|
The Project of ICT to Empowering Homeworkers in ASEAN Countries :
Ministry of Information and Communication Technology
ICT ASEAN Fund
Sukhothai Thamthirat Open University (STOU : CCDKM)
After the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997, Economic reforms were introduced to strengthen the Small and Medium size Enterprises (SMEs) among all the ASEAN countries. This effort also stimulated various kinds of domestic production and income generation activities for all those marginal or the vulnerable groups such as housewives groups, single mothers groups, elderly groups, HIV positive groups, etc which all very similar among the region.
From the study of Kamolrat,2006, the majority of the homeworkers are of working age with the oldest being 80 years old and the youngest being 23 years old, majority of them could not access to credit due to ignorance, poverty or institutional barriers. Consequently, they are unable to engage in activities or enterprises that employ whatever talents/skills they may have. And the study also found that It is apparent that access to ICT training is limited. The staff members of relevant offices and organizations also do not have exposure to ICTs. These organizations and their staff are mostly into providing economic (e.g., income-generating) assistance.
This project aimed to empower the urban poor women homeworkers via the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) for their home-base works development :-
How can women homeworkers be empowered by the use of ICTs for economic activities and thus take ownership/control of the management of social networks, information sharing and other activities that enable them to work from home and enjoy the full benefits thereof?
In relation to the above question, the project examines issues concerning gender relations and the use of ICT for economic activities among women homeworkers in ASEAN. The project, thus, will focus on only the following key areas:
a) Do the Knowledge Management (KM) from all evidences about any enabling environment or the contexts, structures and mechanisms supporting women homeworkers and their use of ICT for their home-based works;
b) Empowering activities based on R&D activities to address majority of the vulnerable women homeworkers (both rural and urban poor); and
c) Create the sustained communicative tool (web-based communication) as well as knowledge and experiences sharing among all the ASEAN homeworkers
a) Empowering activities to strengthen capacity of all the homeworkers especially the small homeworkers (both rural and urban poor);
b) Create the sustained communicative tool (web-based communication) , understanding, as well as knowledge and experiences sharing among all the ASEAN homeworkers;
c) Create the marketing opportunities as well as other further opportunities among all small homeworkers from all ASEAN countries.
Specific scopes would be as follow;
3.1 ASEAN “Best Practices” mapping among all the countries’ members on the ICT for homeworkers empowering activities;
3.2 Create Website to be as a tool for the web-based communication among all ASEAN homeworkers;
3.3 Workshop for the sharing, experiences dialogue, study trips & ICT intensive training to be as the empowering activities among the ASEAN countries as well as the web-based communication, etc.
3.4 ASEAN “Best Practices” Mapping Handbook to be used as the guideline among the region.
The project duration would be during 2008-2009.
Main concrete outputs would be as follow;
5.1 ASEAN “Best Practices” mapping among all the countries’ members on the ICT for homeworkers empowering activities;
5.2 Website to be as a tool for the web-based communication among all ASEAN homeworkers;
5.3 Learning and sharing among the ASEAN countries via the empowering activities; workshop, seminar, study trip, ICT & other training, etc.
5.4 ASEAN “Best Practices” Mapping Handbook to be used as the guideline among the region.
|
.png)
