THE GENDER GAP WITHIN THE DIGITAL DIVIDE   Term Paper ID:33706 Click to get this paper

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Paper Abstract: Addresses the gender gap within the digital divide between men and women, and across nations and economic levels. Gives reasons why the gender gap is a cause for concern, and why the digital divide is important. Paper Introduction: The Gender Gap within the Digital Divide Introduction Men and women do not access information and communication technology ICT at the same rates nor do they enter the fields that develop futureICT applications and direction at the same rates There is a digitaldivide that is widening between men and women in this regard and thedivide exists across nations and economic levels This research considersthe digital divide in general the gender gap within the digital divide inparticular and reasons that the gender gap Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Oldertechnology might be more accessible to women who, typically, have lowerincomes than men. There is the fundamental question of why the digital divide matters.Certainly civilization existed for thousands of years without electricity,let alone without ICT. Within this divideis an even more subtle gap-that between ICT access for men and women. Works Cited"Bridging the Gender Digital Divide." UNDP/UNIFEM, 2 4. The Digital Divide Broadly speaking, the digital divide is the gap between those who haveaccess to ICT, and those who do not ("Understanding" 5). The digital divide is also symptomatic of a greater divide between theso-called "haves" and the "have-nots". The Gender Gap within the Digital Divide The differences in gender and the way that children interact withcomputers is evident from a young age. Retrieved 27 May 2 5 from: <>. The technology itself must also be taken into account. The technology used to connect to the Internet is also important. The same policy that is appropriate to theUnited States or Western Europe, for example, is unlikely to be effectivein the Middle East where the gender gap extends well beyond ICT issues.Indeed, in order to bridge the ICT gender gap in some regions, the effortsmay well focus not on technology specifically, but on education on generaland reaching parity between the education of boys and girls ("Bridging"28). Closing the Gender Gap in the Digital Divide When seeking to address the ICT gender gap on a global basis, thoseinstitutions intent on participating need to take into account regionaldifferences that might exist. All otherfactors being equal, someone who has ICT experience and is searching foremployment will be able to learn about more jobs, research the requirementsfor those jobs, submit an application and communicate with others about thejob. Businesses increasingly rely on the Internet not only as a forumfor selling and buying goods and services, but also to improve supply chainmanagement and maintain close relationships with customers and suppliersaround the world. Insome countries, such as Japan, for example, individuals may have access tothe Internet through wireless devices such as cellular phones; thistechnology may provide a different evolution for implementing Internetaccess in developing countries than that which was commonly used in theUnited States or Europe. Byrecognizing the importance of closing that gap and working with NGOs aswell as for-profit organizations, better education and increased technologymay help minimize this gap in the future. It is important to determine in whatsituations private industry provides access, and in what situations it doesnot. There is a "digitaldivide" that is widening between men and women in this regard, and thedivide exists across nations and economic levels. Certainly theeducation potential of the Internet and its ability to reach studentsaround the world without requiring those students to travel to classroomsoffers the possibility of minimizing the gender gap ("Bridging" 28). A recent study completed bythe United Nations Development Programme provides some insight into thegender gap, however, revealing that the gap exists throughout the divideitself, and is, in fact, widening ("Bridging" x). Not surprisingly,ICT access is highly dependent on telecommunications infrastructure, anddeveloping countries are likely to have less personal access than developedcountries. To some degree, there is also a positivecorrelation between education and ICT access, but this is generally thoughtto be due to the positive correlation between income level and educationrather than due to a direct relationship between education itself and ICTaccess ("Understanding" 5). Studies continue tobe conducted, however, particularly by international groups such as theOECD and the United Nations. "Narrowing the Digital Divide: In Search of a Map to Mend the Gap." Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges 2 (Oct 2 4): 168-175."The Internet, on Wheels." The Economist (US), 369(Dec 6, 2 3): 8.Understanding the Digital Divide. In addition, the digital divide is often found along classlines, with those having higher incomes more likely to have access to ICTand to computing resources. Companies and individuals who have ICT experience maywell have significant advantages over those who do not, and since ICTaccess is often associated with income level, not having access may furtherthe poverty of an individual or even an entire country. As already noted,girls and women often interact with ICT differently than do men and boys,and having women involved in setting the policy as well as developingapplications is key to ensuring that women continue to benefit from theInternet and advanced ICT access at the same rate as men ("Bridging" xiii). Historically, research into the digital divide in general has beenlimited, in part because the field is relatively new. This research considersthe digital divide in general, the gender gap within the digital divide inparticular, and reasons that the gender gap within the digital divideshould cause concern, and steps that might be taken to lessen the gap. The Gender Gap within the Digital Divide Introduction Men and women do not access information and communication technology(ICT) at the same rates, nor do they enter the fields that develop futureICT applications and direction at the same rates. Despite this increase in interest in thedigital divide in general, there continues to be little research conductedinto the gender gap within the digital divide. Individuals use the Internet to expand their personalknowledge as well as their social circle. Why is the Digital Divide Important? Young girls, on the other hand, are less interested inunderstanding the inner workings of the computer itself and more interestedin the applications. When seeking to measure the digital divide, groups such as theOrganization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) are not onlyinterested in who has access, but also what characteristics are common tothose with and without ICT access. The individual who lacks ICT experience not only has limitedemployment opportunities because so many jobs rely on some level of ICTexperience, but must rely on traditional, slower, sources of information tolearn about those jobs. However, ICT in general and the Internet inparticular have the potential to change the way that information isdeveloped and distributed across all sectors of a society. Since ICT provides a competitiveadvantage, not having access to ICT serves to limit options. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2 1. However, womenare significantly underrepresented in the educational fields that yield thenext-generation of policy makers and ICT developers. They tend to prefer verbal-oriented programs ratherthan action programs, reinforcing the belief that women seek cooperationwhile men seek competition (Kirk and Zander 174). It is possible that wireless access may providefaster and more technologically feasible access for some countries thantraditional wired access ("The Internet" 8). Conclusion The digital divide separates those who make ICT decisions and developICT applications. Retrieved 27 May 2 5 from: <>.Kirk, Mary and Carol Zander. Education ischanged through the interaction of students with the Internet and theability to access more information than could be stored in the largestlibrary. The Internet is alsoincreasingly used for entertainment, and is rapidly expanding the use ofEnglish around the world ("Understanding" 23). From this standpoint,access to ICT provides a competitive edge to individuals and companies. This interaction does not cause them unduestress, however. On the other hand, just as wireless phones are beingimplemented in areas that have never used wired phone systems-technology"leapfrogging"-so some technologies might "leapfrog" so that women indeveloping regions begin using wireless ICT to gain the education they needto move into ICT policy making and development areas. Young males want to know how thecomputer works, and interact with computer games that are highlycompetitive and often violent. This study found that when there is access to the Internet, women arelikely to use that access at nearly the same rate as men. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.

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