• Artist: GK3 Online Interactions
• Title: Richard Heeks: Women ICT based enterprises
• Year: 2007
• Length: 9:21 minutes (4.28 MB)
• Format: Stereo 22kHz 64Kbps (CBR)

Dr. Richard Heeks
Institute for Development Policy and Management
University of Manchester
http://www.womenictenterprise.org/

(Note: This is an edit from a previous GK3 Online Interactions feature)

Summary:

The project started because there were too many efforts focusing on just using IT in a traditional enterprise, handicraft etc. Yet, there is not enough evidence that those uses are making a difference. The actual production of IT and knowledge, on the other hand, has been underemphasized.

We found women's projects that consisted on data entry operations, web design, cybercenters, IT training, computer maintenance, and made a direct connection between IT and development, creating a brand new livelihood for women.

We decided to research the involvement of women from low income households, getting to set up enterprises directly related to IT. The work was developed through partners in various parts of the developing world starting in Kerala in India.

One finding, somewhat expected, is that women were getting direct benefits from this involvement with the IT sector. Perhaps they are not software giants, they may not be doing software exports, but there are many micro-enterprises at grassroots level that are actually delivering on Millennium Development Goals. They were proving women with self confidence, putting them over poverty line by generating income, and many other positive benefits that generated real enthusiasm and empowerment.

Less expected was our realilzation that there was a new business model being created, we call it "social outsorcing", that is taking IT services to social enterprises in a poor community. This is a very interesting new idea of going to large organizations that traditionally have in house services, and offering them to outsource to social enterprises. This way not only they get good value, good prices, but they are delivering on development goals. There are other social outsorcing experiments for example in India and Cambodia, we got interested in promoting this model as a way to link the benefits directly to the community.

Future work in these ares is likely to be developed by partners worldwide with organizations such as Development Initiatives in Calcuta, Sula Batsu in Costa RIca, Wougnet in Uganda and many others.
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Go to Dr. Heeks full interview for GK3 Online Interactions.