the international women’s network - impacts of information and communication technologies and...

The International Women’s Network: Impacts of Information and Communication Technologies

and Social Media Networks on African Women’s Leadership

Jacqueline Stein

Word Count: 16,069

Department of Sociology

School of Social Sciences

City University London

International Communications and Development (MA) Postgraduate Dissertation (September 2012)

Student # 110043415 Postgraduate Dissertation

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Table of Contents

Special Acknowledgements (N/A) 3

Abstract 4

Abbreviations 4 1. Introduction 5 2. Literature Review 7

i. Access and Usage 9 ii. Networking 13 iii. Benefits and Limitations 17 iv. Gender Dynamics 21 v. Leadership and Empowerment 25

3. Research Questions and Hypothesis 28 4. Methodology 30

i. Methodological Approaches 30 ii. Sampling and Access 34 iii. Data Analysis 36 iv. Ethical Issues 37 v. Potential and Actual Challenges 38

5. Results and Findings 40

i. The Respondents 42 ii. Access to and Usage of ICTs 44 iii. Networking Experiences 46 iv. Benefits and Limitations 49 v. Gender in the Digital World 51 vi. ICTs for Leadership and Empowerment 53

6. Conclusion 55 7. Suggestions for Further Research 60

Bibliography 62

Appendices 68


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With special acknowledgement and thanks to:

The women who participated in my research interviews. Their enthusiasm, willingness to disclose personal information, and continued support of this study

has been invaluable to my findings.

Without their contributions, there would be no dissertation.


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Abstract Information and Communication Technologies have long been considered a ‘male domain’ where, much like the realities of the offline world, women’s narratives have been controlled and silenced, and their opportunities for growth and development have been denied. More and more women however, in spite of the social and economic barriers that they face, are making their presence known in the digital world, using technologies such as mobile phones and the Internet to connect, acquire information, develop skills, and market themselves to a global network. This study explores the impacts and outcomes of women change-makers and leaders in Africa who are active participants in the realm of ICTs. Using a qualitative research approach, interviews were conducted with ten female respondents in Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria, three African countries where Internet usage amongst citizens is prevalent. The collected data does not claim to represent an entire population of African women, but rather to showcase the personal narratives of women who are already actively using these technologies, in various capacities, in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of any returns on investment that might surface when women are ‘plugged into’ technologies. The findings and results indicated that these women have found their ICT usage to have profound impacts on their ability to become successful agents of change in their communities, develop their international networks, and exploit social and professional opportunities that would have otherwise not been readily available to them offline. It is suggested, however, that government policies be devised and implemented to further reduce the digital ‘gender’ divide so that more women can access and take advantage of the numerous benefits and returns that ICTs provide. Abbreviations APC – Association for Progressive Communications GAD – Gender and Development ICT – Information and Communication Technologies ICT4D – Information and Communication Technologies for Development IDRC – International Development Research Centre NGO – Non-Governmental Organization UNIFEM – United Nations Development Fund for Women VIFU – Virtual International Women’s University WNSP – Women’s Networking Support Programme


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1. Introduction This study aims to investigate if and how women leaders in Africa, with a specific focus

on the countries of Kenya in East Africa and Ghana and Nigeria in West Africa, who are

active users of Information and Communication Technologies* (ICTs) and social media†,

are amassing tangible returns on investment as a result of using Internet technologies

and online social networks to enhance their personal and professional lives.

Though Africa is a vast and diverse continent, these specific countries were chosen for

their high percentage of Internet users within their overall populations. According to

Internet World Stats (2012, http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats1.htm), out of the 58

African countries included in its data, Kenya (4), Ghana (11), and Nigeria (1) rank

amongst the top 15 ‘Internet’ countries on the continent.

The study, which will look at the first-hand accounts of ten African women who are active

community leaders, will take into account their overall access to the Internet, including

personal ownership of technological devices such as computers and cellular phones,

their individual experiences using social networks and online forums to promote

themselves and their work, any notable challenges or negative ramifications that have

emerged consequent to their usage, and how they may see ICTs and social media as

actors in their current and prospective successes.

* In development circles, ICTs tend to be construed as consisting of newer technologies such as † Social Media is defined as “the media we use to be social” (Safko, 2010, p.3). Safko explains that social refers to the “instinctual needs humans have to connect with other humans” whereas media (for these research purposes, ICTs) is what we use to “make those connections with other humans […] and create a relationship, build trust…” (p.4).


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Though African women, like their female counterparts in other developing regions‡ of the

world, face no shortage of social and economic barriers, Brayton et al. (2001, p.56)

contend that another challenge is for “the African woman to have her story told. We

should use the Internet to tell our stories”.

This study hypothesizes that the online community has the potential to act as so much

more than merely a portal for “telling stories”; it is also a gateway for women to write new

stories and develop new narratives and enterprises that are subsequently transferable to

the offline world and to the development discourse. To support this, findings have

attested to women’s resourcefulness by affirming that while men “play” with technology,

women use it “as a tool to achieve a goal” (Melhem et al., 2009).

Women have also been found to be more ‘relationship-driven’ in their online activity, as

they spend a considerable amount of time navigating networking sites and developing

and maintaining relationships (Hoffman, 2008). As a result, women bring value to both

the on and offline world by connecting more intimately and taking the necessary time to

evaluate opportunities for innovative problem solving and enterprise development using

ICTs and social media (Melhem et al., 2009).

In order to prove the hypothesis that women are positive actors and receivers in the

realm of ICTs and development, it is essential to understand in which ways women

function within this discourse, and what underlying factors, such as access to

technology, education and training, and gender dynamics, contribute to both their

progress and setbacks. This will be examined, using theories and approaches including

‡ Developing regions refers to less industrialized countries.


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the Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) theory and

the Capabilities Approach, during the Literature Review (Chapter 2; 7).

In order to test the hypothesis of this study, methods of research must be developed and

introduced. In the Methodology (Chapter 4; 30), the method of research chosen,

qualitative interviewing (to better understand how individual women, exemplary

community leaders, are taking advantage of ICTs and social media networks to further

their causes), will be discussed in detail. After considering the merits of this research

method, the Results and Findings (Chapter 5; 40) of the research will be developed.

In the Conclusion (Chapter 6; 54), the findings will be related back to the Research

Questions and Hypotheses (Chapter 3; 27) to determine what new information has been

amassed through the research and what gaps remain, and the results will be drawn

together. This will be followed by Suggestions for Future Research (Chapter 7; 60),

where suggestions for future work will be presented.

2. Literature Review The short- and long-term impacts of ICTs and social media on women in developing

countries are still a relatively unexplored phenomenon in the field of technology

research, and the majority of the research examined was quantitative in nature or

composed of secondary research, with limited attention paid to individual women’s

stories and personal anecdotes. Given the fact that ICTs and social media are about

connecting directly with women, this can be deemed as a flaw in the research, to date.


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This study aims to investigate how women in developing regions of the world are using

ICTs and social media in their personal and professional lives, what benefits they are

deriving and challenges they are encountering with their online media usage, and what

opportunities they have been afforded as a result of utilizing these technologies.

This chapter will focus on aggregating previous literature that addresses research

relating to ICTs and social media in the developing world, with special consideration

allotted to research on female users. It will use existing research to analyze experiences

and trends of access and usage, the role that ICTs and online networking has played in

women’s social and economic status, dominant facilitations and limitations, existing and

perpetuated gender dynamics, and ongoing potential for leadership and empowerment.

Several authors in the analyzed literature alluded to the fact that technology is not

gender neutral (Spence, 2010; Litho and Wakunuma-Zoject, 2009; KIT, 2005; Mitter,

2004; Hafkin, 2000). Hafkin (ibid) even goes as far to suggest that women living in Africa

experience particular difficulty in access, as they lack the necessary time, tools, and

income to properly educate themselves and master technology, while their male

counterparts, who understand the global power of technology, will use these tools to

further propagate social inequalities that will leave women behind. In response to this

notion, Mienje Momo (2000) suggests that, in order for women and men to achieve

equal access to ICTs, it is essential to not simply promote the image of women as

successful operators of ICTs, but also to sensitize women to the communication tools at

their disposal and train them sufficiently on how to properly use computers and

information systems. As Winnie Byaniama, a Member of Ugandan Parliament and a

leading feminist, pointed out during a 1998 United Nations Commission on Science and


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Technology for Development (UNCSTD) meeting, African women need to be told about

the possibilities of ICTs: “We, women in Africa, feel that information and communication

technology is passing us by; and sisters, we are hungry for it” (Mitter, 2004, p.26). Huyer

(1997) validates this call-to-action by attesting that, “when women can understand and

experience the benefits of ICTs, they are quick to use them”.

While it is necessary that women receive proper education and training in both

accessing and using ICTs, this despondent perception that African women are, until

now, incapable of understanding and taking advantage of the benefits of online

communication tools, victimizes them to the point that it fails to acknowledge their

already established success with ICTs. There is, in fact, substantial evidence to support

the fact that women are employing communication technologies to expand their power

and presence, to organize and campaign on various social and political issues such as

violence against women and human trafficking, and to launch online social networks and

enterprises (Youngs, 2012). The Songtaaba Association, a collective of women in

Burkino Faso who manufacture shea butter skincare products, is a prime example of

women who understand the benefits of ICTs, have used the exposure to promote their

brand and, resultantly, have personally experienced its returns. Since the Association

commenced its ICT usage and set up a website, managed by its members, to highlight

its products, its profits have more than doubled (Melhem et al., 2009).

i. Access and Usage

Within the ICT discourse, the leading issue that surfaces time and time again is that of

‘access’, which Nath (2006, p.199) refers to as “opportunities or avenues that allow

individuals to seek information from different sources, such as other individuals or


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institutions, public-domain resources or databases, websites, news groups, e-mails, chat

sessions, or blogs.” The literature, to date, is defined by the argument that the most

persistent factor preventing women’s and girls’ entry into the realm of technology is a

basic lack of immediate and easy access to ICTs. Though cyberfeminists§ argued that

women required equal access to and skills in this new technology as a source of

empowerment, they were subsequently critiqued for taking a “technology neutral” stance

(Consalvo and Paasonen, 2002).

The Aristotelian concept of ‘universality’ in human rights and values has been influential

in contemporary Western feminist philosophy (Mitter, 2004). Cyberfeminists, in their

neutrality towards technology and the belief that women are at liberty to plug themselves

into technology and access endless streams of information if and as they please,

suggest a technological universalism that fails to account for the existent social

structures and culture that permeates new media (Consalvo and Paasonen, 2002).

Similarly, as was found in Munyua’s (2009) study on women entrepreneurs in Nairobi, a

contemporary concept of empowerment in Kenya rests on the assumption that increases

in women’s access to ICTs would transform both them and their society in a meaningful

way, while disregarding the fact that women’s access is often mediated by social

traditions, divisions of labour, and general poverty.

Several factors are currently in place, and embedded in traditional social constructions

that were present long before the introduction of ICTs, to limit women’s access to ICTs.

These have been found to include: lack of financial resources (Melhem et al., 2009; Litho

§ ‘Cyberfeminist’ is a term coined as early as 1997 by Faith Wilding and Critical Art Ensemble as a “promising new wave of thinking and practice” that emerged with the growing presence of women on the Internet. (Daniels, 2012)


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and Wakunuma-Zojer, 2009; Adam and Green,1995) to purchase computers, pay

Internet service providers for monthly Internet access, or print information off the

Internet; lack of education (Brayton, et al., 2001; Melhem et al., 2009; KIT, 2005; Mitter,

2005; Momo and Solange, 2000) whereby two-thirds of the world’s illiterate people are

women (Melhem et al., 2009) and where the majority of women in Africa, who bear

enormous household responsibilities, have less access than men to formal education

(Mienje Momo, 2000); lack of gender-sensitive training in ICT skills (Melhem et al., 2009;

Mienje Momo, 2000); a pronounced fear of technology (referred to as ‘technophobia’)

and ‘abandoning’ social norms (Hallberg et al., 2011; Harcourt, 2002) by spending more

time pursuing technology-related activities outside the home and stepping into the

predominantly “male” domain of cybercafés where they could conceivably begin to

absorb and adopt ICTs to access information and knowledge (Melhem et al., 2009); lack

of time (Adam and Green, 1995; Hafkin, 2006; KIT, 2005) to make use of the Internet,

whether for work or leisure purposes; and lack of mobility (Melhem et al., 2009), which,

in turn, limits their access to remote Internet centres and ICT training courses.

A recent study, which looks at 13 African countries in an attempt to understand to what

extent the gender digital divide** exists between women and men, supports the above

evidence with its overall conclusion that the reason why fewer women (than men)

access and use ICTs is a “direct result of their unfavourable conditions with respect to

employment, education and income” (Hilbert, 2011, p.479). It is also determined, that

based on overall findings, the belief that women are “less digitally capable” is not

accurate and requires a change in mindset. The study, although quantitative in nature

** The Digital Divide “means that different groups and individuals are differentially placed in terms of having or lacking access to, knowledge about, and motivations to use ICTs” (Youngs, 2012, p.31)


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and lacking the voices and inputs of the women that it sets out to reflect, does make the

critical recommendation for modifications in government policy that will “make use of the

natural communication skills and media capacities of women and their proven embrace

of the new digital opportunities to overcome longstanding gender inequalities” (p.487).

Though the aforementioned access issues may present a bleak picture, as Hilbert’s and

other research indicates, women are overcoming these barriers and using their own

resourcefulness to educate themselves on ICTs and navigate the online world. Sen

(1999, p.201) states that, “whenever social arrangements depart from the standard

practice of male ownership, women can seize business and economic initiative with

much success”. While Sen’s capability approach to human welfare acknowledges the

impact of social institutions on human capabilities, like other research that does not

account for social and cultural norms, it fails to adequately examine the role of traditional

power in preserving inequalities in individual opportunities to achieve (Hill, 2003).

Warschauer (2003) adds to Sen’s view by maintaining that the issue is not simply about

access or availability of ICTs, but rather about the use of these technologies for

meaningful social practices, which will consequently lead to women’s economic, social,

and political empowerment.

In her own take on the capabilities approach, Nussbaum (2000) goes so far as to

challenge the view that a culture/context-based understanding of empowerment would

suffice when women strive toward social justice and empowerment. She proposes that,

rather than solely evaluating the equality of and access to resources such as income

and wealth, the analysis should focus on women’s ability to take action.


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The insights of Sen, Warschauer, and Nussbaum are reflective of the actions that many

women’s collectives are taking to free themselves from the reigns of cultures that have

controlled their freedom of movement and expression. While the reviewed literature

produced little in the way of qualitative research on individual African women and their

personal experience accessing and using ICTs and social media networks, research did

find that organizations such as the Busoga Rural Open Source and Development

Initiative, which engages rural communities in Uganda to share knowledge and reduce

household poverty, have proponed the importance of ICTs in encouraging collaboration

and networking amongst women in rural areas (Melhem et al., 2009). A day-long

Kenyan retreat, held in cooperation with the African Women in Crisis (AFWIC) group to

determine how men and women regarded ICTs, discovered that women in Nairobi

recognized the significance of ICTs as an opportunity to enhance their communication

power and elevate their socio-economic position within society, as well as to promote

their entrepreneurial activities and indigenous knowledge (Brayton et al., 2001).

ii. Networking

In the World Bank’s 2012 World Development Report on Gender Equality and

Development (2011), reference is made to the fact that, in the wake of the 21st Century,

a communication revolution has emerged that has seen social media, including blogs

and social networking websites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+, amongst

others, open new and increasingly popular channels for cross-cultural social and political

participation. It is identified that what makes this media channel innovative is that, unlike

its predecessors, social networking is a two-way, interactive process that hypothetically

allows for women around the world to collaborate on ideas, exchange knowledge and


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information, and build their local, regional, national, and international networks. These

networks have further acted as platforms for awareness raising, social mobilization,

political discussion and fundraising (World Bank, 2011; Youngs, 2012).

As noted by Anand (2002), at a conceptual level, and without accounting for women’s

continued lack of access in developing regions of the world such as Africa, ICTs have

the potential to digitally connect every women in the world in a star topology network††,

thus opening up endless opportunities for information exchange.

An increasingly expanding global network of women would indicate that the ICT4D

theory, which proposes that more and better information and communication furthers

development, is experiencing positive returns. The theory, which developed from a 1997

IDRC workshop, is articulated from an analysis of the “five indicators of development”: 1)

literacy, education, and skills; 2) health; 3) income and economic welfare; 4) choice,

democracy, and participation; and 5) technology (the capacity to develop technological

innovations and make technological choices (Akpan-Obong, 2009).

When relating this theory back to online networking, it may be conceived from the

literature that if the number of women using online channels continues to grow

expansively, then these development indicators are being met; arguably however, it

would be ‘development for ICTs’ as opposed to the other way around. This is to say that,

as findings indicated in women’s limited access to ICTs, a lack of literacy, education, and

technology skills were all factored into the equation of why women’s online presence

†† Star Topology Network refers to connecting computers to cable segments that branch out from a single point or hub.


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was lacking in developing regions. Only once women were educated, literate, and

trained sufficiently in the use of ICTs, would they be able to use these online channels

effectively. Furthermore, increased choice, and a changing sociopolitical landscape that

welcomed women’s participation in the labour market, would also contribute to women’s

ability to access online networks.

Ultimately, reason would suggest that the ICT-Development theory is reciprocal in

nature. Each entity shapes the other. The literature has found that women will stand a

far lesser chance of getting online – and networking – if these indicators are not being

met and surpassed; likewise, development is also shaped online, as the more women

that use social networks to both acquire and spread knowledge, the greater the

propensity for transferring this knowledge to the offline market and transmitting it to local

communities of women who may not yet be experiencing the same level of access.

One young woman shared her thoughts on using ICTs to connect to the world and

expand her network:

We get our freedom from the Internet since in our society girls have limited freedom of movement. We are not allowed to go wherever we want. The Internet… takes us out to other people, places, and other realities. No one controls where we go with Internet. It is for us a way of escaping from our closed society. It is vital to us; it gives us liberty. (Huyer, 2006, p.29)

Yet women’s ability to communicate effectively and with intent has been questioned by

those who suggest that women are not capable of generating big ideas (Kramarae and

Wei, 2012). Literary critic Germaine Greer poses the following question: “Why don’t

women write big ideas books?” Her response is that women are “more interested in

understanding than explaining, in describing rather than accounting for” (p.70).


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To add to this, feminist scholar Dale Spender postulates that the idea that women do not

have the capacity to make worthwhile creative or intellectual contributions is deeply

imbedded in academic and popular literature and that, while there are countless ideas

named after men – Confuciusm, Darwinism, and Marxism – finding ideas or ‘isms’

named after women proves a challenging task (Kramarae and Wei, 2012).

Even online, within the realm of social networks and women’s ideas, interests, and

online activities, similar assumptions have been made. Where user-generated content is

available, it is supposed that, compared with men’s use of social networking

technologies, women’s ideas and activities lack seriousness and direction (Kramarae

and Wei, 2012).

Another criticism of social networks is that women who use online communities are more

likely to connect with individuals who are similar to them in offline communities, and that

membership in online communities generally mirrors one’s offline identity (Kramarae

and Wei, 2012).

These viewpoints, however, are in direct contrast with the belief that women are

inventors and innovators who will use electronic networking activities to make a

difference (Gittler, 1999). The APC-WNSP has, since 1993, actively contributed to

making the information society a reality for women worldwide, working with grassroots

organizations to empower women with ICTs and help them network their knowledge and

skills (Youngs, 2012), while VIFU, an online community which prides itself on assisting

women in their networking efforts, has congregated hundreds of women, including


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students, researchers, journalists, activists, and artists, from more than 100 countries

since 2000 (Zorn, 2004).

As founder of ‘Blogs for African Women’, Oreoluwa Somolu (2007, p.487) attests that

“although many of the blogs featured are not overtly pushing for women’s empowerment

and gender equality, the fact that women are able to write about issues of interest to

them is an important first step in giving them a sense of psychological empowerment”,

and might also help to mitigate the notion that women cannot have “big ideas”.

iii. Benefits and Limitations

It is evident from the literature that women have dually amassed many benefits and

incurred several limitations, as a result of increased ICT usage. In her interpretation,

Zillah Eisenstein views cyberdiscourse‡‡, rooted in American neoliberalism and its

emphasis on freedom over equality, as a double-movement involving both promises of

overcoming the limitations of time, space, and embodiment and reinforcements of

economic and political power structures and structured privilege (Consalvo and

Paasonen, 2002). Eisenstein refers to this as a ‘cyberfantasy’, which “functions as a new

imaginary location of escape, promise and profit. Cyberspace becomes a whole new

arena to conquer where privatization openly seduces some, but silently punishes those

who are excluded” (p. 27).

‡‡ Cyberdiscourse is a term coined in William Gibson’s 1984 novel, Neuromancer, to depict the Internet as a parallel reality, a ‘cyberspace’. It has been further popularized by authors such as John Perry Barlow who argue that, in cyberspace, identities do not have bodies and users are free to enter this realm on equal footing and express themselves without limitations (Consalvo and Paasonen, 2002)


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The concepts of ‘escape’, ‘promise’, and ‘genderless bodies’, as well as free and

limitless expression, are arguably a smokescreen for the breadth of limitations that exist

in the online world. In his comprehensive report on the role of ICTs in development,

Sciadas (2005) reveals that ICTs have brought new security threats and increased

opportunity for privacy invasion to the forefront. Video and computer-based technologies

have opened the door to undetected surveillance such as spy software, eavesdropping

on wireless transmissions via mobile phones, e- mail tampering such as intercepting or

redirecting e-mail, and hidden GPS tracking devices (ibid). Although both women and

men are susceptible to being tracked online, harassment and threats of violence,

pornography and the use of Internet to facilitate trafficking of women and girls (Sciadas,

2005; Karamare and Wei, 2012), is evidence that, in reality, the Internet is not a gender-

free zone. In a British study, which sampled 48 female and male bloggers and had them

answer a questionnaire about their blogging practices and attitudes, the results found

that more women than men were concerned about privacy and hacking on the Internet

that, as a result, may limit women’s capacity to transfer their knowledge and social and

economic capitals to online communities (Macafee and Pederson, 2007)

The heightened role of ICTs in the international and domestic trafficking of women and

girls and the growing industry for pornographic images of women and girls has attracted

the attention of feminists and women’s rights activists, who have since raised calls for

increased monitoring of such content (Moolman et al., 2007).

Other areas where limitations exist, although less visibly harmful in context, is in

infrastructure and language. Mulama (2007) argues that any ICT-related benefits that do


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exist are largely restricted to towns and cities, as most rural areas lack the sophisticated

infrastructure and equipment needed to take advantage of these technologies.

Moreover, the predominant language that permeates the Internet is English (Mitter,

2005; Primo and Radloff, 2002). For women who lack formal education, especially in

English, this means that much of the information that is available online will be

inaccessible to them. Mitter (2005) does stress, however, that the dominance of English

is on the downturn as, in 1999, 95% of webpages were in English, while this figure

declined to 68.4% in 2000. In the specific context of African women, who use the

Internet to publish and disseminate their writing and knowledge, the dominance of

English for information production and exchange may exclude them from the online

discourse (Primo and Radloff, 2002). Francophone African women may find, however,

that reasonable efforts have been made to translate material into French. Enda-Synfev,

a Senegalese ICT for Development Network, encourages an awareness of the need for

French content and adds local Francophone content to the Internet (ibid).

Worth noting is that both of these publications have findings that date back several

years, and the Internet has since diversified significantly in terms of its language content.

Online networks such as World Pulse, which is powered by the voices of women from

190 countries, translates its content into 66 languages including Swahili, French, and

Afrikaans (World Pulse, 2012). Google, with its free Website Translator plugin, also

offers websites the opportunity to translate their pages in over 60 languages (Google,

2012).


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On the opposite end of the spectrum, many findings have illustrated the benefits derived

from the use of ICTs and social networks. Teleworking (‘tele’ meaning distance), where

computers and the Internet are used for business transactions, may enhance women’s

participation in e-commerce, as it allows for flexibility both in timing and location of work

(Mitter, 2004). In a recent case study by Hallberg et al. (2011), which analyzed the

success of the Kenyan Government’s Digital Villages Project by collecting empirical data

and interviewing government representatives, a university director, and telecentre§§

managers and users, it was found that the principal potential benefit of using telecentres

was a reduction in crime in the villages. The reasoning given was that rather than youth

and women idling, they would have something productive and positive to keep them

busy, which would, in turn, contribute to knowledge building and empowerment (ibid).

Women utilizing these centres would be afforded an opportunity to acquire valuable

information through the digital domain, and this use in running or starting up a business

(ibid). What is more, with African governments such as Kenya’s recognizing the value in

ICTs and setting up telecentres outside of urban centres, women in rural areas will

benefit from having nearby, reliable low-cost access.

A case study, which targeted hundreds of women in Palestinian rural areas receiving

basic ICT training through Relief International Schools Online (RI-SOL) and UNIFEM,

sought to track the trainees’ responses and evolution of capabilities through qualitative

and quantitative means such as focus group discussions, interviews with stakeholders,

questionnaires, surveys, and observations of on-going activities (Rabayah, 2009). For

those women who felt that the training had significantly improved their ability to acquire

knowledge through ICTs, a number of benefits were accounted for. As one respondent §§ Telecentres provide services with regard to Internet and telecommunications (Hallberg et al., 2011)


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testified, “I now have better awareness regarding information on health, women rights

and educational opportunities. I have been able to find out many things that I did not

know before and now, whenever I need to know anything, I feel confident I am able to

easily find an answer, thanks to the Internet” (p.8).

On a like note, in a 2005/2006 empirical study, including a combination of qualitative and

quantitative research, conducted at Makerere University in Uganda, the challenges of

using ICTs in higher education for empowerment were thoroughly examined. One of the

findings concluded that, within higher education, computer technology and the Internet

exert tremendous benefits including access to cutting edge education materials, flexible

distance learning that is suitable for time-constrained women, the enhancement of

academic outcomes, and the promotion of self-esteem and attainment of transferrable

skills (Bantebya-Kyomuhendo et al., 2007).

In its Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women through ICT report, the United

Nations Division for the Advancement of Women made claims to a growing body of

evidence on the benefits of ICTs for women’s empowerment (DAW, 2005). The specified

benefits included increased access to health, nutrition, education and other human

development opportunities, such as political participation (ibid).

iv. Gender Dynamics

The issue of ‘gender’ in relation to ICTs and development has been threaded throughout

this chapter. A closer look into the specifics of the gender ‘digital divide’, however, is

required, as previous findings have discussed it in great depth and the history of ICTs

has shown that the dynamics of gender, and the dominance and controlling attitudes of


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men in the online world, much like the dynamics that exist in the offline world, have

worked to keep women in positions of powerlessness and passivity.

Dale Spender (1995), one of the foremost authorities on women’s use of new

technologies, uses the concept of ‘codes’ to explain why women are often relegated to

‘no-class’ status online. She claims that so long as men are ‘in charge’ of the rules, they

can develop their own code that continues to perpetuate their reign. In 1995, when there

were few women using the Internet, there were also few voices being raised to object to

this male-propagated discourse code. She contests that, “While the Internet is ostensibly

free of any censorship, women find that by the very nature of their language, what they

have to say is not only unheard, but does not fall within the parameters of acceptable

discourse” (p.198). As a result, women are not afforded the opportunity to develop their

own online code.

In the rare instance where an online space was reserved specifically for women and

feminist conversations, men continued to dominate the conversational space (Spender,

1995). One study, conducted by Tamra DiBenedetto et al. (1992), that reviewed a five-

week forum using covert participant observation, found that when a two-day turn was

devoted solely to women-speak, there were accusations of ‘silencing men’. When men

dominated the space, it was deemed acceptable, whereas when women did so, men

retaliated by becoming defensive and emotionally abusive, because their ‘code’ of

control had been threatened.

The findings further indicated that women had fewer rights to online discourse, and that

the penalties for challenging male control may be even more severe than in real life


23

because the ratio of men to women online was greater and because relative anonymity

meant that users could behave in a much more abusive and coercive way when their

identity is unknown than they would in a face-to-face scenario (DiBenedetto et al., 1992).

Though the research and findings of Spender and DiBenedetto et al. may have been

relevant in the late 20th Century, the question remains: are these findings and attitudes

still relevant in 2012? With an ever-expanding online world, where women are accessing

online networks in far greater numbers and creating their own spaces, are they finally

able to develop their own ‘codes’ of discourse?

Vandana Shiva, a feminist philosopher, held the belief that new technologies merely

reinforced old structures rather than transforming them, and once said that ‘new

technologies travel on old social relations’ (Ekdahl and Trojer, 2002). In a similar train of

thought, feminist philosopher and theoretician, Rosi Braidotti (1998), states that:

One of the great contradictions of Virtual Reality (cyberspace) images is that they titillate our imagination, promising the marvels and wonders of a gender-free world while it simultaneously reproduces some of the most banal, flat images of gender identity […] The central point remains: there is a credibility gap between the promises of virtual reality and cyberspace and the quality of what it delivers.

In her research, and in contrast with previous findings and viewpoints, Harcourt (2002)

determines that women are, indeed, using the Internet to build International solidarity

and support for one another, in hopes of changing deeply rooted structures like gender

relationships. This suggests that, unlike in the mid-1990’s when women’s voices online

were silenced and there was no one to ‘fight’ on their behalf, even though the gender

divide persists to this day and there continues to be a need for women’s education and

training and strategies for reducing the gender gap (Carr and Huyer, 2002), online


24

forums dedicated to women’s voices are no longer an anomaly. In fact, African women

bloggers are responding to a history of online violence against women, with the ‘Take

Back the Tech’ campaign organized by the APC-WNSP, by speaking out against ICT-

mediated violence in their blogs (Somolu, 2007).

The APC is attempting to adopt a gender perspective on using ICTs as a tool to instate

social justice, with the objective of transforming unequal power relations between

women and men; they emphasize that ICTs can either be use to transform or exacerbate

gender relations, and stress the importance of ICTs for development (Bakesha et al.,

2004).

Even as recently as within the last few years, however, some scholars, such as Munyua

(2009) continue to point out that while ICTs have opened their virtual doors to women in

greater numbers, patterns of gender socialization and segregation continue to be

produced. In her study on women entrepreneurs in Nairobi, Munyua discovered that

while ICTs such as mobile phones have played a positive role in endorsing development

of women-owned micro-enterprises in Kenya, it can also tempt the user to blur the line of

private spaces, which can foster another source of tension in unequal gender relations

(ibid). It was found that women’s ownership of mobile phones was seen as a threat to

men, who thought that the technology would destabilize their marital relationships.

Resultantly, men would often monitor their wives’ use of the Internet and mobile phones

(ibid).

Reviewing research and results over the years has returned conflicting evidence about

women’s status and freedom, on and offline. While women’s use of ICTs and their online


25

presence is more prevalent today than it was 20 years ago, findings reveal that women

are still likely to have their voices monitored and censored as a result of long-embedded

gender relations that perpetuate the women-as-passive and men-as-controlling

dichotomy.

v. Leadership and Empowerment

Two terms that consistently reveal themselves in the literature, when referencing women

who utilize ICTs, are ‘leadership’ and ‘empowerment’. It is therefore important to address

what past studies and research have found with relation to women, leadership, and

empowerment, and any linkages that this may have with ICTs.

To better understand the concept of ‘empowerment’ and what it entails, a UN Millennium

Project Task Force on Education and Gender Equality report helps to define the term,

stating that:

‘Empowerment’ implies that women must not only have equal capabilities (such as education and health) and equal accesses to resources and opportunities (such as land and employment) but also the agency to use these rights, capabilities, resources and opportunities for strategic choices and decisions (such as is provided through leadership opportunities and participation in political institutions). (Grown et al., 2005, p.33-34)

The term ‘agency’ stands out in this definition, as it places onus on women to be active

participants in their decision-making, rather than passive recipients of choices made on

their behalf. Research findings discussed throughout this chapter have revealed time

and again that a shift in power relations will have to occur in order for women to assume

an elevated status in their societies. It would make sense that if women have a stake in


26

the changes and developments that reflect their social, economic, and political needs,

that they would experience an elevated sense of empowerment.

It follows then that the central question in Nussbaum’s (2000) capabilities approach also

requires women to assert agency in their activities. The question is not “How satisfied is

X?” or “How much in the way of resources is she able to command?” but “What is X

actually able to do and be?” (p.71). When applying this question to real lives in their

material and social settings, its universality is indication that ideas of activity and ability

are everywhere, as there is no one culture in which people do not ask themselves what

they are able to do and what opportunities they can make for themselves (ibid).

To offer a tangible example of this approach, in Nigeria, Bene E. Madunagu,

Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN) regional coordinator for

Anglophone Africa and Chairperson of the Girl Power Initiative in Calabar Cross River

State, uses her agency to send e-mails that garner global support and solidarity for

young women taking action against female genital mutilation (Harcourt, 2002). “The

technology of electronic mail has been of immense use to us in our work. It has enabled

us to share our work with others to mobilize larger groups… to break the cycle of

reproducing decadent culture and tradition,” testifies Madunagu (p.155). Madunagu

understands what she is able to do and who she is able to be, and she uses this

knowledge to leverage social change in her community. ICTs have allowed her to

disseminate her message (what she will do) and assume a position of leadership (who

she will be).


27

Other women have attested to the sense of empowerment that ICTs has provided them,

including this VIFU participant:

What VIFU has done is the empowerment of women through easy access to information. It has engendered global solidarity in strengthening personal relationship among activists, academics, and change agents. I continue staying connected with human rights lawyers in Africa, with educators in Latin America, with activists and social workers in Asia – all these were possible because VIFU was the technological conduit where life-relationships are nurtured and kept alive. (Zorn, 2004, p.83)

On a multinational level, WomenAction, a global communication and media network that

enabled non-governmental organizations to actively participate in the Beijing +5*** review

process with a long-term commitment to women’s empowerment, established a

communications network that enabled women from every region to participate in and

influence the five-year review of the implementation of the 1995 Beijing Plan of Action

(Primo and Radloff, 2002).

In response to the Beijing +5, a partnership between APC-Africa Women and The

African Women's Development and Communication Network saw the emergence of

Flamme, an online network of women committed to strengthening the capacity of African

women, through the use of ICTs, to participate in, lobby, and advocate during the Beijing

+5 review process, at both regional and global levels (Primo and Radloff, 2002). Flamme

served as an electronic forum where women could exchange information, ideas, and

strategies and present issues of concern to account for during the assessment of the

implementation of the Beijing Plan for Action (ibid).

*** The Beijing +5 was a follow-up review to United Nation’s Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995.


28

Not only is the Flamme network exemplary of women using ICTs and, in return,

establishing themselves as leaders and agents of change, but it also discredits Greer’s

earlier criticism that women are incapable of having – and following through on – big

ideas.

3. Research Questions and Hypothesis

Several gaps were discovered in the literature, including a number of quantitative

studies, such as Akpan Obong’s (2009) and Hilbert’s (2011), which left women’s voices

out of the discourse. There was also a considerable amount of discussion around

women who didn’t have access (Melhem et al., 2009; Hafkin, 2000; Adam and Green,

1995), leaving an opening for discussion with those women who are using ICTs

frequently to understand their perspectives. Furthermore, there was considerable focus

on university students and university-aged women (Akpan Obong, 2009; Bantebya-

Kyomuhendo et al., 2007).

In response to the aforementioned gaps in current research and findings, ten African-

born and based (Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria, specifically) women leaders were selected

as an exemplary model of women in developing countries who are regular users of ICTs

and social media, and who are making positive contributions to their individual and

collective social and economic development. These women, who act as catalysts for

change in their communities and encourage their neighbouring women to follow suit, will

act as respondents to the research questions.

The research questions and hypothesis that have been developed for this study will aim

to examine if and how these women, who are actively engaged in ICTs and social media


29

in their professional lives, are achieving greater social and economic success and

assuming higher positions of leadership in both their local communities and beyond their

cities, countries, and continent, as a result of using such tools. The questions will assess

to what extent these women believe ICTs and online networks are key facilitators in their

personal and professional growth and success.

The research questions further seek to answer whether these women are experiencing

the same gender-specific challenges with relation to accessing and using ICTs that an

earlier generation of women in the ICT-era has encountered.

The proposed research questions are as follows:

• Are these women, who are using ICTs and Social Media tools in their daily lives,

likely to associate their usage with elevated levels of personal autonomy, leadership,

and success?

o What, if any, are the main factors and issues that prohibit these women from

successfully accessing and using online communication tools?

o To what extent, if any, are these women developing and honing their

transferrable (from online to offline) skills, and what specific skills are they

building, as a result of their ICT and Social Media usage?

o What trends in social and economic benefits emerge from the use of ICTs

and what specific variables contribute to these women’s ability to successfully

utilize and take advantage of these benefits?

The central research hypothesis is that, when women are able to successfully

access ICTs and take full advantage of the abundance of information, connections,


30

and opportunities that are available via these tools and online networks, they will

thrive, socially and economically, and will be able to increase the depth of their

contributions at a community level.

4. Methodology This chapter commences by specifying the methodological approach and data collection

method selected for this research, and will elaborate on why these methods were

chosen for the study, as well as briefly touch on other possible methods considered. It

will then detail the sampling methods and method of data analysis employed, and will

highlight any ethical issues to consider prior to undertaking the research. This chapter

will conclude by addressing any challenges (both anticipated and actual) revealed during

the research process – and how they were addressed.

i. Methodological Approach

As this study is investigative in nature, and aims to analyze and better understand, through

personal anecdotes and insights, the overall impacts and takeaways of regular ICT and

social media usage on the women who access them, a qualitative methodological

approach was instated (Bryman, 2008). From an epistemological stance, this approach

encouraged face-to-face interaction and the opportunity to “participate” in the thought

process of another human being, as well as a chance to undertake “the role of the other”

in order to attain social knowledge (ibid). By utilizing a feminist ethnography perspective,

the research emphasized listening to women´s voices and understanding them in context;

this two-way communication thus served to minimize women´s exploitation (ibid).


31

The preexisting literature and findings placed women’s ICT access and usage in the

context of men’s (Adam and Green, 1998) or focused on women’s lack of access to ICT

tools; and quantitative studies such as Hilbert’s (2011) and Akpan Obong’s (2009) were

more concerned with numbers than voices, which appeared somewhat contradictory given

the characteristically social nature of ICTs. The research undertaken here, in contrast,

accounting for embedded social and economic challenges such as lack of infrastructure,

education, and training, immobilization, and monetary restrictions, sought to focus on

women and ICTs from a different – and more inclusionary – angle. The study is interested

in understanding the potential returns on investment as well of any enduring challenges of

ICTs for women who are already active users of computer and mobile technologies, and

who are established agents of change and leadership in their local communities. A

grounded theory approach was employed with the intention of allowing fresh theoretical

ideas and concepts to emerge from the data (Bryman, 2008).

As theorized by Spender (1995) and several years later by Munyua (2009), men have

customarily maintained ‘control’ over the use of ICTs such as the Internet and mobile

telephones, and have developed their own set of codes that have either excluded women

from the outset or renounced their freedom of access and usage at a later period. Since

women ICT users have, in the past, been barred from producing a discourse of codes that

speak to their own needs and challenges, this research aimed to develop a new set of

codes, articulated by the female respondents in this study, that are resultantly more

reflective of women-friendly language.


32

If the collected data affirmed that these women, as a result of their active participation in

ICTs and social media, are receiving increased social and economic benefits, then

emergence of new theories would help to reinforce final recommendations in the research.

As part of the qualitative approach, a series of interviews were conducted with a

handpicked selection of women in the African countries of Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria.

Travel to each of these countries was undertaken, to personally meet and interview the

women, in an attempt to gain a better first-hand understanding of the rules of each culture

(Rubin and Rubin, 1995). Directly engaging with these cultures required the confrontation

of personal ethnocentricities, as well as incorporating an understanding of the relativism of

others’ worldviews (ibid).

This was of particular significance, as the relationship that a researcher forms with her

subjects is characterized by trust and integrity (Ali and Kelly, 2004); in other words, in

order for a researcher to effectively communicate across cultural divisions, it is crucial that

subjects do not feel any preexisting judgments or biases on part of the researcher, both

during and after data collection.

Moreover, qualitative semi-structured interviewing allowed for a certain amount of flexibility

when designing an interview guide of questions that evolved based on new ideas and the

unique experiences of each interviewee (Rubin and Rubin, 1995). As this international

travel extended to different countries, and the interviews were conducted with women of

diverse socioeconomic and professional statuses, each of whom had unique insights to

share according to her lived experience, this flexibility was required to extract relevant and

diverse data.


33

In deliberating other research methods, the quantitative method of self-completing

questionnaires was considered as an alternative approach, as they were inexpensive to

produce and disseminate (more affordable than traveling to Africa to conduct in-person

interviews, for instance), provided broader geographical coverage, reduced biasing

errors triggered by preconceived conceptions of the interviewer and variability in the

interviewer´s skills, and were potentially anonymous, so there was no concern regarding

the leaking of confidential information (Bloch, 2004).

Upon further consideration, however, this method was discounted for several reasons.

To start, questionnaires must be concise in order to hold the respondent´s attention

when there is no external probing involved (Bloch, 2004), and responses must be

accepted at face value (Bell, 2005). There was no option to delve deeper with the

respondents and pose follow-up questions, where there was insufficient information or

further clarification and comprehension was required. There was also an issue of

reliability, as the researcher lacks control over who completes the questionnaire, and

whether or not the response is valid (Bloch, 2004). Furthermore, a standardized

approach is assumed in questionnaires so that questions are worded identically, with no

option for clarification or rephrasing, for the individual respondent (ibid).

From a feminist research context, this was of particular concern, as predetermined

categories in quantitative research emphasizes what is already known and,

consequently, results in silencing women´s unique voices and narratives (Bryman,

2008). During the preliminary research, in which existing literature and findings were

examined, women’s first-hand narratives were rarely incorporated into the discourse,

and thus contributed to often repetitive and lackluster findings. There was irony in the


34

fact that, while the research concerned itself with a lack of women’s presence in and

contribution to the public domain, women’s voices were, with the rare exception of

studies such as Harcourt’s (2002), Mitter’s (2004), and Somolu’s (2007), excluded from

the published literature.

Relating this back to quantitative research, and questionnaires in particular, when the

sample of respondents is diverse across social, economic, and geographical stratum, a

‘one-size-fits-all’ questionnaire may undesirably result in the aggregation of biased and

censored data.

ii. Sampling and Access

For this research, purposive sampling, a non-probability form of sampling, where the

researcher’s knowledge of the population guides the process, was used to select

interviewees (Bryman, 2008). By using this method of sampling, individuals were

purposefully selected based on their relevance to the understanding of specific social

phenomenon (ibid), in this case the emergence of ICTs and online social networks in the

past twenty-or-so years. Because this study entailed interviewing a predefined and

already visible set of actors, in this case the ten selected women, purposive sampling

allowed for identifying specific respondents of interest who would have the appropriate

insights to understand and further the research (Tansey, 2007).

Specifically, snowball sampling was used, involving the attainment of respondents

through key referrals, among people who share similar characteristics. This approach is

often utilized when there is no available sampling frame in place (Bloch, 2004), such as

organizational data or statistical data that represent specific population demographics.


35

This technique is thus reliant on personal recommendation by individuals the respondent

knows, and may contribute to the legitimacy of the researcher, as there is a common

connection within the network (ibid).

The snowballing technique was taken full advantage of in preparation for the research

conducted in Africa. With networks already established in each country where interviews

were being carried out, it became essential to seek out the connections of already-

selected respondents to identify potential respondents. The variables in place for this

study included gender, age, educational background, profession, socioeconomic status,

marital status, and geographic location (urban/rural).

Taking into consideration the fact that the field research was carried out in an unfamiliar

part of the world, careful preparation and planning was in order. A preliminary interview

guide (Bloch, 2004; Bryman, 2008) was developed out of main themes and topics

relevant to the study with a list of relevant questions that ranged from introductory to

complex (Rubin and Rubin, 1995) in order to collect as much data as possible in a

relatively concise period of time. Most of the respondents were heavily entrenched in

their own work and only had a small timeframe available in which to meet. All interviews

were tape-recorded. As noted by Silverman (2010), it is critical that interviews be

recorded, as assurance that there is no loss in meanings or inferences, and

subsequently transcribed in a way that is suitable to the research and theoretical model

in place.

As qualitative interviews are time-consuming in their initial preparations and subsequent

transcription and analysis (Bryman, 2008), respondents were limited to ten: Kenya (3);


36

Ghana (3); Nigeria (4). Each respondent was chosen for her active use and participation

in ICTs and social media, and was not intended to reflect an entire population of women

in her country, but rather to act as an exemplary model of a change-maker and leader in

her community.

iii. Data Analysis

Upon the completion of the interview transcriptions, an assessment of the

collected data was carried out, using thematic analysis, which allowed for the

identification of themes and subthemes through the coding of transcriptions and

notes produced from interviews (Bryman, 2008). From the key text and

observations that were aggregated, a coding scheme of key terms and themes

that emerged from the collected data was subsequently developed (Seale, 2004).

As with qualitative interviewing, flexibility was required, and one of the chief

benefits of coding was that it allows a researcher to account for any unexpected

issues that arise from the initial data collection, and update the code meanings

as new data is collected, both deductively from my pre-existing concerns and

questions and inductively from the data itself (ibid).

Due to the personal and subjective nature of qualitative interviewing, reliability,

the extent to which identical results will be produced when a study is replicated,

is a near impossible occurrence (Bryman, 2008). Rather, a focus was placed on

transparency, which concerns the researcher’s own cultural assumptions,

theoretical stances, and knowledge of other ways the analysis may be


37

approached, which would be a factor in achieving clarity and accountability

during the analytical stages of the research (Walliman, 2005).

Validity, conversely, which is concerned with a study’s ability to measure what

the researcher endeavours to measure (Seale, 2004) is a more probable

outcome, and it is expected of qualitative researchers that they will demonstrate

how they will achieve precision in terms of validity (Kelly, 2004). For the purpose

of this research, Face Validity was used as a measurement, as it allowed for the

consideration of whether the questions formed in the interview guide were

indicative of the intended concepts that were set out for analysis (Seale, 2004).

Member validity, which is often used in a feminist approach (Ali and Kelly, 2004),

was also employed, and interview transcripts and other accumulated data was

made available to research participants, at their own request and discretion, so

that they could assess whether their words and actions were fairly represented

(Seale, 2004). This, in turn, made for a more equal and trustworthy relationship

between the researcher and the researched (Ali and Kelly, 2004).

iv. Ethical Issues

The study was required to follow the basic ethical protocols of informed consent,

confidentiality, anonymity, and not causing harm (personal or professional) or inciting

deception (presenting research one day while carrying it out in another way) (Walliman,

2005).


38

Respondents were fully informed, via the distribution of an information sheet in simple

and straightforward language, prior to the commencement of the study, about what the

research entailed, why their participation was requested, what would be involved and

what would be done with the obtained information (Bell, 2005), in order to meet the

requirements of ‘informed consent’. A consent form was also distributed to prospective

participants, in advance, so that they were afforded an opportunity to query the meaning

and implications of any statements, and even to withdraw from participating at their own

discretion (p.157). Further to this, two copies of the consent form were signed at the time

of meeting, one by the participant and one by the researcher (Ali and Kelly, 2004).

As the collected data, consisting of notes and tape recordings, was of a sensitive nature

and contained confidential information, a storage system was devised whereby all tapes

and handwritten notes were locked and stored privately in the researcher’s home office

(Walliman, 2005). Computer-generated content was protected by a password.

v. Potential and Actual Challenges

There was the potential for several challenges in the research. The first concern was

with relation to the snowball interviewing technique, or convenience sample, which had

the potential to limit the depth and diversity of respondents (Bloch, 2004). There was

initial concern that, because the interviews were being conducted within a relatively

‘closed’ network of respondents, that the experiences might be similar, thus contributing

to bias in the research findings. However, the outcome of the interviews proved

otherwise. The women ranged across ages, educational and professional backgrounds,

and socioeconomic status, and each respondent supplied her own unique narrative


39

based on personal lived experience. The unifying link between all ten respondents was

their involvement with ICTs.

‘Going native’ was another potential challenge, as there was initial concern that

becoming too immersed in the world view of the respondents, by spending an extended

period of time in each of their environments, might detract from the ‘researcher’ role, and

subsequently contribute to difficulty in developing a social scientific angle concerning the

collection and analysis of data (Bryman, 2008). When ‘going native’, it was also easier to

unintentionally impose outside cultural assumptions (i.e. white, Western), especially

when interviewing and observing people of different cultural heritages and social status

(Walliman, 2005). Inequalities of power and vulnerability may exist between the

interviewer and respondent based on educational levels, socioeconomics, and place of

origin (Wengraf, 2001). Taking a feminist ethnography approach, which stresses the

value of listening to women’s narratives and understanding them within the context of

their own environment and without imposing outside cultural values and assumptions,

helped to prevent any possibility of ‘going native’ during the interviewing process.

While the above challenges were foreseeable and could be addressed prior to the

commencement of the research, there were other challenges that presented themselves

during the course of the research. The first challenge was actually getting the women to

commit to an interview day and time. Schedules operate differently in Africa, and a lack

of reliable public transportation and infrastructural issues meant that meetings were

often pushed back or rescheduled due to poor road conditions and buses that didn’t run

on time or at all.


40

Also, due to the time limitations in each country (one week in Kenya, and two weeks

each in Ghana and Nigeria), this provided a small window of opportunity for the

interviews to take place. In a few instances, respondents were out of the city or country

during the visit, and arrangements were made to interview them via Skype at a later

date. In another instance, one Nigerian respondent lived in a rural area and, given the

current security situation in the country, it was unadvisable to travel by bus to her

community, and she was unable to travel to Lagos for the interview. Under these

circumstances, a Skype meeting was also arranged.

Chapter 5: Results and Findings

This chapter will examine the impacts and outcomes that ICTs and online networking

have had on the women respondents of this study, who are already established and

active users of these technologies. It will explore, to what degree, these women have

ease of access to get online and what their greatest challenges, if any, are in terms of

accessing these networks and will review which communication devices and networks

are most frequently used and in what capacity they are being used for.

Further to this, it will explore the pronounced benefits and limitations that these women

encounter as a result of using ICTs, will aim to better understand their individual

experience as a woman in their local community using ICTs, and will finally inquire to

what extent and in what ways ICTs have acted as a tool for leadership, empowerment,

and success in their personal lived experiences.

During the course of this study, several themes emerged, including the fact that, in spite

of infrastructural challenges such as dropped networks, power outages, and the


41

potentially high monetary cost of getting online, the majority of the respondents revealed

that they spent several hours online a day and used a variety of devices, such as

computers, phones, and tablets to access the Internet in their homes, offices, and, at

one point, in cybercafés. The respondents most frequently used the Internet for

networking, professional collaborations, and to promote their projects and organizational

activities. Facebook, Twitter, and e-mail were most frequently cited by the respondents

as the social networks and communication mediums used to connect and reach out.

Several benefits were also noted such as access to individuals and organizations that

might normally be out of reach, increased confidence and heightened communication

skills, building global networks and taking advantage of professional opportunities,

collaborating with like-minded individuals, and establishing lasting friendships. The most

commonly cited limitations were online verbal attacks and hate mail, lack of reliability

and high cost of network services, and lack of privacy and a tendency towards

overexposure. In terms of a gender ‘divide’, the responses offered a ‘mixed bag’ of

perspectives. While some believed that ICTs and the Internet, in particular, was a level

playing field, others had experienced backlash from men for being vocal and active

online citizens, and the majority of respondents still believed that it was more challenging

for women and girls to access and use ICTs than it was for boys and men, due to

embedded gender roles and relations. When asked to speak to the idea of ICTs as a

mechanism for empowerment, leadership, and success, all respondents agreed that

ICTs had played a chief role in their personal growth and development. It should be

noted, however, that these themes are fluid in that they correspond to each other in

many ways.


42

The following is an analysis of the ten interviews undertaken for this study. This analysis

will relate the findings back to relevant literature and use a selection of quotes from the

interviews to help illustrate the conclusions. Given the nature and intent of the study, it

was important to let the women’s voices speak for themselves, and every effort has

been made to incorporate their narratives into the results of the study.

i. The Respondents

The ten respondents, who ranged in age between 22 and 48, were a diverse selection of

women with a variety of educational and professional backgrounds, and varied (self-

identified) socioeconomic statuses, from lower to upper class (see Appendix A for

respondent coordinates). All respondents were Anglophone. Five out of the ten

respondents were single, one was separated, and four were married. This serves as a

relevant detail as other findings (Munyua, 2009) have shown that, in some cases,

women’s access to ICTs was seen by their husbands as a threat and possible

relationship destabilizer, to the point that men would often monitor their wives’ access

and usage and, in the most extreme cases, limit their access altogether.

Nine respondents identified as Christians (with one respondent converting to Christianity

from Islam), and one identified as “spiritual, not religious”. Although an effort was made

to locate respondents of the Muslim faith, this proved to be a fruitless effort. This might

have added a dynamic perspective to the results, as Mitter (2004) notes in her research

that Islamic scholars have raised doubts about the appropriateness of ‘imported

technology’ on philosophical and ethical grounds, making claims that a ‘cyberfuture’ is


43

viewed by some as an accentuation of a European Civilization that is ‘aggressive’ and

‘unstable’ by nature.

Of the ten respondents, one held a law degree and five held degrees at a Masters level,

including the only participant who defined herself as “lower-class”. She did however,

specify, that this “status” was only in regards to her material wealth, and that she was

wealthy in many other ways. Three respondents were educated overseas in England

and the United States, which might have influenced their attitudes about privilege and

gender with reference to ICTs. One respondent, a 25-year old Ghanaian (Respondent F)

who studied in Pennsylvania and later founded an African ‘literary award’ initiative noted,

“I don’t think my gender has done anything for my use of ICTs and social media. I went

to an all girls’ high school and a women’s college, so I have an interesting relationship

with gender where I don’t see the trouble and disadvantages that accrue to me.”

Nine out of the ten respondents were active in social causes and the remaining

respondent was a journalist who wrote about social issues. Six of the respondents have

started their own projects, organizations, and enterprises.

Only two respondents, one Kenyan and one Nigerian, lived in rural areas. This was

somewhat of a detriment to the research, as earlier studies had indicated that women

living in rural areas experienced a more difficult time accessing ICTs (Mulama, 2007).

Thus, it may seem that there still remains a certain bias toward the narratives of urban

women who, by their default location, may already have an easier time accessing ICTs.


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In terms of ICT-focused training and skills building, five respondents acknowledged that

they had partaken in formal and/or online training programs to develop their ICT

acumen.

In this study, the respondents were asked to draw on their personal experiences using

ICTs, in the context of both the online communities that they affiliate with and within their

local communities in Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria.

ii. Access to and Usage of ICTs

As was alluded to in the literature, women’s access to ICTs, or lack thereof, appeared to

be a dominant theme in the research findings (Hafkin, 2000; Munyua, 2009; Melhem et

al., 2009; Litho and Wakunuma-Zojer, 2009; Adam and Green,1995; Brayton, et al.,

2001; KIT, 2005; Mitter, 2005; Momo and Solange, 2000). With this sentiment in mind,

one of the first things to address in this study was that the selected participants were

already known to have access to ICTs. The central question then, around access, was

not “if” but rather “to what extent”. Further to this, it was important to understand whether

these women, who are using ICTs as a part of their daily routine, encounter their own

challenges with the technologies.

The findings revealed that all ten respondents had personal means to connect, which

included computers (10), smartphones (6), tablets such as the iPad (3), and sometimes

a combination of all three. Six respondents reported mostly accessing their Internet from

home, while three reported that they access it from their office. None of the respondents

reported currently accessing their Internet from telecentres. One respondent, a 39-year-


45

old writer and NGO Founder from Lagos, Nigeria (Respondent H), when asked why she

did not access the Internet from her mobile phone, replied that while the cost of

accessing the Internet by mobile is not, in itself, expensive “it’s expensive to get a phone

that can browse.”

However, regardless of what country they lived in and whether they were based in urban

or rural areas, and irrespective of their socioeconomic status, they all encountered the

same infrastructural issues such as power outages and poor connectivity from their

Internet Service Providers.

Economics played a role in connectivity. A 32-year-old social entrepreneur (Respondent

B) from Nairobi, Kenya’s major urban centre, who gave her socioeconomic status as

‘upper-middle class’, stated that, when it came to access she was “always connected”.

She further elaborated, “I have a smart phone, I own a laptop, and I just got an iPad, so

I’m privileged to always be connected […] in terms of access to the Internet, compared

to the majority of Kenyan women.” Conversely, a 48-year-old NGO director (Respondent

C) from rural Kenya, whose socioeconomic status is ‘lower-middle class’ has a more

difficult time connecting: “I am lucky to have a laptop at home, so when I can afford to

buy data bundles then I have access to the Internet. It’s quite unreliable and

unpredictable, but is a blessing in comparison to many other people around me.” The

operative word here, of course, is “afford”. While the former respondent has relatively

endless (save for network issues) privileged access, the latter respondent struggles to

afford the cost of Internet service. Affordability aside, however, she still manages to

spend “about ten hours” a day online when she isn’t out working in her community, in

order to strengthen her “young organization”.


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These two aforementioned cases seem to exacerbate previous research that depicts a

much harsher ‘climate’ for ICT-seekers in rural areas (Mulama, 2007), partly to do with

the even less built-up infrastructure that exists in rural parts of Africa, as was noted in

the Hallberg et al. study (2011), and also because there tends to be more opportunity to

make money in the city, hence higher proportions of wealth and subsequent access.

The difference, however, between the established literature and the respondents in this

study is that these women are exemplary of Nussbaum’s (2000) “where there’s a will,

there’s a way” capabilities approach. In the case of Respondent C, she has answered

that central ‘capabilities’ question: “What am I actually able to do and be?” Setting her

financial limitations aside, she is aware of what she is capable of doing and how she can

impact her growing organization in a positive way by using ICTs to reach out beyond her

rural network in Kenya. She thus answers the question by way of her forward-thinking

attitude and actions.

iii. Networking Experiences

The respondents, when asked about their online networking experiences, were generally

unified in their overall responses, which were overwhelmingly positive. As Hoffman

(2008) discussed in her study, women’s predominant online focus revolves around social

networking sites, where they can grow their networks and build their relationships. She

refers to women’s tendency to be more ‘relationship-driven’ in their activity, a notion that

is validated by a 24 year-old respondent (Respondent A) from Kenya who works as a

new media consultant:


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[In reference to being a woman] I guess maybe it ties with the personality or the virtues that come from the nurturing kind of thing, so they bring that sense of nurturing to the conversations, because it’s easy to just come and state facts, but it’s another thing to be informed, especially with some difficult conversations […] you needed some sort of understanding, because it’s easy to go into defense mode and attack mode. But it’s because of understanding, that nurturing thing, that continuity. Those skills that I find innately in a woman, I’ve been able to enhance them and to use them in the communication that I have online.

When asked to identify which social networks helped them to communicate and build

their communities most successfully, Twitter (4) and Facebook (4) emerged as the two

preferred networks; Twitter was selected for its ability to connect the respondents with

anyone, regardless of status, breaking down the social barrier of “it’s all about who you

know”, while Facebook was praised for its large platform. A 26-year-old freelance

journalist and writer from Nigeria (Respondent I), noted that “I have so many friends on

Facebook, and I’m sort of this hermit in real life, like over 3,000, I don’t know half of

them. So sometimes I ask myself, ‘what the use of having all these friends anyway if I

can’t tell them about what I do, if I can’t share with them events?’”

Twitter and Facebook are, in some ways, part of the star topology network, to which

Anand (2002) refers. Both mediums act as a central hub that the respondents connect to

and, by way of connecting, are opening themselves up to a potentially endless stream of

individuals and ideas.

On that note, social networking was also highly regarded by the respondents for its

ability to generate professional connections and funding opportunities, its aptitude for

providing a vast range of valuable information in real time, and its broad platform for

campaigning and advocacy, the latter of which fits in well with the ICT4D model in that


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using ICTs as a forum from where to share important messages contributes to

development both on and offline (Akpan-Obong, 2009).

As a result of using social networks, several of the correspondents have reaped

significant personal and professional rewards:

I see my opportunity to go to the US for empowerment training as a huge achievement and a source of opportunity through social media. When I first connected to World Pulse, and the ‘Voices of Our Future’ program, about 520 women entered the competition, and I saw myself as somebody who couldn’t make it, because we were told that 30 of us would be picked out of that many […] I was the only one that was chosen out of the 30. I went to the US for the empowerment training, and was empowered so much to come back home and help the women that I’ve been having the vision of help. (Respondent J, Nigeria)

I’m from a very poor background. The minute I joined social media, I discovered there are so many great things in me, innate things, that I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish if not for social media. Through social media, I got connected to great women who really wanted to make a difference. (Respondent H, Nigeria)

I met the co-founder of my organization on Facebook. I have lots of friends with common interests that I discovered on Facebook and Twitter. I hear about events on Twitter, and a big fellowship I got last year, I saw it first on Twitter. (Respondent F, Ghana) I have a few experiences where I received funding from outside Ghana, from Italy and the United States. A man contacted me from Italy because he saw my project on Facebook and decided to send a donation. (Respondent D, Ghana)

I have a campaign on Facebook and all those I’m working with on this campaign are people I met on Facebook. I’m part of a group looking to start a diaspora bank in Africa on LinkedIn. I now consult for some of the professionals I interact with in the group. (Respondent E, Ghana)

These individual narratives of collaboration and ideas exchange, were earlier referred to

in the literature, which asserted that social networking is an interactive process allowing

for women to come together and build their international networks, using them to create

awareness, fundraise, and mobilize (World Bank, 2011; Youngs, 2012).


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iv. Benefits and Limitations

During the course of this research, a variety of benefits and limitations were accounted

for, some of which reflected the findings of previous literature. The majority of the

benefits, however, were never discussed in research findings, making it challenging to

fully understand and promote the value of women’s ICTs use in daily life.

Respondent I, for instance, enjoyed the freedom that teleworking (Mitter, 2004) has

given her:

I get paid for all my online activities, for all the PR and social media that I do. I’m trying to imagine, if there was no social media, what my world would be like. It has created a different avenue, a different career line; it’s not easily acceptable in the community here to tell people you write for a living. But it’s the career benefits that it creates for me, and you don’t want to match that with the agony of getting out on Lagos streets. I appreciate it even more because I don’t want to be stuck in traffic. The fact that I can get my work done on my computer; it’s such a relief for me.

Other key benefits that were brought forward by the respondents included heightened

marketing, leadership, and communications skills (one correspondent made reference to

the fact that using the Twitter platform, where all posts are limited to 140 characters,

caused her to be concise with her message); a greater sense of confidence and an

ability to raise one’s voice and speak with authority; professional opportunities including

consultancies and means for building a brand and promoting work; reduced degrees of

separation and an opportunity to build a global network with others who share similar

interests; ease of access to information and data; a large platform from which to amplify

advocacy work and push agendas; and increased knowledge about how to

conceptualize ideas and convert them into projects.


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What was most pleasing about these responses was how much more diversified and

comprehensive they were than what was found in previous literature. Both Rabayah

(2009) and Bantebya-Kyomuhendo et al. (2007) revealed in their studies that the women

who were subjects in their research, as a result of using ICTs, gained a heighted sense

of knowledge due to increased access to information. Increases in self-esteem and the

development of transferrable skills were also cited (Bantebya-Kyomuhendo et al., 2007).

Similarly, the UN Report, Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women through ICT,

specified benefits as increased access to health, nutrition, education and other human

development opportunities, such as political participation (DAW, 2005). These results

are thus not reflective of the vast benefits that women who use ICTs are experiencing.

Conversely, the limitations expressed by the women in this research tended to be a

more honest reflection of the findings in previous literature. The women reported

experiencing online verbal attacks from men who were keen on putting them in their

place, and one respondent discussed her involvement with the ‘Take Back the Tech’

campaign, which responds to ICT-related violence, and was mentioned in Somolu’s

(2007) research. Other limitations included e-mail spamming; being tracked, which was

referenced in Sciadas’ (2005) findings; lack of a reliable connection (Mulama, 2007);

expense of connecting; lack of privacy and risk of overexposure given the availability of

personal information online (Macafee and Pederson, 2007); lack of proficiency in

understanding how to use certain websites; and the inhibition of real human interaction.


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The harm with previous literature is that, while it does a reasonable job of outlining the

limitations, it fails to sufficiently highlight the benefits, making it difficult for readers (and

policymakers) to see the value in heightening ICT access for women.

v. Gender in the Digital World

Given the fact that a gender ‘digital divide’ was a prevalent theme in previous texts

(Hilbert, 2011; Carr and Huyer, 2002; Kramarae and Wei, 2012), it was an important

element of the research to understand what kinds of experiences the respondents in this

study had encountered from a gendered perspective, and whether they had come up

against the same negativity that other findings have indicated. The respondents were

asked a series of questions about their experience, as a woman in their community,

using ICTs. They were probed about any issues with hostility and backlash concerning

their online activities, were asked to recount whether they had every knowingly had their

Internet use monitored, and were finally requested to comment on whether they believed

there were more challenges for women and girls in their community to acquire access to

ICTs than was the case for their male counterparts.

The findings were an interesting mix of dichotomies. One the one hand, the majority of

the respondents (seven out of ten) claimed that they encountered no difficulty, as a

woman, accessing and using ICTs in their community; the remaining three

correspondents made reference to the biases they faced. Respondent H stated, “most of

the time, they don’t even think we are human beings in our own community. Whatever I

say, they don’t count as anything, because I am a woman. Even on Facebook […] they

think we are substandard and it reflects in the way they comment on our posts.” In

Respondent I’s case, she mentioned that social media is her way to spread her opinions

about certain issues, which does not always sit well with her male peers. “You say what


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you want to say, but sometimes people label you all sorts of things that you’re not.

There’s really no issue with a man coming to say what he wants to say. It’s a challenge,”

she attests. Respondent C adds to these claims by acknowledging that, she too, has

been the recipient of verbal attacks: “I do Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights

Advocacy, I live in a pretty conservative context, and people don’t agree with what I have

to say, so I’ve received a lot of backlash for it. Men, mostly feel they need to put me in

my place.”

Yet, while seven out of ten respondents cited no personal retaliation against them, the

response was flipped when they were asked whether women and girls, on whole in their

communities, experienced more ICT-related challenges than men and boys. Seven

respondents believed that women and girls experienced more challenges; two

respondents were unsure; and one respondent did not believe that women and girls in

her community faced greater challenges in accessing ICTs.

Amongst those respondents who did believe that challenges were present, most of them

cited the fact that girls, from a young age, had been reared to become homemakers, and

often remained inside doing chores, while boys ventured outside to play and explore:

“While you’re growing up, the boy gets the toy phone, and the girl gets the doll, so it

starts from a young age with socialization” (Respondent I, Ghana); “In Nigeria, the focus

for girls is to have a home so they don’t necessarily get a chance to maximize any

education opportunities. They’re groomed to be homemakers. This impacts their

understanding and subsequent use of technology” (Respondent G, Nigeria). These

observations are similar to Momo’s (2009) findings where it was noted that the majority


53

of women in Africa, who undertake a plethora of household responsibilities, have less

access to formal education than their male peers.

Counter to Munyua’s (2009) earlier findings that men had monitored their spouses’

Internet use, there were no reports from respondents (married or single) that they have

had their Internet use monitored by a significant other.

vi. ICTs for Leadership and Empowerment

The research findings consistently pointed to the fact that the respondents were reaping

numerous benefits as a result of their ICT and social media usage. The question

remains still as to whether these benefits have resulted in heightened levels of

leadership and empowerment in the lives of these women.

As Nussbaum’s (2000) research suggests, the concept of empowerment is about more

than equality of and access to resources; it is about women’s ability to understand who

they are and what it is they are capable of doing, and to take subsequent action. The UN

Millennium Project Task Force on Education and Gender Equality, on the other hand

believes that it is a combination of resources, opportunities, and capabilities that defines

‘empowerment’ (Grown et al., 2005).

Taking both definitions into account, it is evident that the respondents’ use of ICTs,

which by all accounts would be considered a resource, has enabled them to be active

agents in both their professional growth and their advocacy mission, the two of which

were often combined.


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All the respondents have clear visions for their futures. Some of these included owning a

media house (Respondent D, Ghana); establishing a consulting agency as a leading

consultant in West Africa (Respondent E, Ghana); establishing a transformation institute

with an agenda in the self-interest of women (Respondent H, Nigeria); establishing an

empowerment centre where women can develop skills and build their self-esteem

(Respondent C, Kenya); becoming the first female UN Secretary General (Respondent

G, Nigeria); and developing an online portal around social media in Africa (Respondent

A, Kenya).

The respondents saw their ICT and social media usage as a contributor to their current

success and empowerment, and as a gateway to heightening their leadership capacity

and achieving their future goals:

ICTs and social media have greatly empowered me because, through it, I have acquired so many skills. I was not a writer before. Through social media and ICTs, I have become a writer. I was not trained as a journalist before. Through ICTs and social media, I have become a journalist, and I’m even a reporter now. And through ICTs and social media, I’ve had access to organizations outside my country that I’m representing in Nigeria. (Respondent J, Nigeria) ICTs and social media has made me what I am today, the woman leader I am today – there is always something to learn everyday. My self-esteem improves everyday, because as a person and founder of an organization, I am able to realize my potential and share it with others (Respondent C, Kenya)

In my personal journey, it was a tool for leadership and empowerment because it was, when you look at me in Nigeria, when it comes to WorldPulse, I’m a leader. Through WorldPulse, Nigerians, Asians, Indians, they will tell you to come to me. I will advise, I will mentor, I will connect, I will give you opportunities. The leadership online has transformed to leadership in the communities, the leadership among our women, among our NGOs. (Respondent H, Nigeria)

ICTs and social media provide me with free access to markets I wouldn’t normally have access to. I’m able to share my ideas and projects with a bigger audience. It’s easier for me to communicate and present my ideas to people all over the world. I have more reliable and faster access to real time information. I’m better able to test


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my ideas, services and products to my customers and supports without having to do an elaborate end expensive marketing campaign. (Respondent E, Ghana)

The respondents interviewed during this research process have all assumed an active

role in shaping their lives and determining the direction in which they want to go. Each

has recognized her own capabilities, and has employed ICTs and social media to help

her connect with a global audience, and build a portfolio of achievements, the derivatives

of which have been a greater sense of empowerment and an ability to inspire and lead

others.

Chapter 6: Conclusion

The goal of this study was to gain a more in-depth understanding of women in a

developing region of the world who are actively engaging with ICTs and using these

tools as a mechanism for their personal development.

The fact that the respondents were based in Africa, a region notorious for its lack of

infrastructure, poverty, famine, and a less than stellar track record on human rights,

made the research more dynamic, but also brought along its share of challenges, which

will be discussed in this concluding chapter.

Upon meeting with the respondents in their home cities of Nairobi (Kenya), Accra

(Ghana), and Lagos (Nigeria), it was evident that these women were reflections of a

more modern Africa, one that is not readily portrayed by the media images constantly on

display in the West. Regardless of their social and economic statuses, each one of them

demonstrated a sense of gratitude for the opportunities that ICTs had brought into their


56

lives, including the international networks they had been able to build and the messages

that they were able to convey via this mechanism.

This was indication that, while much of the current literature available on the subject has

its own relevance, it is not a holistic picture of some of the technological advancements

that are taking place within Africa. This study is not intended to denounce the issues that

do persist, however, as the findings revealed that several of the issues found in previous

literature are still in place. The respondents were forthcoming about the challenges they

faced, which were akin to those that had already been raised.

While formulating conclusions, it is important to acknowledge that that the small sample

size of ten respondents keeps the research from making sweeping generalizations from

its findings to broader populations. It is also probable that, given that the research was

carried out using purposive sampling, the respondents would offer generally positive

insights and feedback about their experiences. This is not to suggest, however, that

these women are an anomaly, and that their experiences are not a reflection of other

African women who are successfully linking ICTs to their personal and professional

advancement.

The respondents were all forthcoming with their personal experiences using ICTs and

social media in their day-to-day lives. They highlighted several benefits that were not

addressed in previous studies including reduced degrees of separation, an opportunity

to build and market a brand, and an increase in knowledge that allows for the evolution

of ideas into working projects. Other cited benefits, which have been discussed in

previous findings, included the opportunity to develop communication and leadership


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skills, and a heightened sense of empowerment. As one respondent pointed out, the

leadership mindset that she had attained as a result of her online activities had

translated to her offline world and into her community.

At the same time, the respondents were not shy about disclosing any limitations they

encountered in their access, including poor connectivity and infrastructural issues,

expensive services, and regular power outages.

Other issues that came to the forefront, and were expressed by a few though not all of

the respondents, were encounters with online hostility and violence; one respondent

even went so far as to say that, in her Nigerian community, women are still seen as

‘substandard’. This is indication that the gender ‘war’ still persists, where women who

want to use their voices to express their ideas and opinions, even if they may be

contentious to some, are not always well-received by a persisting dominant male culture.

In spite of the rationale that was offered by one respondent that the Internet is a level

playing field where anyone with something important to say can say it and it will

eventually get to the right place, other respondents’ experiences appear to suggest

otherwise. It insinuates that online culture is not so far removed from the culture that

exists offline.

The challenges, both in access and usage, that the respondents were up against,

however, were not enough to prevent them from being active online participants. Even

those in a lower-income bracket were determined to make ICTs a part of their everyday

routine. What these respondents knew they were capable of and their drive to make a

positive impact, both on their own lives and futures as well as the lives of others in their


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communities and beyond, outweighed any constraints. Their narratives indicated their

awareness that the benefits for them far exceeded the limitations.

It remains to be seen how the respondents will benefit economically, in the long-term,

from their usage. Though several of the respondents provided insights about the

financial opportunities that had been made available to them, such as fellowships,

professional opportunities including consultancies, being paid to write for online

publications, and to a lesser degree, having the opportunity to travel internationally to

advocate for their work, those respondents in the lower-income brackets, two of whom

had founded their own NGOs, continued to struggle financially, despite their active

online participation and their outspoken drive to put their names and activities on an

international map.

The more embedded and socially constructed barrier, which appeared to be ubiquitous

in all three countries, was the rearing of women, from a very young age, to become

homemakers. As a standard cultural norm, women have not been encouraged to receive

an education or to pursue interests that precluded their responsibilities within the home.

A polarization exists between raising girls to stay inside the home to cook, clean, and

eventually marry and bear their own children, and boys to venture outside to play,

explore, and receive an education, finances permitting. This signifies that gender roles

are in place from very early on. As a result, women, in their adult years, will experience

far more difficulty in understanding the world in a greater context and what is available to

them, including the pursuit of accessing information and connecting with others online,

when it is likely that they have not even received a basic education.


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This infers that, fundamentally, girls must be raised to see themselves as active

participants in their lives rather than as passive receivers of whatever is, or is not,

afforded to them, if these societies are going to progress and use all of their citizens to

their greatest social and economic potential.

ICTs, in an ideological sense, may work to bridge this gap, as they offer women an

opportunity to become more informed and to earn an income, from within their own

homes, what has been referred to as ‘teleworking’. Still, this remains ideological as

structural challenges remain in place, especially in rural areas, that may be prohibitive.

Mobile phones with access to the Internet are a suggested alternative, but as one

respondent noted, working from her mobile phone proved a difficult task, as it was a

challenge to produce something of significance on such a small device.

What was deduced from the respondents’ narratives, however, was the intent of pursuit.

Particularly in the cases of the rural respondents and the respondents who identified

themselves as lower-middle or lower class, they delivered a message that ‘you have to

really want it, you have to go out and make it happen, because you can’t necessarily rely

on anyone but yourself to do it for you’.

As has been proposed by the Capabilities Approach, it is not merely about one’s

resources, but also about one’s intent, and the questions of “how badly do you want it?”

and “how are you going to make it happen?” The respondents in this study serve as

catalysts for their communities. If other women, especially those who lack an education,

begin to see and comprehend, first-hand, the success and returns on investment that


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are derived from ICT usage, they may be encouraged to reach out and seek

opportunities to connect in the online world.

In finishing, by speaking with women who are actively using ICTs and who are leading

agents of change, in their unique capacities, and in view of their profound insights and

the findings that emerged from this study, it can be determined that ICTs have great

potential to offer women in developing regions of the world, such as Africa, an

opportunity to ‘think global, act local’, as one respondent suggested. In order to fully

appreciate the value of these tools, it is essential to emphasize the benefits that may be

accrued, while also addressing pre-existing challenges. The findings have determined

that, on whole, there are substantial social and economic returns that are aligned with

ICT usage. In order to see more women benefit from these technologies, a vested

commitment must be taken, by the greater society and by women themselves, to see

women as key actors in social and economic reform and development, at both an

individual and a societal level.

Chapter 7: Suggestions for Further Research During the course of this study, issues for consideration immerged that would welcome

additional research. As previously discussed, the issue of women’s general status in

these communities, as one of inferiority, requires further attention. The world has

become far more globalized, and degrees of separation have been greatly reduced, with

the introduction of ICTs. Technological innovations are constantly being produced, and a

very outdated model of ‘second-class’ citizenry is not only unaligned with the evolution of

the world, but it also serves to keep entire communities in a state of stagnancy, both

socially and economically.


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It is therefore recommended that further research be carried out on the fundamental

issues that persist in maintaining such antiquated roles for men and women, in order to

better understand how to properly introduce ICTs into a culture, while also accounting for

a community’s needs and best interests. In this instance, the introduction of women into

the economy by way of ICTs may serve to positively impact these communities from an

economic perspective while also helping to elevate women’s social status.

In addition to this, it is recommend that research be carried out with a larger sample of

respondents. While ten respondents was a reasonable start, given the time and

economic restrictions that were a part of this research, interviewing more respondents to

understand the outcomes of ICT use would boost research validity.

Finally, it is recommended that more research be conducted on government policies that

are currently in place, with regards to technology-related infrastructural initiatives, in

these societies. It is hopeful that, with a much larger sample of respondents contributing

to ample data, governments will be called to action upon reviewing and understanding

the economic and social returns on investment that increased access to ICTs will

provide.


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Appendix A: Respondent Coordinates

Country Urban/ Rural

Age Education Occupation Marital Status

Religion Socio-economic Status

Respondent A

Kenya Urban 24 BA New Media Consultant

Single Christian Middle-Class

Respondent B

Kenya Urban 32 BA Independent Social Justice and Social Media Consultant, Entrepreneur

Single Spiritual, Not religious

Upper Middle-Class

Respondent C

Kenya Rural 48 College (training institutions)

NGO Founder Separated Christian Middle-Lower Class

Respondent D

Ghana Urban 22 MA Project Coordinator and NGO Founder

Single Christian Middle-Class

Respondent E

Ghana Urban 27 MA Consultant, Social Entrepreneur, and Editor

Single Christian Middle-Upper Class

Respondent F

Ghana Urban 25 BA Executive Director of Social Enterprise

Single Protestant Middle-Upper Class

Respondent G

Nigeria Urban 34 LLM Lawyer and ED of NGO

Married Christian Middle-Class

Respondent H

Nigeria Urban 39 MA Writer and NGO Founder

Married Christian (but born Muslim)

Lower-Class

Respondent I

Nigeria Urban 26 MA Freelance Writer and Journalist

Married Christian Middle-Lower Class

Respondent J

Nigeria Rural 47 MA Guidance Counselor and NGO Founder

Married Christian Middle-Class


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Appendix B: Sample Coding Sheet

Extract Interview Initial Code (level 1) Category Code (level 2)

Theoretic Code (level 3)

Respondent A Access I have access to computer, tablet, mobile phone, but I think the predominant tool has been the mobile phone, because mobile Internet and mobile connectivity is much easier to access, even say as a student. But I’ve always had a computer beside me somewhere close by. Not necessarily Internet access. But the last year, the last two years, I’ve even been able to have my own cyber connection at home, because the connectivity is becoming better and better. How much time would you say you spend online, and how much access do you have daily and weekly? I guess almost every waking minute of every day, because I have access to the blackberry, I don’t have to worry so much about quotas, because it’s a one-off payment and you’re connected. Usually every waking moment of the day, I’m connected, one way or the other. I’m an Internet kid. Have there ever been issues around security? I normally wouldn’t use my laptop in an extremely public space, but in terms of security, I haven’t had my phone or my computer hacked, or any of my accounts hacked. I think if I were a man, I would be less concerned because I feel like there’s that macho (noise), you know, ‘why you coming up all in my face?” but I know a big reason why I don’t do that (noise) I feel like it’s double the mobility, a woman and (noise). Do you feel that there have been any other challenges that you’ve experienced past that? No, just the Internet, like, sometimes the suppliers of Internet, like these last couple of months, we’ve had cyber cuts. And in a time when you’ve been used to being online, real time, and you know, there was a time earlier on, late last year, when the blackberry service was down for three days, and you’re not connected, there are these little gapes in connectivity but nothing, but nothing too major, luckily I’m on quite a stable provider.

Access to computer, tablet, mobile phone Almost every waking minute of every day I haven’t had my phone or my computer hacked, or any of my accounts hacked. No, just the Internet, like, sometimes the suppliers of Internet, like these last couple of months, we’ve had cyber cuts. Gaps in connectivity

Can access three means of ICT Ability to access regularly No personal issues with security to date Gaps to connectivity

ICT devices readily available Constant ICT penetration No public usage of ICTs Infrastructural challenges

Usage A lot of it is communications, part of my work, I can probably spread it into two: my work and my

My work and my own personal use.

Personal and professional use

Holistic approach to ICT


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own personal use. And so workwise, it’s definitely bridging that gap between clients and, you know, corporate and their clients, or organizations and the people who interact with their information. And for my own personal use, it’s probably to further causes that I’m passionate about. Also networking (noise) often you can find people who you have similar interests with, people who are thought leaders in your field, and following what they have to say as well being able to interact with them. As I said thought leadership and advocacy around certain issues. Tell me more about in what capacity you are using these tools? It’s a mix of everything. Any new use that I can come up with for it, but predominantly for business, taking all these brands and humanizing them online, and having them interact with people who are curious, who want to know more about what your work is. Networking Some of the people I’ve met, well, actually right now, even some of my closest friends, people I spend most of my time with are people I met on social networks, not because my older friends or anyone else is any less important, but because we have these similar interests and then we translate that online relationship offline and it works. I’ve also interacted with (noise) people, people who I’m reading books about and people who know amazing information history-wise, especially to do with Africa and the continent, interacting with corporate heads in most companies, and even media, most notably BBC, just because of them following my interests, or something as simple as a change of biography, explaining to people what you’re all about, and they reach out to you, I think that kind of networking also serves a purpose, from basic individual to corporate to brand to being a brand ambassador for Blackberry here in Kenya, working with people like Google to publicize Google+, so it’s been a full circle, kind of like networking and social media.

Some of my closest friends, people I spend most of my time with are people I met on social networks Interacting with corporate heads in most companies and media, most notably BBC

Personal and Professional Networking

Networking as contributor to personal and professional development

Benefits and Limitations Degrees of separation have been reduced, and I’ve met people I’d otherwise probably have never dreamt of meeting. And it really opened my eyes to just kind of think global, think global, act local, kind of thing, enabled me to feel more confident, even as a woman, have this cool disposition of, sort of like, speak with authority. Not so much saying stuff just to be popular but

Degrees of separation have been reduced, and I’ve met people I’d otherwise probably have never dreamt of meeting; think global, act local; feel more confident; speak with

Several benefits; minimal limitations by comparison

Views as ICTs as beneficial to her development ICTs a means for skills building ICTs as an


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saying stuff because it’s what I believe in. And those have been great benefits because I don’t have to hide behind a mask, it’s just who I am, and I’ve been able to build a custom brand. I think, even as a community, I think my communication skills have been enhanced. Being able to explain something as crisply as possible in 140 characters is something unique, something that has been pruned over time, and also just being able to strategize, trying to understand these trends, what’s happening, what’s sticking, what’s not, have really enhanced my skills as a strategist. I picked up activism because of social networks. I mean in that same breath, I’d say, it’s also the marketer, because you’re working with brands at the end of the day, it’s just a new form of marketing. Some of the limitations have been unnecessary attacks by some people who for one reason or another may not agree with you, but who are not very well versed in having diplomatic conversations and will try to attack you to kind of bring you down, but you know, over time, you kind of develop a tough skin and keep going. That’s probably the only limitation I can think of right now.

authority; enhanced communication skills; strategy skills enhanced; marketing skills enhanced Limitations have been unnecessary attacks by some people who for one reason or another may not agree with you; try to attack you to bring you down

advocacy tool Online culture (male domain) similar to offline culture Silencing of women’s voices

Gender Dynamics Tell me more specifically about your experience as a woman using ICTs and Social Media. I guess maybe it ties with the personality or the virtues that come from the nurturing kind of thing, so bring that sense of nurturing to the conversations that I bring because it’s easy to just come and state facts, like bull, but it’s another thing to be informed, (noise) especially with some difficult conversations, we’ll have discussions like (noise) BBC and we’re talking about Africa’s image in the West. And to be able to carry that conversation, you needed some sort of understanding, because it’s easy to go into defense mode and attack mode. But it’s because of understanding, that nurturing thing, that continuity. Those skills that I find innately in a woman, I’ve been able to enhance them and to use them in the communication that I have online. Just even evolving as a young woman, the very same thing that I may go through offline, I’m able to translate them online, in that regard. You know that patience, tolerance, who might otherwise be spoiled brats in that regard, how they attack you aimlessly, but being able to go through this as a matured person, My confidence has been called up more, it would be difficult for me to now go off and say I’ve been

Ties with the personality or the virtues that come from the nurturing kind of thing, so bring that sense of nurturing to the conversations that I bring. Skills that I find innately in a woman, I’ve been able to enhance them and to use them in the communication that I have online. Evolving as a young woman, the very same thing that I may go through offline, I’m able to translate them online. Patience, tolerance, who might otherwise be spoiled brats in that regard, how they attack you aimlessly, but being able to go through this

Womanhood allows her to bring nurturing skills to discussion; allows her to hone patience and tolerance in online discussion; helps to develop confidence as a woman

No negative repercussions by being a woman Positive experience online


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intimidated by this, I can’t do this anymore, because I’m at a certain trajectory, a certain path, leading me to a great place, and I can only wait to see where it takes me, I’m actually quite excited. Do you think that there are more challenges for girls and women to get online in your community than there are for boys and men? No. I mean mine probably spawns from the good experiences I’ve had. It’s just that I don’t think it’s necessarily true that in every space, women must be a step behind. It’s a careful nexus of just gauging the space, and finding a way to go in without compromising who you are. And because I think, especially with new media, it’s a level playing field, men and women alike, governments and lay people, anyone who’s anyone, this is an equal playing field, and it’s all about, what do you want to get out of this, who do you want to meet, what do you want to say. And I’m willing to bet someone else would probably say “yes” but it also depends on what kind of stuff you’re doing, who you’re interacting with, and even who you are as a person. But for me, I don’t think it’s an issue. I don’t think women are always a step behind in every new area or every new technology, it’s a matter of self awareness. So if you’re able to deal with some of the personality issues that naturally keep you away from pushing boundaries and just doing something new, I find, if anything, it’s just a level playing ground.

as a matured person, My confidence has been called up more, Difficult for me to now go off and say I’ve been intimidated by this, I can’t do this anymore, because I’m at a certain trajectory, a certain path, leading me to a great place No. I mean mine probably spawns from the good experiences I’ve had. It’s just that I don’t think it’s necessarily true that in every space, women must be a step behind. It’s a careful nexus of just gauging the space I think, especially with new media, it’s a level playing field I don’t think women are always a step behind in every new area or every new technology, it’s a matter of self awareness.

ICTs as a level playing field for women and men. Women are not behind in every space or new technology

No greater challenges for women than men online.

Definitions of Success I would like to hear more about your idea about how ICTs and Social Media relate to success, and any examples you have about how it has related to your own success. It’s that level playing ground that it offers, so if you’re able to understand the whole ecosystem, or surround yourself with people who understand the ecosystem, you can translate your dreams and desires to access to information, access to resources, access to people, and these are basically the things that you need when you’re trying to get something done. I see ICT as an accelerated process, you don’t need to do your time in an office setting or in a corporate setting where you go in, probably as an intern, you probably get confirmed and then you need to work five years to be a voice of reason, to be called into a boardroom meeting and be part of the process. I find that

Translate your dreams and desires to access to information, access to resources, access to people things that you need when you’re trying to get something done. Things that you need when you’re trying to get something done. So long as you have something valuable to say, someone will take notice, and it will get to the right places More and more people

Allows you to translate your dreams into reality by access it provides. Provides resources. Forum to express yourself to a vast audience Increase in

ICT is a purveyor for connectivity and opportunities for success


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so long as you have something valuable to say, someone will take notice, and it will get to the right places. And especially social networks and new media have really enhanced that and really occupied it. So I feel like as more and more people come online and more and more women get confident in it, we’ll see a lot of emergence of leaders and start-ups, and stories told online about what people are doing, not necessarily because they’ve been doing them online, but also offline stories being told online, you know, taking them to the right place, garnering them the right interest. So I just love the opportunity that it presents and I can only hope that and one of the things I really try to do is really advocate for that, and so any opportunity I get to speak to anyone, young women, young men, anyone, and tell them it’s great to be on social networks, you can use this to get more information and interact with someone you’d otherwise never dream of interacting with and kind of opening up your eyes to the bigger scheme of things, because it’s happened to me and I believe it can happen to anyone else. And I love that it’s a level playing ground for everyone, the world over. In relation to success, have there been any impacts on your life? It’s made me more comfortable that I don’t need to go the traditional way. I’ve finished school, and I’ve been able to carve my own path. I can say that, what I’m in, there aren’t many people who have gone ahead of me, so it’s one big network. I’ll find someone out there who’s probably 50 doing the same thing, or someone who is even younger than me, doing the same thing, but it usually is that we are carving our own paths. And I think that even as a woman, it’s a big achievement to be able to say, you know what, I will decide with what I’ve probably been told is the way in be reserved how you speak about certain things, just be careful because you’ll probably be attacked, I’m like “no”. I’m not going to look at being a woman as something to then bring me down. I am a human being first, and then I am a woman. And just being very determined and adamant to stick with that, I’m seeing the rewards of it, because, it’s not because I’m fearless but that I’ve been able to, in spite of my fears, to keep doing what I do. I would like for you to discuss, as much as you can, how ICTs and Social Media are tools for empowerment and leadership, specifically in your personal journey.

come online and more women get confident in it, we’ll see a lot of emergence of leaders and start-ups, and stories told online about what people are doing, not necessarily because they’ve been doing them online, but also offline stories being told online. More information and interact with someone you’d otherwise never dream of interacting with and opening up your eyes to the bigger scheme of things. More comfortable that I don’t need to go the traditional way Been able to carve my own path. Being very determined and adamant to stick with that, I’m seeing the rewards of it. It’s not because I’m fearless but that I’ve been able to, in spite of my fears, to keep doing what I do. Having something to

leadership and start-ups as more people use Internet, more opportunity to connect and succeed Opportunity to reach beyond your personal network and connect with a greater scheme of people and ideas. ICTs allows for taking a less traditional career path. ICTs is about overcoming one’s trepidations and fears, even in the face of adversity. Ability to spread your

Positive personal and professional impacts with ICT usage ICT has served to enhance empowerment and


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It’s about having something to say, and this is a platform where you can say it, and it will get to the right people. And it’s empowering because even if today I stripped my account or my networks or my profiles, I still feel like that would still give me a voice, if at all, I needed that, even as a woman, if I needed to get up there first, without saying who I am, or speaking my gender, it would still get me that voice of reason because in that same sentiment, it’s taken away because it’s not so much about who you are, it’s about what you have to say, what you have to offer, and that’s what I love about new media, that’s what I love about ICT, it’s about what you have to offer. I believe that the world is looking at it in terms of ‘what do you have to offer’ rather than ‘you’re a woman or you’re a man’. You’ll find that in some places and maybe in some countries, it’s more like that but especially here in Kenya, it’s not a big deal. You know the whole guy/girl superiority/inferiority complex is just very present, usually on a very emotional level, but when it comes to the fact that you’re actually doing something, people do respect you for that. So against that backdrop, it could be a blessing as well, but maybe I’ve been surrounded by people and in a culture that have enhanced that, but I’ve found there’s just enhancement of empowerment and success stories. So I just believe that there’s so much more, you know, even as trends emerge, so much more can be done, and you know, getting a voice of reason, and not trying to attack or get back at men or the world for looking down at women all these years. Like I have interacted with feminists, the world over, and one of the things for that have been interesting to note is that there’s been that kind of attack, attack against humanity because all these years that women have been brought down, and I feel like that’s been counterproductive. You know, I’ve been able to have these kinds of conversations with fellow feminists the world over and it’s empowering, if nothing else it’s empowering men and women alike. I don’t believe in the empowerment of women against the backlash of men. It’s a great empowerment tool for everybody, and that’s what I love, the holistic nature of ICTs. If you do something, if you have something to say, it will get to the right place.

say, and this is a platform where you can say it, and it will get to the right people. It’s not so much about who you are, it’s about what you have to say, what you have to offer, and that’s what I love about new media, that’s what I love about ICT, it’s about what you have to offer. I’ve found there’s just enhancement of empowerment and success stories. I don’t believe in the empowerment of women against the backlash of men. It’s a great empowerment tool for everybody, and that’s what I love, the holistic nature of ICTs.

message to the right individuals Does not discriminate against social or economic status; allows anyone to speak if they have something to say. Many people have become empowered by using ICTs ICT is holistic in nature, about people (not women and men separately) working together for positive outcomes.

is a tool for boosting leadership


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Appendix C: Information Sheet

May 1, 2012 You are being invited to take part in the Masters Degree research study, “The International Women’s Network: Impacts of Information and Communication Technologies and Social Media Networks on African Women’s Leadership”. Before you decide whether or not to participate, it is important for you to understand why the research is being conducted and what it will entail. Please take time to read the following information carefully. What is the purpose of the study? This study focuses on women community leaders in Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria who use Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and Social Media in their personal and professional lives. The purpose of the research is to determine how and if women are developing transferrable skills (including communication and leadership) and building local and international networks, as a result. As a researcher, Jacqueline Stein’s personal interest in this subject area stems from the fact that, over the past several years, she has connected online (using Social Media networks) with many African women who are leaders in their communities. From this, Jacqueline began to wonder how online communication tools may contribute to how women learn and lead, and what benefits and limitations exist for women leaders utilizing these tools. Why have I been invited to participate? To better understand how women in East and West Africa are using ICTs and Social Media and what benefits and limitations may be present in this usage, community leaders are invited to participate in this research and will be asked to address, through one-on-one interviews, how they use ICTs and Social Media in their personal and professional lives. Research will be conducted in Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria, with two to three community leaders in each country being invited to participate. Participating women must meet the following criteria:

• Be leaders in their community (i.e. directors of organizations/projects) of diverse ages, education levels, professions, socioeconomic backgrounds, locations (urban/rural)

• Based in East and West Africa (specifically Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria) • Use ICTs and Social Media tools in their daily personal and professional lives

Will what I say in this study be kept confidential? Confidentiality, privacy, and anonymity will be ensured in the collection, storage and publication of research material, and any data generated during the course of the research will be destroyed immediately following final dissertation review, unless alternative arrangements are discussed and agreed upon between researcher and participant. Do I have to take part? It is up to you to decide whether or not to take part. If you decide to participate, you will be given this information sheet to keep and be asked to sign a consent form. Your


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decision to participate still grants you the freedom to withdraw at any time and without giving a reason. What will happen to me if I take part? By partaking in this research, you will be asked to meet for an in-person interview, at a location of your choosing. The interview will last approximately one to two hours and may be followed up, if and as necessary, by further communication via e-mail and/or telephone. There are no defined disadvantages or ‘risks’ in taking part in this study, as anonymity and confidentiality will be a high priority throughout the duration of the research. What are the possible benefits of taking part? Should you choose to partake in this research, possible benefits and outcomes of the study include a greater public understanding of how ICTs and Social Media may contribute to the lives of African women, how African women’s use of ICTs may benefit community engagement and increase regional and international awareness of social, political, and economic issues, and how African women’s online participation may be a benefactor in providing new networks and professional opportunities and increased economic autonomy that benefits not only individual women but their communities, as well. What will happen to the results of the research study? The results of the study will be included in the final dissertation publication, towards a Masters Degree in International Communications and Development. Electronic copies of the dissertation may be obtained by contacting Jacqueline Stein via e-mail at [email protected]. Who is organising and funding the research? As a Masters in International Communications and Development student in the School of Social Sciences at City University London in London, England, Jacqueline will be conducting this research as a student with no external funding or stakeholders. Who has reviewed the study? This study has been approved by the University Research Ethics Committee at City University London. Contact for Further Information For any study-related inquiries, please contact Jacqueline via e-mail at [email protected]. If you have any concerns about the way in which the study has been conducted, they should be addressed to Jacqueline’s dissertation supervisor, Dr. Carolyn Vogler, via e-mail at [email protected]. Thank you for taking the time to read this information sheet and for your consideration in participating in this research.


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Appendix D: Consent Form Full title of Project: The International Women’s Network: How Far have ICTs and Social Media Changed the Way that Women Communicate, Learn, and Lead? Name, position and contact address of Researcher: Jacqueline Stein Please initial box

I confirm that I have read and understand the information sheet for the above study and have had the opportunity to ask questions.

I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I am free to withdraw at any time, without giving reason.

I agree to take part in the above study.

Please tick box Yes No

I agree to the interview/consultation being audio-recorded.

I understand that all information will be completely confidential and anonymous, and that I will not be identifiable in the final dissertation publication.

Name of Participant Date Signature Name of Researcher Date Signature


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Appendix E: Sample Transcript††† Respondent A (RA) Coordinates Country: Kenya Urban/Rural: Urban (Nairobi) Age: 24 Education: BA Actuarial Science Occupation: New Media Consultant Religion: Christian Socio-economic Status: Middle-Class JS: What is your age? RA: 24 JS: Please tell me about your educational background. RA: So far, I just completed my Bachelor’s Degree in Actuarial Science. JS: What is your current occupation? RA: Right now, I’m a new media consultant. So, basically, a lot of what I’m doing is bridging the gap between traditional communications and a new breed of young generation, young African, young global citizens who use these new media tools and we need to interact with (noise) traditional information. I love what I do around that. JS: How do you go from being in actuarial science to being in new media? RA: Passion I guess? It’s one of those things where I was like everyone else, using Facebook, using Twitter, and then people started saying, a lot of people started telling me, you know, “you’re really good at this, you’re really good at using these tools, you’re really good at bridging the gap between communications, between big corporates and their clients, or organizations who have this information and the people who interact with it. And then that just kind of morphed into something that I did, first as a social experiment for people who let me do it, and now it’s a career. JS: So, when you were doing actual actuarial science, is this something you considered before something or something that you came into after your personal experience? RA: I came alongside anyone who is curious, a curious mind it was. I’m passionate about communications. It’s not necessarily what I studied but actuarial science did help with strategy, so just being able to tie two different passions, because I wasn’t necessarily studying one in school, but under this scientific, mathematic thing that helps with analyzing and strategizing, putting these two together has been fun. JS: Is there any possibility of doing a Masters Degree? RA: Yes. I’m actually hoping to do something around communications, so long as new media is involved, I’m actually scoping the scene for that. JS: In staying in Africa…

††† Additional transcripts available upon request.


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RA: Wherever, man, I’m ready to travel, so wherever there’s an exciting program, I’m planning to, even if it’s a fellowship to start. JS: I don’t know if you relate to this, but do you have a certain religion, cast, or creed that you affiliate with? RA: I am a Christian, but I’m more liberal than pooled into any particular creed. JS: If you don’t mind sharing this with me, what is your socioeconomic background? RA: Middle-class. JS: It’s nice to know where people are economically. RA: Yes, it informs a lot. JS: Let’s move on to the concept of ‘access’. If you wouldn’t mind just explaining to me the access you have to the computer and Internet. RA: I have access to computer, tablet, mobile phone, but I think the predominant tool has been the mobile phone, because mobile Internet and mobile connectivity is much easier to access, even say as a student. But I’ve always had a computer beside me somewhere close by. Not necessarily Internet access. But the last year, the last two years, I’ve even been able to have my own cyber connection at home, because the connectivity is becoming better and better. JS: When did you start using the Internet? RA: Wow, like, 12? (noise)… there may have been a period in high school when (noise) but I’ve always been connected (noise) in the computer age. JS: Did you find that a lot of your friends were connected as well? RA: Yep, most of them were. JS: Did you have access in school, when you were going to school? RA: In high school, not so much. But in university, I did find my way to be connected. But in high school, the focus was more on traditional subjects. Access to Internet within school was not allowed unless you were on holiday or at boarding school, so that’s how it would work. JS: What got you started using the Internet? RA: Availability. I was young, I was (noise) to a computer, I found yahoo, e-mail access, so it just kept going like that. JS: What Internet tools were you using when you were younger? RA: A lot of it was Internet explorer, a lot of games… JS: Was there social networking that you were doing at all when you were younger? RA: Not that young, but I know from when I was around 14, I began with Hi5 and MySpace, since I was like 14, 15. JS: Where are you accessing your Internet now mostly? RA: On my phone. JS: Are you accessing it at work, as well? RA: Yes, on WiFi networks, at home and at work.


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JS: And is it easy access at work? RA: Yea, pretty easy. JS: And so you were mentioning before the discussion between using both the computer and the mobile phone, I just want to clarify that you are using both of those… RA: Yes JS: And you’re using the mobile more often than you’re using the computer? RA: More, and I’m actually using the tablet and the mobile phone more than the computer. JS: How much time would you say you spend online, and how much access do you have daily and weekly? RA: I guess almost every waking minute of every day, because I have access to the blackberry, I don’t have to worry so much about quotas, because it’s a one-off payment and you’re connected. Usually every waking moment of the day, I’m connected, one way or the other. I’m an Internet kid. JS: Tell me about your experience accessing these networks. Have there ever been issues around security? RA: I normally wouldn’t use my laptop in an extremely public space, but in terms of security, I haven’t had my phone or my computer hacked, or any of my accounts hacked. But of course there’s the occasional attack of a woman online, especially on twitter, if you seem like you’re really opinionated about something or what you’re trying to offer is an unpopular (noise), there will be an occasional, but nothing too outrageous, nothing too scary, nothing worth a restraining order. JS: Living in Nairobi, being a woman here, would you feel more of a concern using your computer in public than maybe a man would? RA: I think if I were a man, I would be less concerned because I feel like there’s that macho (noise), you know, ‘why you coming up all in my face?” but I know a big reason why I don’t do that (noise) I feel like it’s double the mobility, a woman and (noise). JS: Do you feel that there have been any other challenges that you’ve experienced past that? RA: No, just the Internet, like, sometimes the suppliers of Internet, like these last couple of months, we’ve had cyber cuts. And in a time when you’ve been used to being online, real time, and you know, there was a time earlier on, late last year, when the blackberry service was down for three days, and you’re not connected, there are these little gapes in connectivity but nothing, but nothing too major, luckily I’m on quite a stable provider. JS: Tell me more about what you’re using the Internet, ICTs and Social Media, for. RA: A lot of it is communications, part of my work, I can probably spread it into two: my work and my own personal use. And so workwise, it’s definitely bridging that gap between clients and, you know, corporate and their clients, or organizations and the people who interact with their information. And for my own personal use, it’s probably to further causes that I’m passionate about. As an activist, talking about certain issues like the (noise) or the political scheme of things in Kenya, having conversations around stuff that I know, stuff that is out there. Also networking (noise) often you can find people who you have similar interests with, people who are thought leaders in your field, and following what they have to say as well being able to interact with them. As I said


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thought leadership and advocacy around certain issues, having that conversation, and finding new people to interact with. JS: Tell me more about the social networks you are using. I would like to hear more about those specifically. RA: I do use Facebook (noise) not as much, but also for clients, because of the community, the online community that’s predominantly on Facebook. I have LinkedIn, the professional network, also using Four Square to check in places, and there is this new journal called PATH. PATH is kind of closed off, and it allows you to share with people you want to share intimately with. It limits you to about 50 people that you can share with that (noise) and so I kind of like it because at the end of the day, it’s a nice little network of people you trust. You’re in a circle and you share within it. JS: That kind of sounds a little bit like Google+. RA: It does, but you know, Google+ is, oh yeah, I do use Google+ as well. But Google+ for me has been (noise). JS: Tell me more about what you’re using ICTs and Social Media for, in what capacity? RA: For me, it’s a mix of everything. Any new use that I can come up with for it, but predominantly for business, taking all these brands and humanizing them online, and having them interact with people who are curious, who want to know more about what your work is. JS: Tell me more about that, because I don’t really understand. RA: Ok, like right now, I’m working with UNEP, who have World Environment Day coming up in June and they really want to take advantage of social media and how many people are online and just make global audiences for this. And so a lot of that is explaining what World Environment Day is and why you should take part, sharing information around what the theme means this year, which is green economy. And basically taking what was otherwise a very long post, and summarizing them into segmented phrases that capture people who want to know more, so it’s coordinating all that to make World Environment Day and the UNEP agency more accessible so that people can interact with what this is all about and feel like they’re part of the process, part of the dialogue. JS: Well, we talked before about networking, and I would like to discuss it a little bit more. I would love to hear about your networking experience in general. So who you’ve met, for example, through using social media and what the experiences have been like for you. RA: Some of the people I’ve met, well, actually right now, even some of my closest friends, people I spend most of my time with are people I met on social networks, not because my older friends or anyone else is any less important, but because we have these similar interests and then we translate that online relationship offline and it works. I’ve also interacted with (noise) people, people who I’m reading books about and people who know amazing information history-wise, especially to do with Africa and the continent, interacting with corporate heads in most companies, and even media, most notably BBC, just because of them following my interests, or something as simple as a change of biography, explaining to people what you’re all about, and they reach out to you, I think that kind of networking also serves a purpose, from basic individual to corporate to brand to being a brand ambassador for Blackberry here in Kenya, working


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with people like Google to publicize Google+, so it’s been a full circle, kind of like networking and social media. JS: When you say you’ve become good friends with people you’ve met through social networking, are these people based in Nairobi? Nationally? Internationally? RA: A bit of both. Most of them, of course, are based here, but there are those I’ve met online and we’ve ended up meeting somewhere, in another country or something and have then become really close (noise). JS: Have you found that social media has allowed you to make professional connections and to bring about opportunities for you? RA: Oh yea, truly, truly, yea, also it’s because how you interact with people, people notice, and people track, and people understand who you are based on what you say, what you tweet, what you write, what you post, and that has enabled me to meet, or rather to be looked at as the person, the voice of reason here, or someone to work with there. Like, for example, in the blackberry case, I had a blackberry pitch before that, and they wanted to really enter the market. They approached me, not because I’m a developer or a techie person but because I’m an influence in that regard and I’ve already been using a blackberry device. Just to use a new one and talk about that, but it’s just basically because of small things like that that went a long way to making the network (noise). JS: Which tools have helped you network the most successfully? Is there any one in particular that stands out to you? RA: Oh yea, Twitter, Twitter has been amazing (noise). And it just keeps getting better and better and better, finding new people in my own country, I’d otherwise never have known, but also connecting with the world. I might not have traveled much but because I’ve seen life through the eyes of other people, I feel like I’m very well exposed, even to my own continent. JS: What do you think it is about twitter? What is this “magic” formula that they have? RA: It’s because it’s not so much about who you know, it’s about who you can connect to, so it kind of breaks down the barrier of “I have to have known you from somewhere else before”. It could be basically because we have similar interests, whether we agree or disagree and we get into this discourse, I feel like the barrier is broken, the social barrier is broken, anyone who’s anyone can interact, you know, you could be talking to someone that you would never talk to in the real world, because maybe they’re driving this high car and you’re there walking, but now (noise) kind of breaks down all those barriers, and it makes access very, very easy to meet anyone. JS: Can you offer me an example of a connect that you have made on Twitter that has been very profound and how it’s affected you? RA: Well, let me think of a quick one. One very interesting one has been, I interacted with a guy from the World Bank and it’s because they were coming to Nairobi just to have a conversation with the tech community here, but I unfortunately couldn’t make it, I was out of the country, but we kept in touch. And one time he just made a call about how many guys just want to do blogging for the World Bank, and I was like “yea, here!” and since then we’ve been in this discussion about what they’re trying to do and I’ve actually been a blogger for the World Bank, (noise) that they actually want to socialize and bring


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it back to the people, the historical data, and kind of making it social through a blogger’s eyes. So it’s that kind of stuff that makes me go “wow!” JS: Have you met him in person yet? RA: No, I haven’t, but I know if I met him, it would be like “oh, wow, we’ve been talking this whole time.” But even those that I’ve met, let me see, I could say corporate heads here, you know, heads of big brands, like Safaricom, which is a network provider here, or the heads of big startups, that are grown and are big, and they will actually talk to me as a voice of reason, to find out what I think about this, or we can have discussions around this, based on work, and it’s been amazing, it’s been amazing to just kind of have those, even have them translate to offline meetings, which then, especially, I think one of the most noticeable things has been the talks with older people, who may be of another school of thought. And here I am, typical generation Y, and we don’t agree on this stuff, but we decide to meet offline, and have a discussion, it’s been an amazing experience for me. JS: I would like to hear more about the benefits and the limitations that you’ve experienced, and some examples. RA: Benefits, again, degrees of separation have been greatly reduced, and I’ve met people I’d otherwise probably have never dreamt of meeting. And it really opened my eyes to just kind of think global, think global, act local, kind of thing, enabled me to feel more confident, even as a woman, have this cool disposition of, sort of like, speak with authority. Not so much saying stuff just to be popular but saying stuff because it’s what I believe in. And those have been great benefits because I don’t have to hide behind a mask, it’s just who I am, and I’ve been able to build a custom brand. Like I said, some of the limitations have been unnecessary attacks by some people who for one reason or another may not agree with you, but who are not very well versed in having diplomatic conversations and will try to attack you to kind of bring you down, but you know, over time, you kind of develop a tough skin and keep going. Yea, I can’t say that I have detractions, per say, but I know that I’ve met people who don’t necessarily want to listen to what I have to say, but that’s probably the only limitation I can think of right now. JS: Ok, now going back to the benefits, have there been any skills that you’ve been able to develop by using these tools? RA: Yea, I think, even as a community, I think my communication skills have been enhanced. Being able to explain something as crisply as possible in 140 characters is something unique, something that has been pruned over time, and also just being able to strategize, trying to understand these trends, what’s happening, what’s sticking, what’s not, have really enhanced my skills as a strategist. I picked up activism because of social networks, like people started speaking that into me and saying, “you know what? Based on what you say and how you speak, you’re big on advocacy and stuff like that” so you might as well work with the label. I mean in that same breath, I’d say, it’s also the marketer, because you’re working with brands at the end of the day, it’s just a new form of marketing. In social media and basically in the whole scope of new media, it’s just taking something and socializing it and being very subtle about how you market, as well. I’ve picked up some very interesting skills that are, otherwise, are not like the scientist in me… JS: Would you say that these are not skills that you would have developed otherwise in school?


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RA: I think these are things that are, that have been basically called out from me, I probably didn’t even know I had them. I think one of the funniest things is that I grew up saying I would never be a marketer, I never really like marketed, so I didn’t understand how it is you would sell something that you don’t believe in, but there I am, selling stuff that I do believe in without even trying to sell it, like it’s really amazing. But also being a consultant and working with all different sorts of people poses a new challenge every time and it helps me build my skills more and more and get them to the next level. JS: Is there anything specifically, being a young woman and living in Kenya, has there been anything limiting, for you, based on the fact that you’re a woman, the fact that you’re young, the fact that you live in Kenya. RA: Well, I have seen a bit of ageism, a lot of people trying to bring you down because you’re young. A lot of people find out how old I am and are like, “you’re so young, why do you think like that? But just little tiffs or maybe someone feels like I’m intimidating them and then they’ll try to bring me down. My age or “you’re young and inexperienced, what do you know?” About living here, I don’t think it’s been disadvantageous to me, not at all, because if anything, it’s sparked a lot of interest. People have wanted to know how are you, a young woman living in Nairobi, Kenya, able to keep up with what’s going on in the US or in the UK, being part of the global pulse has actually worked for me as an advantage, because I guess against the backdrop of a country that’s considered so strife with poverty and conflict and war, then there are these people who are doing this stuff and I’m having global conversations with just about anybody. It kind of works to my advantage more than I would say to my disadvantage. I haven’t seen something that would make me say, “oh damn, if I was in New York, this would work better for me”. If anything, I think I’ve been able to get a voice more because I’m here. JS: So what do tell people, what’s your response when people say to you, “it must be difficult for you because you live in Kenya and because you’re young?” What would you say to them? What would your response be? RA: I don’t think I’ve encountered someone who has said “oh my gosh, you’re from Kenya, how sad must it be” or something like that, it’s been a point of offer, like, wow, it informs that a) we are connected here as well and we know what’s happening and especially in the wake of Kenya right now being at the forefront of technology and innovation and just being part of that pulse hasn’t been much of a setback, like “oh my god, you’re from Africa, it must be so sad.” Except once, when I went to Egypt, and it was really funny because they thought we were not in the same continent, you meet Egyptians and they’re like “Oh my gosh, you’re from Africa!” and I’m like “look, we are from the same continent” but that’s a whole other issue in terms of perception. Um, I haven’t had those setbacks in terms of someone saying, “it must be difficult for you to be in Kenya”. No, I amazingly have had awesome experiences to the contrary. JS: Tell me more specifically about your experience as a woman using ICTs and Social Media, something unique that you would say stands out. RA: I guess maybe it ties with the personality or the virtues that come from the nurturing kind of thing, so bring that sense of nurturing to the conversations that I bring because it’s easy to just come and state facts, like bull, but it’s another thing to be informed, (noise) especially with some difficult conversations, we’ll have discussions like (noise) BBC and we’re talking about Africa’s image in the West. And to be able to carry that conversation, you needed some sort of understanding, because it’s easy to go into defense mode and attack mode. But it’s because of understanding, that nurturing thing,


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that continuity. Those skills that I find innately in a woman, I’ve been able to enhance them and to use them in the communication that I have online. Just even evolving as a young woman, the very same thing that I may go through offline, I’m able to translate them online, in that regard. You know that patience, tolerance, who might otherwise be spoiled brats in that regard, how they attack you aimlessly, but being able to go through this as a matured person, it kind of just translates in that regard, which is really fantastic. My confidence has been called up more, it would be difficult for me to now go off and say I’ve been intimidated by this, I can’t do this anymore, because I’m at a certain trajectory, a certain path, leading me to a great place, and I can only wait to see where it takes me, I’m actually quite excited. JS: Have you experienced any backlash or hostility at all specifically because you are a female? RA: No. I’ve been able to navigate very male dominated spaces and still fit in quite well. JS: How do you do that? RA: I guess it’s just a personality thing. I’m just as social as I am offline and being able to translate it online and again offline, it’s just going there and not trying to pose myself as any better than them or superior than them or inferior to them, just being at the same level as them, and that really opens people up to me, so much so that if anyone tried to attack me, these guys will come to my defense, because of how well I’ve been able to blend in with them. JS: Has your Internet access ever been monitored by anybody? RA: My blog was hacked but that was a general security issue. JS: Have there ever been any men in your life who have monitored your access? RA: It’s not been an issue because even my dad, when he found out that I’m a blogger, he was quite amused, but he was like ‘do your thing’ and kind of brought his blessing. I haven’t had, at least not to my knowledge anyway, that someone was kind of monitoring and trying to see what I’m saying. JS: Do you think that there are more challenges for girls and women to get online in your community than there are for boys and men? RA: No. I mean mine probably spawns from the good experiences I’ve had. It’s just that I don’t think it’s necessarily true that in every space, women must be a step behind. It’s a careful nexus of just gauging the space, and finding a way to go in without compromising who you are. And because I think, especially with new media, it’s a level playing field, men and women alike, governments and lay people, anyone who’s anyone, this is an equal playing field, and it’s all about, what do you want to get out of this, who do you want to meet, what do you want to say, and just having that thought process guiding what you’re doing everyday makes it easier. And I’m willing to bet someone else would probably say “yes” but it also depends on what kind of stuff you’re doing, who you’re interacting with, and even who you are as a person. But for me, I don’t think it’s an issue. I don’t think women are always a step behind in every new area or every new technology, it’s a matter of self awareness. So if you’re able to deal with some of the personality issues that naturally keep you away from pushing boundaries and just doing something new, I find, if anything, it’s just a level playing ground. JS: Let’s move on to the last theme, which is around ‘definitions of success’. I would like to hear your definition of ‘success’ for you.


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RA: Success for me, I try to scale it down to an everyday thing. If I’m able to get a point across, something that I firmly believe in, and get two, three people thinking that way, not because I want them to support me, but because then we get into this whole discourse about something I might be passionate about and maybe then my thought process is challenged or challenging someone else’s thought process, that kind of everyday approach for me, just being able to look back at the day, and saying ‘I’ve achieved this’, ‘I’ve been able to get someone to think this’, or ‘I’ve been able to learn something from someone’, for me, I make success an everyday thing. I just find that much easier to work with than setting these grand, you know, five years from now, I want to be here, because I find it just leaves success to be anything. Success could well be a day offline for me, because then it’s a day to relax, it’s a day to rest. But I scale success down to everyday activities, everyday kind of ongoing process, so long as I’ve been productive, so long as I’ve done something that has influenced someone’s life, or I’ve gotten someone happy, or someone has made me happy. JS: What do you see for your future? RA: I see myself being forced to take on leadership positions. It’s very funny because a lot of people tell me I should run for office, and I’m like “no”, now that’s also a (noise). It could also be because I’m a woman and I’ve seen how women who have gone into leadership and especially politics, especially here in Kenya, and mostly in Africa, that essence of being a woman is used against you. I’ve heard people say women presidential candidates who are running, for example, won’t get in just because they’re women. And because I’m not ready to fight it out, I’m only going to go into such a place when people’s mindsets have been changed. But I’m not going to sit back and wait for someone to change it, I have to start with the changing process. So, I see myself as a thought leader and leading by example, leading by action. I do hope to have a couple of successful start-ups, and one of the things I’m working on is setting up an online portal, defining and explaining this uptake of social media in Africa, what are people using social media for, how brands use social media, how citizens use social media. I would just love to see that morph into something big. One of the big problems we have now is that Africans’ stories are not being told by Africans themselves, or they’re not being broadcast by Africans themselves, so being able to start a successful, sustainable kind of blog or blogozine would be a fantastic achievement on my part, at least in the near future. I guess I just want to be able to be an early adapter to stuff, because the world is so fast-changing and I heard someone say this past weekend at the TED Talk that conformity is the dumbest thing you could ever do in this fast-changing economy, so just being a step ahead and absorbing and being very open-minded to what’s happening in the world. Like, for example, my (noise) is very liberal because I’m able to understand different schools of thought. I’m able to take it all in and process my thoughts before having other prejudices determine my school of thought or my conclusion or my verdict on something. So basically just keeping that open mind and learning different cultures of the world and understanding my own culture better to just make a mark in that regard. JS: I would like to hear more about your idea about how ICTs and Social Media relate to success, and any examples you have about how it has related to your own success. RA: It’s that level playing ground that it offers, so if you’re able to understand the whole ecosystem, or surround yourself with people who understand the ecosystem, you can translate your dreams and desires to access to information, access to resources, access to people, and these are basically the things that you need when you’re trying to get something done. I see ICT as an accelerated process, you don’t need to do your time in


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an office setting or in a corporate setting where you go in, probably as an intern, you probably get confirmed and then you need to work five years to be a voice of reason, to be called into a boardroom meeting and be part of the process. I find that so long as you have something valuable to say, someone will take notice, and it will get to the right places. And especially social networks and new media have really enhanced that and really occupied it. So I feel like as more and more people come online and more and more women get confident in it, we’ll see a lot of emergence of leaders and start-ups, and stories told online about what people are doing, not necessarily because they’ve been doing them online, but also offline stories being told online, you know, taking them to the right place, garnering them the right interest. So I just love the opportunity that it presents and I can only hope that and one of the things I really try to do is really advocate for that, and so any opportunity I get to speak to anyone, young women, young men, anyone, and tell them it’s great to be on social networks, you can use this to get more information and interact with someone you’d otherwise never dream of interacting with and kind of opening up your eyes to the bigger scheme of things, because it’s happened to me and I believe it can happen to anyone else. And I love that it’s a level playing ground for everyone, the world over. JS: In relation to success, have there been any impacts on your life? RA: Oh yea, it’s made me more comfortable that I don’t need to go the traditional way. I’ve finished school, and I’ve been able to carve my own path. And I think to the shock of many members of my own family, like ‘what is this child doing?’, I’ve been able to stick with it and just be very audacious in keeping at it, not very sure where I was going with it, but finding a way to go from place to place, contract to contract, project to project, I’ve marked a new niche for myself. I can say that, what I’m in, there aren’t many people who have gone ahead of me, so it’s one big network. I’ll find someone out there who’s probably 50 doing the same thing, or someone who is even younger than me, doing the same thing, but it usually is that we are carving our own paths. And I think that even as a woman, it’s a big achievement to be able to say, you know what, I will decide with what I’ve probably been told is the way in be reserved how you speak about certain things, just be careful because you’ll probably be attacked, I’m like “no”. I’m not going to look at being a woman as something to then bring me down. I am a human being first, and then I am a woman. And just being very determined and adamant to stick with that, I’m seeing the rewards of it, because, it’s not because I’m fearless but that I’ve been able to, in spite of my fears, to keep doing what I do. So, I feel like mine is a story that I want to tell to many other people, that you don’t have to conform until you’ve tried every other (noise) and it’s very unlikely that after you’ve tried every (noise) you’ll still conform. JS: Do you think that ICTs and Social Media will be a part of your future success? RA: Oh, yea, a big part of it, a big, big part of it, because the bulk of what I do is on ICTs and Social Media. JS: I would like for you to discuss, as much as you can, how ICTs and Social Media are tools for empowerment and leadership, specifically in your personal journey. RA: It’s about having something to say, and this is a platform where you can say it, and it will get to the right people. It’s all about finding the right people to connect with, finding people who have similar interests and building your way around that. You will either find somebody who can help you, someone you can learn from, someone who can learn from you, it’s very two-way kind of (noise), it can go either way for you. And it’s empowering because even if today I stripped my account or my networks or my profiles, I still feel like that would still give me a voice, if at all, I needed that, even as a woman, if I needed to get up there first, without saying who I am, or speaking my gender, it would


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still get me that voice of reason because in that same sentiment, it’s taken away because it’s not so much about who you are, it’s about what you have to say, what you have to offer, and that’s what I love about new media, that’s what I love about ICT, it’s about what you have to offer. I believe that the world is looking at it in terms of ‘what do you have to offer’ rather than ‘you’re a woman or you’re a man’. You’ll find that in some places and maybe in some countries, it’s more like that but especially here in Kenya, it’s not a big deal. You know the whole guy/girl superiority/inferiority complex is just very present, usually on a very emotional level, but when it comes to the fact that you’re actually doing something, people do respect you for that. So against that backdrop, it could be a blessing as well, but maybe I’ve been surrounded by people and in a culture that have enhanced that, but I’ve found there’s just enhancement of empowerment and success stories. So I just believe that there’s so much more, you know, even as trends emerge, so much more can be done, and you know, getting a voice of reason, and not trying to attack or get back at men or the world for looking down at women all these years. Like I have interacted with feminists, the world over, and one of the things for that have been interesting to note is that there’s been that kind of attack, attack against humanity because all these years that women have been brought down, and I feel like that’s been counterproductive. You know, I’ve been able to have these kinds of conversations with fellow feminists the world over and it’s empowering, if nothing else it’s empowering men and women alike. I don’t believe in the empowerment of women against the backlash of men. It’s a great empowerment tool for everybody, and that’s what I love, the holistic nature of ICTs. If you do something, if you have something to say, it will get to the right place. JS: Well, thank you so much for your time, it’s been very insightful. If there’s anything else I’ll be e-mailing you or giving you a call, so thank you again. RA: You’re welcome.

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Key Observations: Respondent was very keen to speak on her experience with ICTs and social media. She had a vibrant and outgoing demeanor, and spoke with authority on the subject. She also went into great length and detail, and was not shy or hesitant to talk candidly about her personal use, and its resultant outcomes. She often disclosed information before I could even ask the follow-up question.

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