CONCLUSION

See Table: Comparison between gender neutral/engendered policy process for universal access. (15)

The Digital Divide has become a central international development concern. Following the Okinawa Summit in August 2000, the Group of Eight nations set up a Digital Opportunities Task Force (DOT Force) to devise ways to eliminate the divide. Moreover, the United Nations places access to IT as the third most important issue facing women globally, after poverty and violence against women.

Given the importance and high profile of this issue, the time is right to act to ensure that women in developing countries can enter the information age. IT holds tremendous potential for improving the lives of women and their families, including opportunities for employment, education, political empowerment, access to resources and information, and communication with a world outside the boundaries of home. Yet without deliberate action, women may be left out of the push to narrow the digital divide.

Although most women in the developing world have had little contact with IT to date, it is not too late to get women in on the ground floor of IT policy and infrastructure development in many countries. It is imperative that the gender dimension of the digital divide be considered early in the process of IT diffusion, rather than as a corrective measure after the fact. The early stage of IT development is a critical time to advocate on behalf of universal access, low-cost extension of services to underserved rural areas, and an enabling regulatory environment. Women's access to technology and training is a basic requirement for their participation in the global information economy. A focused and timely effort to provide women and girls with IT education and skills can enable them to compete successfully in the global information economy and play a leadership role in its development.

The opportunities offered by information technology have to be seized deliberately because both the potential benefits and the costs of not doing so are very high. However, it would be a mistake to approach IT solely from the perspective of not leaving women behind. To fully benefit from new technology, women must act as leaders in its development and as agents of change, using technology to accelerate their economic and social progress. If pursued thoughtfully and strategically, IT can position women as global leaders in the mainstream of those seeking development solutions in the information age.

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