OPINION
By Chhay Sophal
What is ICT?
It’s the abbreviation of “Information & Communication Technology”
It sounds complicated not only for most of the Cambodian women but also men, beyond the Information Technology (IT). ICT is the art of communicating and sharing information through a computer system. It’s a fast and very powerful tool to post and get the global issues. Because of ICT, nothing can be hidden and cannot be solved in our world. Through the World Wide Web (WWW) or Web Portal and Blogs, we can establish networks to learn and share experiences, lessons learnt, and best practices to each other. With ICT, we’re ready for positive changes of individuals, families, communities, and the whole society. With E-communication/online communication, we can fast exchange our views.
Cambodia’s widely known as one of the least development nations. To remove such unpopular name from the world list, capacity building is the key part that the Royal Government, especially the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Veterans, in the fourth mandate and NGOs must put into their strategic and operational plans. And capacity building must think about gender equality. Most of the Cambodian women still rely on their spouses in terms of family business and finance. Husbands are the breadwinners and sometimes making decision without consulting with their wives. After marriage, women are responsible for housework, especially looking after children and cooking. They have no chance to take their knowledge to apply in the outside world. Due to the country’s cultural norm deeply rooted in the Cambodians’ concepts, low education, lacking of accessibility to information, and law enforcement, sexual harassment, rape, violent, cheating, sexual exploitation and trafficking, stigma and discrimination still exist in the current Cambodian society. But now, we need a change for our progress, dignity, and prosperity. When women are empowered with IT knowledge and more accessibility to ICT, they get lots of useful information to improve their life quality wherever they are. Through their dialogues on Web Portal and Blogs, women can find solutions to problems, obstacles and challenges they’re facing. Through ICT, women can be aware of, for instance, having sex and marriage at young age can badly affect to their reproductive health. With ICT, women can understand about safe sex without getting HIV transmission and other Sexual Transmission Diseases. When women are healthy, their families are healthy with happiness and the society is also in the same situation.
Notably, countries taking the policy of gender equity and their citizens can equally access to ICT are the open societies with democracy, human rights respect, and rule of law. Women can make a good society. For instance, children are closer and friendlier with mothers than fathers. When mothers have high knowledge and good advices, the children will become the good kids and good citizens in the society. Women, therefore, are the most important developing partners in both inside and outside families. With ICT, women know what’s happening around them so that they can prevent themselves, their families and communities.
To reach these, women must get training and capacity strengthening on IT, especially the basis of computer system. With IT, women can access to WWW or Web Portal and create their Blogs. However, women must have strong commitment to build their capacity. While human resource’s provided to women, all school-aged girls must also be sent to school. Parents must send daughters to school and provide them equal opportunity with the sons to get general knowledge and IT.
That’s why IT knowledge and accessibility to ICT are the essential parts of women’s participation in development. It’s time for women to take ICT in the IT era.
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