Introduction to Week 2 discussion
Topic 2 theme: "How ICT and technologies
(can) play a catalytic role in the support of integrating gender into
transport projects for women in
developing nations"
Some references:
- Home page for GATNET Virtual Forum:
http://www.ifrtd.gn.apc.org/new/gender_gat/index.htm
- Messages to date:
http://www.dgroups.org/groups/worldbank/GATNET/index.cfm?op=main
3> &cat_id=6893
- Background on US TRB Women's Issues in Transportation conference:
http://www.ifrtd.gn.apc.org/new/gender_gat/table.htm
- Interface from Kyoto Challenge: http://kyotocities.org
(Click
Gender/Transport link on menu)
- Reading & references:
http://www.ecoplan.org/kyoto/challenge/gender.htm#read
Monday, May 30, 2005, Paris, France, Europe
Dear GATNET colleagues, friends and allies of sustainable
development and
social justice,
Welcome to this important virtual discussion on mainstreaming
gender in the
transport sector. My name is Eric Britton and I have been asked to serve
as
your moderator for the second topic of discussion on the potential role
of
ICT in advancing the broader goals being addressed here. My job during
this
week is to do what I can to promote discussion and then to produce a summary
of the week's discussions and findings (see above information on "handy
references" to see how this is intended to work).
Our first week of exchanges has done a fine job of setting the stage
and
raising our awareness as to where we should be focusing our priority
attention (and resources) in the transport sector if we wish to make a
difference - which, if I may try to put it in my own words, is no less
than
the day to day mobility and access requirements of the two billion poorest
women on this beleaguered planet. And as we have seen what this boils
down to them above all are daily lives in which, in rural areas at least,
they
spend inordinate amounts of time to go by foot in order to fetch water
and
fuel for their families.
This partnering of themes may seem strange at first. In a world of timeless
unmet basic needs and mounting ecological and social problems for which
there are few solutions in sight, why in the world should we be giving
attention to what on the surface is entirely unrelated rich folk's 21st
century technology? (And while we are at it a sector - ICT that is - which
is despite some exceptions is one more example of Chromosome Y activity
and priorities. (That being only half a joke.).)
But when it comes to matters of transportation, we over
the last decade come to understand something that is not always so obvious
- namely that are a large number of what are generally thought of as "transportation
problems" that do not in fact lend themselves primarily to "transportation
solutions". That is the nature of our sector, and indeed a significant
part of the problems that we face in which traditionally we have for the
most part
looked to the transportation experts to solve all these problems. Hmm.
Thus
in our case here, we have two striking examples in the clues that have
already come in the first discussions here when we look at the very specific
issues of women losing huge amounts of time to transport water and fuel.
Obviously one solution in the first case will be to bring the water to
the
village (admittedly a transport problem in its own right but from a quite
different angle), in the second to see what can be done to capture heat
sources locally. Etc., etc.
So we already have a clue here when it comes to opening up the ICT
discussions these next days. Since the things that we are going to be
talking about in this session - and especially all those sexy "new
media":
the internet, videoconferencing, mobile telephony, etc. - are on the surface
at least so dramatically out of synch with our principal policy concerns,
I
can only suggest that we look at these matters with a combination of
friendly skepticism and openness to new ideas and approaches among which
we may, if we shop carefully together, find some help in our overriding
mission and concerns. We have a saying around here in The Commons which
goes: you can never tell where the next good idea is going to come from.
So let's at least take a few days to have a look at the issues and needs
through the lens of ICT. Who knows what we may come up with?
Two quick organizational notes before I close here and annex a couple
of
talking points in which you may find some use.
1. Might we do well to repose our topic as a
question rather than as a
statement? Perhaps:
* "Can ICTs play a catalytic role in the
support of integrating
gender into transport policy and projects for women in developing nations.
And if so, how?"
2. Might it be a good idea (as Maha has nudged me this morning) for us
each
to take a few minutes to introduce ourselves? Say 5/10 lines of general
background and then about as much if appropriate on the issues that bring
us
here together. It would also be great if you could pop in a couple of
links
so that we can learn more about each of us, not only for this exchange
but,
who knows for what the future might bring. If we decide to do this,
housekeeping purposes and later reference, it might be useful is we could
pop in as SUBJECT - BIO NOTE
But let me get off the stage here and leave the word to you.
Your willing moderator who is also willing to learn.
[1]
Eric Britton
Chair, Kyoto World Cities Challenge: 2005-2007
The Kyoto World Cities Challenge is at http://kyotocities.org
The Commons Open Agenda is at http://www.ecoplan.org
Le Frene, 8/10 rue Joseph Bara 75006 Paris, France
Tel: Europe: +331 4326 1323 N. America +1 310 601-8468
E: secretariat@kyotocities.org
Backup: fekbritton@gmail.com
Click here to join the discussion
