Information and communication technology and gender policy in cameroon : the case of ministry of women’s empowerment and the family.

Abstract

This study entitled « Information and Communication Technology and Gender Policy »was designed to verify whether ICT has an influence on gender. To this effect, a general research question was asked: To what extent can choice of career through ICT influence gender policy? Three specific questions were formulated from the main research question as follows : SRQ 1: To what extent can information influence gender policy? SRQ 2 : To what extent can communication influence gender policy ? SRQ 3 To what extent can technology influence gender policy? The research questions were formulated to guide the investigation. The review of literature was done using theories and national gender policy. The type of research carried out was qualitative and the instrument used for data collection was interview guide. The interview guide was administered in the Ministry of Women‟s Empowerment and the Family. 20 respondents were interviewed. Choosing of the respondents was by random sampling of the accessible population. The data was analyzed following the themes of the interview guide. It was discovered that lack of interest, limited sensitization and laziness impedes women in ICT. . Recommendations were made and suggestions given. It was recommended that the Government should evaluate regularly the extent which the decisions are translated into concrete results so as to rectify areas where gender policies do not exist, remedy the existing gender policies and allocate appropriate human and material resources for implementation. Also, Government should provide grants and other resources to support men and women who are willing to pursue academic career in the domain of ICT because many do not attain their goals due to financial and material constraints. As suggestion for further studies, a different population like United Nations Workers or UNICEF workers can be used. At the end of this research, a general conclusion was given that ICT is essential for advancement and women should be encouraged in that domaine.