Blogs are phenomenal development of cyber space where people interact, affiliate, pass and get information with real or anonymous identities. It is discovered that Africa shows a 3.4% representation of the world internet users and the proportion of women Internet users in developing countries is low. Why this disparity?
Many factors hinder women from using the internet in developing countries. These include gender roles which specify some activities as prerogative of different gender. Poor economic status of women deny them the availability of fund to buy computers, connect to internet in their homes or visit a cyber cafe.
Probably their mobility is restricted. Women may be are less likely to go to internet cafes due to household responsibilities and cultural restrictions. Lack of information regarding the usefulness of computers is another. You have an interesting question.
Most of the various ethnic groups by their tradition restrict women from certain activities. In many Middle Eastern and Africa countries the stated aim of the male dominated society is to create a secure environments where the chasteness of women may be kept sacrosanct- or so it is believed. Movement is restricted unless accompanied by a male chaperone.
The fact is, the liberty of women worldwide is still an idea and not a reality in many places and the voices of women remained muted due to cultural transgressions.
With bans on women's presence on radio, television or at public gatherings of any kind, her contribution to society is limited to the point of oppression.
The proportion of women Internet users in developing countries will remain low as long as there are sanctions for self-expression based on gender.
Dear Khalilah Sabra, I like your views"the liberty of women worldwide is still an idea and not a reality". Gender disparity is entrenched in the global society but it seems more operational in the developing world. The digital divide in the developing world is traceable to several barriers among which poverty stands as the paramount ruler, it causes a boost in the wide spread of low education; early marriage and illitracy especially, females. These barriers hinder females from maximizing their potentials.
Digital divide accounts for the growing gap in access rates among males and females, but why this gap?
The answer could be assumed from Max´s view that "sex" is the culprit. Every facet of life is sexualized with hegemonic binaries such as: males are intense users of the computers and internet/females are intense cell phone users; Males are intense video games players/females are intense romantic movie watchers; males are computer engineers/ females are fashion experts; and boys get computer games as birthday presents/girls get computerized Babie dolls.
These problems could be remedied through a reorientation of the society, provision of capacity building for females through objective policies targeted at rejuvenating education of females on information technology and digital learning. This will enhance a removal of the threatening marginalization of femles in the digital world, and change their status from technologically disavantaged group.
Therefore, there is the need to have a disapperance of Gende(or sex if you prefer) in bid to have a real and truely technologized age. But you and I must get involved..............