Internet Generation as Pioneer: Rural Women’s Opportunities & Challenges

Panelists at this session each took 30 minute to explain their projects before turning it over to the next panelist, rather than having all speakers sit together.  The first speaker, Marilou McPhedron from Canada, spoke about the lack of access to the internet that women face in rural Canada, and the problems that that lack of access creates.  She described that in some cases, internet connections haven’t been made, and in other cases, cell phone reception (which would provide a wireless internet connection) is either spotty or non-existent.  She outlines that the internet can open up a plethora of opportunities for women, including banking, taking online classes, seeking medical advice, participating in politics, and more. 

The speaker said that policy-makers should focus on reaching out to rural communities and ensuring pre-existing policies are put into place there, rather than simply moving on to create “the next big policy” and leaving that rural community in the dust.  By connecting rural communities to the internet, rural women will have the opportunity to educate themselves about the world outside their small community. They will be able to research policies that may affect their lives, and thus become empowered to act politically and cast more informed votes that better reflect their own interests.

Another speaker from Africa pointed out that despite the recent increases in the use of technology, 95% of the world’s population still listens to radio at least once per week, which makes radio a key mode of information transmission.  The speaker also asserted that the best way to get a message to make an impact is to create a way for the intended audience to interact with it and/or have a discussion about it.