Women, Technology, and International Development

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Women, Technology, and International Development
OP - January 10, 2013, 05:01 PM

http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/site/entry/women_technology_development

This is a very interesting and rather brilliant idea: increase women's access to technology, such as internet and mobile phones, in low-to-medium income countries, and the global economy will benefit. I think the impact could be very significant.

But it got me thinking, how else could access to technology improve women's lives? Thinking specifically about Muslim women, such access could greatly increase their ability to be independent and reduce their need to acquiesce to oppressive Islamic mandates. Furthermore, access to the internet could increase their exposure to that most precious commodity: information. The better their access to the internet, the better chance they will have of coming across sites such as this, and talking to people who can open their minds to the realities of the religion and society that is holding them back.

Is this the key to seeing oppressive religious societies finally begin to crumble? Would a mass exodus of newly-enlightened women from Islam or other religions be enough to cause those religions to disappear altogether? Do you think entirely secular initiatives such as WICTAD could have this kind of unintended impact on the religious world?

And if so, is it really unintended?

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Reply #1 - January 10, 2013, 09:47 PM

Thats truly a great idea. Imagine if more women have mobile internet access in the 3rd world. The amount of information they could pull up at an instance would be simply incredible. Hell we could have some CEMB members who are purely mobile

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Reply #2 - January 10, 2013, 10:08 PM

Crazy idea. All the technology needs to be given to men, not women. As you mentioned women would use the technology to get ideas, ideas are dangerous, so it could be dangerous for the region (yes the muslim-land region if you must know) and could upset the balance of power. Consequences are unpredictable. While if you take all the technology away from the women and give it to the men, then lift all the restrictions on the internets present in the region, eventually most of them will be too busy looking at pictures and videos of naked Western women and won't bother with silly things like jihad.

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Reply #3 - January 10, 2013, 10:19 PM

Quote from: Alex Lam Meem on January 10, 2013, 10:08 PM
Crazy idea. All the technology needs to be given to men, not women. As you mentioned women would use the technology to get ideas, ideas are dangerous, so it could be dangerous for the region (yes the muslim-land region if you must know) and could upset the balance of power. Consequences are unpredictable. While if you take all the technology away from the women and give it to the men, then lift all the restrictions on the internets present in the region, eventually most of them will be too busy looking at pictures and videos of naked Western women and won't bother with silly things like jihad.

Seems legit.

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Reply #4 - January 11, 2013, 04:06 PM

Quote from: canex on January 10, 2013, 09:47 PM
Thats truly a great idea. Imagine if more women have mobile internet access in the 3rd world. The amount of information they could pull up at an instance would be simply incredible. Hell we could have some CEMB members who are purely mobile

Exactly. It wouldn't even need to be mobile necessarily, just having it available would be huge. And beyond the ability to access information, they would have more avenues of communication, which is important both globally and locally. Look at the changes the internet has brought about in a few short decades. We'd be looking at that same magnitude of change among the local communities in those countries.

Quote from: Alex Lam Meem on January 10, 2013, 10:08 PM
it could be dangerous for the region (yes the muslim-land region if you must know) and could upset the balance of power. Consequences are unpredictable.

I know you were joking, but you bring up a couple good points. First, it certainly would spell an upset of the balance of power in those regions. And second, as with pretty much anything involving Muslim women's autonomy, women are at the mercy of the men who control them. It would be an uphill battle for sure, at least at first. But I think the potential benefits are well worth the effort and resources of organizations like the ones mentioned in the article to give those women as much support as they can.

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself
- 32nd United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt
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