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Gender, Culture and ICT Use in Rural South India

Michael L. Best is an Assistant Professor, Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0610. Email: mikeb{at}cc.gatech.edu

Sylvia G. Maier

Sylvia Maier is an Assistant Professor, Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0610. Email: sylvia.maier{at}inta.gatech.edu

In this article we explore how women use and perceive information technology in five villages in rural Tamil Nadu, India. We analyse the outcomes from structured in-depth interviews with 17 women Internet kiosk users and 22 women who have never used the Internet (non-users). Our intention was to systematically document the information and communication needs of women in rural South India as articulated by the women themselves. We identify several critical issues that must be taken into account in the design of information and communication technology (ICT) projects. Our findings suggest four main conclusions: (1) rural women in this study find ICTs useful; (2) there are gender-specific usage patterns and perceptions of ICTs; (3) obstacles to ICT use are generally structural (time, location, illiteracy) and not personal (for example, a prohibition from a relative); and (4) manifestations of gender awareness correlate with perceptions of obstacles to ICT use. Information and communication technologies hold great promise in the drive for development and poverty reduction in the global South, yet in order to ensure that the entire population reaps the benefits of these technologies, a clear understanding of the specific needs of women and other disadvantaged groups is imperative.

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