ICT in Eritrea: A Gendered Approach

Introduction  ICT assessment was conducted at the request of USAID/Eritrea:  assess IT enabling environment in Eritrea  examine potential IT opportunities  March 2001

Why ICTs?  Current Discourse: Strategic Interests vs. Practical Needs  Does not need to be a trade-off   Basic needs can be addressed in parallel  Information Exchange and Knowledge Production  Knowledge gap vs. income gap  Vehicle for Empowerment  C reate conditions in which individuals can participate in economic activity  Active vs. Passive Access to Information

ICT Assessment Approach  Pipes current state of telecom infrastructure, including connectivity and access to IT  Pipes - current state of telecom infrastructure, including connectivity and access to IT  Public Sector examination of legal and regulatory framework  Public Sector - examination of legal and regulatory framework  Private Sector current state of private sector  Private Sector - current state of private sector  People examination of human capital, training capacity, and educational curriculum  People - examination of human capital, training capacity, and educational curriculum  Gender identification of opportunities or obstacles women and men face in terms of access to IT  Gender - identification of opportunities or obstacles women and men face in terms of access to IT

Why Gender? Integrating Gender into ICT Assessments  Taking Gender Seriously  Focusing on opportunities, constraints and risks that both men and women face  Solutions and recommendations should include both men and women  While Information Technology may be neutral, access however is not  Dynamics of gender relations may be different  Statistics hide gender disparities  Sophistication of IT use  Gender bias: data processing vs. content development

ICT Findings: Pipes § Telecommunications Infrastructure § Leland Initiative § Leland Initiative § Five-Year $15 million effort in 20 African countries § Goal § Enabling Policy Environment § Internet Services § Sustainable Development § Leland Initiative in Eritrea § Memorandum of Understanding, August 1999 § Internet Gateway Launch, November 2000

Welcome to the Leland Internet Gateway of Eritrea! Connecting Eritrean Villages to the Global Village ERITREA INTERNET LAUNCH November 15 th 2000 United States Ambassador William D. Clarke Minister of Transport and Communications Estifanos Afewerki InternetNetworkStatusPhotos I.S.P.SitesBandwidth Web Creation Demo

ICT Findings: Pipes Recent grant of license to cellular company -Competition to TSE Recent grant of license to cellular company -Competition to TSE Approximately 40,000 people on waiting list for telephones Approximately 40,000 people on waiting list for telephones Over 80% percentage of lines in Asmara - rural access an issue Over 80% percentage of lines in Asmara - rural access an issue 0.77 Telephone Penetration 0.77 Telephone Penetration

ICT Findings: Public Sector

E-Readiness Definitions

ICT Findings:Private Sector

E-commerce Activities E-commerce Activities  

Internet Demand

ICT Findings:Private Sector Import Tax and Duty Import Tax and Duty Customs 10 % sales tax 10 % sales tax 5% import duty 5% import duty 2% if no LC Commercial Invoice Commercial Invoice Airway Bill Airway Bill Packing List Packing List

Regional IT Use: Keren  Second most populated city  Economic dependence on service industry  Large segment of demobilized population  No safety net in place  Telephone connectivity  New digital system 1998

Regional IT Use: Keren

ICT Findings: People

 N.U.E.Y.S. - Strong social capital  Criteria: age range  Membership fee: 50 cents/month  Members: total 130,000; 40% women  Vocational Training: short-term  30 individuals/6 months  16% women and 84% men  IT Training: pay for private training  5 individuals/1 year  60% women and 40% men 

ICT Findings: People

ICT Findings: Gender

Barriers to Diffusion of ICTs  Legal and Regulatory Framework  Tariff and Pricing Policies  Appropriate Models  Tele-centers, pilot projects  Tele-centers, pilot projects  Accommodate for literacy levels, language barriers  Accommodate for literacy levels, language barriers  Sustainability  Sustainability  Hardware  Hardware  Time Poverty  Inelasticity of time  Inelasticity of time  Wellbeing and welfare  Wellbeing and welfare  Gendered differences  Gendered differences

ICT:Results  Directive issued by Minister of Transport and Communications, May National Telecommunication Tariffs and Rates  Transparency of the Internet

ICT: Results  Internet Upgrade  Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) Training Session  E-Commerce Workshop USAID ICT- Related Activities