Bridging the digital divide to EMPOWER WOMEN Eng. Deepasika Seneviratne B.Sc. (Eng.) Hons., MBA Divisional Manager Switching & Planning

Summary ICT and its popularity Envisaged benefits of ICT The Digital Divide Sri Lanka’s standing in ICT Bridging the Divide Empowering women

ICT and its popularity

1. ICT and its Popularity What is ICT? Information and Communications Technologies an umbrella term which includes any communication device or application Encompassing : radio television cellular phones computers and networks hardware and software satellite systems etc. And the various services associated such as videoconferencing and distance learning

1. ICT and its Popularity only 4 years The rapid growth and the dynamism of ICT To reach 50 million people: The printing press took over a century ….. Radio took 38 years Television took 13 years The World Wide Web ? only 4 years

Envisaged benefits of ICT

2. Envisaged benefits of ict Universal access to information Rationality of markets Transparency of government Sharing world’s many cultures Formation of Global communities Life-and health-enhancing information to ordinary people Prosperity to world’s six billion citizens

However the technology itself is not important The importance of ICTs lies in its ability to create greater access to information and communication in underserved populations. The technology is practically worthless unless people are equipped with the know-how, and the willingness, to use it. Those who cannot use it confidently, will become increasingly marginalised within the modern world.

The Digital Divide

3. The Digital Divide “the world can be divided into people who do and do not have access to - and the capability to use - modern information technology, such as the telephone, television, or the Internet”. the basic factor which leads to a digital divide is lack of access to computers and Internet

3. The Digital Divide The digital divide exists between : Cities and Rural areas The educated and the uneducated Different economic classes More and less industrially developed nations Between Generations

Sri Lanka’s standing in ICT

Sri Lanka’s standing in ICT WORLD INTERNET USAGE AND POPULATION STATISTICS December 31, 2011 www.internetworldstats.com. Copyright © 2001 - 2012, Miniwatts Marketing Group. All rights reserved worldwide World Regions Population Internet users 2011 Penetration (% population) Users % Africa 1,037,524,058 139,875,242 13.50% 6.20% Asia 3,879,740,877 1,016,799,076 26.20% 44.80% Europe 816,426,346 500,723,686 61.30% 22.10% Middle East 216,258,843 77,020,995 35.60% 3.40% North America 347,394,870 273,067,546 78.60% 12.00% Latin America / Carib. 597,283,165 235,819,740 39.50% 10.40% Oceania / Australia 35,426,995 23,927,457 67.50% 1.10% TOTAL 6,930,055,154 2,267,233,742 32.70% 100.00%

Sri Lanka’s standing in ICT ……. ASIA INTERNET USAGE AND POPULATION STATISTICS December 31, 2011 www.internetworldstats.com. Copyright © 2001 - 2012, Miniwatts Marketing Group. All rights reserved worldwide   Country Population (Est.) Internet Users (31.12.2011) Penetration (% per population) Users (% Asia) 1 Korea, North 24,457,492.00 -- 2 Korea, South 48,754,657.00 40,329,660.00 82.70% 4.00% 3 Japan 126,475,664.00 101,228,736.00 80.00% 10.00% 4 Brunei Darussalem 401,890.00 318,900.00 79.40% 0.00% 5 Singapore 4,740,737.00 3,658,400.00 77.20% 0.40% 6 Taiwan 23,071,779.00 16,147,000.00 70.00% 1.60% 7 Hong Kong * 7,122,508.00 4,894,913.00 68.70% 0.50% 8 Malaysia 28,728,607.00 17,723,000.00 61.70% 1.70% 9 Macao * 573,003.00 308,797.00 53.90% 10 Armenia 2,967,975.00 1,396,550.00 47.10% 0.10% 11 Azerbaijan 8,372,373.00 3,689,000.00 44.10% 12 Kyrgystan 5,587,443.00 2,194,400.00 39.30% 0.20%

Sri Lanka’s standing in ICT ……. ASIA INTERNET USAGE AND POPULATION STATISTICS December 31, 2011 www.internetworldstats.com. Copyright © 2001 - 2012, Miniwatts Marketing Group. All rights reserved worldwide   Country Population (Est.) Internet Users (31.12.2011) Penetration (% per population) Users (% Asia) 13 China * 1,336,718,015.00 513,100,000.00 38.40% 50.50% 14 Kazakhstan 15,522,373.00 5,448,965.00 35.10% 0.50% 15 Vietnam 90,549,390.00 30,516,587.00 33.70% 3.00% 16 Philippines 101,833,938.00 29,700,000.00 29.20% 2.90% 17 Maldives 394,999.00 114,100.00 28.90% 0.00% 18 Georgia 4,585,874.00 1,300,000.00 28.30% 0.10% 19 Thailand 66,720,153.00 18,310,000.00 27.40% 1.80% 20 Uzbekistan 28,128,600.00 7,550,000.00 26.80% 0.70% 21 Indonesia 245,613,043.00 55,000,000.00 22.40% 5.40% 22 Pakistan 187,342,721.00 29,128,970.00 15.50% 23 Bhutan 708,427.00 98,728.00 13.90% 24 Sri Lanka 21,283,913.00 2,503,194.00 11.80% 0.20%

Sri Lanka’s standing in ICT ……. ASIA INTERNET USAGE AND POPULATION STATISTICS December 31, 2011 www.internetworldstats.com. Copyright © 2001 - 2012, Miniwatts Marketing Group. All rights reserved worldwide   Country Population (Est.) Internet Users (31.12.2011) Penetration (% per population) Users (% Asia) 25 Mongolia 3,133,318.00 355,524.00 11.30% 0.00% 26 Tajikistan 7,627,200.00 794,483.00 10.40% 0.10% 27 India 1,189,172,906.00 121,000,000.00 10.20% 11.90% 28 Laos 6,477,211.00 527,400.00 8.10% 29 Nepal 29,391,883.00 2,031,245.00 6.90% 0.20% 30 Afganistan 29,835,392.00 1,256,470.00 4.20% 31 Bangladesh 158,570,535.00 5,501,609.00 3.50% 0.50% 32 Cambodia 14,701,717.00 491,480.00 3.10% 33 Turkmenistan 4,997,503.00 110,924.00 2.20% 34 Myanmar 53,999,804.00 110,000.00 35 Timor-Leste 1,177,834.00 2,361.00 TOTAL ASIA 3,879,740,877.00 1,016,799,076.00 26.20% 100.00%

4. Sri Lanka’s standing in ICT Africa (13.5%) and Asia (26.2%) are lowest in world internet penetration (as a % population), even below the world average of 32.7% Even in Asia region, Sri Lanka only 24th among 35 However, Out of the world’s196 countries, with the available statistics of 183, Sri Lanka ranks at 32 in literacy rate!

Bridging the Divide

5.Bridging the Divide The basic factor which leads to a digital divide is lack of access to computers and Internet. Although it is essentially necessary to provide avenues to information and knowledge, it is not sufficient . Empower people with appropriate educational, cognitive and behavioural skills and tools

5. Bridging the Divide….. ICT to villages : Nena Sala Computer laboratories : schools & villages Flagship ICT programme e-Sri Lanka initiative Distant learning Broadband to all Training older generation through television & radio progrmmes

Empowering women

Women are better multi taskers  Present : 6. EMPOwering women Women are better multi taskers  Present : Call Centres Customer Care Marketing Engineering Future : Work from home Self employment & entrepreneurship Improved household living standards Shopping through internet Generation gap & Mom’s Role: Disciplining younger generation

Thank you!