March 2, 2005, 8:30a.m. - 10:15a.m. Participating Sites: Kabul, New Delhi, Goa, Dhaka, Geneva, and Phnom Penh
Program Description:
This videoconference seminar explored how ICTs could empower South Asian women by facilitating their participation in economic activities. Women constitute on average 33 % of the total labor force in the South Asia Region, the second lowest level of female labor force participation in the world. The majority of these women are earning incomes through Micro and Small Enterprise (MSE) activities. For example, 76% of women's urban employment in Nepal, and 61% in Pakistan, is in the informal sector. Presenters discussed their experience and knowledge of programs that helped women take advantage of ICT opportunities to improve their economic empowerment. Presenters: Tulika Sinha, Vice President, NIIT Limited, India Sugata Mitra, Chief Scientist, Center for Research in Cognitive Systems, NIIT Limited, India Presentation material (PDF 50KB) Carol Le Duc, Senior Social Development Specialist, Environment and Social Unit, Afghanistan and Tooba Mayel, Sector and Thematic Programs Group, World Bank Institute
Chetan Sharma, Founder, Datamation Foundation Trust, New Delhi, India Presentation summary Chair: Samia Melhem, Senior Operation Officer, infoDev, World Bank Discussants:
Asta Olesen, Regional Gender Coordinator, South Asia, World Bank Asenath Mpatwa, Coordinator, Africa Unit, International Telecommunication Union, Geneva
Introduction:
Kayoko Shibata, Knowledge Management Analyst, Gender and Development Group, World Bank
Sponsors: PRMGE, GICT, PRMED, the South Asia Gender Team, and e-Development Services Thematic Group. |