are key aspects to promoting gender balance. (Women’s online expression is also being restricted by frequent Internet shutdowns and mass surveillance. The draft Data Protection and Privacy Bill needs stronger privacy safeguards.)  The challenge is for policy makers to find the right policy mix and the political will to address the complex factors that affect women and girls so that they can reap the benefits of ICT.
8. RECOMMENDATIONS  Gov’t should review the effectiveness of existing laws & build the capacity of officials to promote compliance with the laws & harnessing of ICT tools for improved public service delivery. (Government should also review and enact the Data Protection and Privacy Bill, ensuring that it upholds online freedoms and privacy of communications.)  Gov’t should work with all stakeholders; private sector, academia & civil society to promote awareness of laws & adoption of platforms that enable citizen’s engagement.  Mainstreaming gender in policy & practice. There is need for full gender integration in ICT policy design to arrive at a policy & implementation strategy that will encourage girls & women to use & produce ICTs and ensure equitable access to ICTs and the benefits they can offer.
9. WHAT CAN WE DO?  Actively engage in the policy making process. E.g. I am part of the working group drafting the ICT Practitioners Bill. My role is to ensure that ICT industry development & labour policies are favourable for Ugandan Women. To promote incentives that encourage women to enter all segments of the ICT labour force and not just low-level entry jobs.