Group+7B

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= = = = = = = = = = = = =Globalization and Technology: =

= The Changing Roles of Women Around the World =

Grace Hoppe, Alisa Hemmesch, Venice Fahey, Samantha Tollin, & Gina Burgess



Malaysian Women Redefine Gender Roles in Technology - Grace Hoppe

As society develops and economic factors shift, technology grows and changes along with it. Modern advancements in technology have allowed for a broader range of consumers and with the growth in the number of educated women, the global perspective of women and technology has advanced. In many countries, and particularly the United States, technology and computers have always gone hand-in-hand with masculinity, thus producing male dominated professions. As stated in the article by Ruth Schechter, in 2008, women earned only 18 percent of all computer science degrees. With the technological boom and advancements in industrialization in countries such as Malaysia, however, this perspective has shifted to favor women in the industry. According to Ulf Mellstrom in his book titled, "Masculinity, Power, and Technology: A Malaysian Ethnography," historically there had always been a materially and symbolically powerful relationship between men and technology that was often considered part of what it means to be a man. He argues, however, that "women use technologies to the same extent as men do, and women are just as skilled in using machines as men are (19). However, until now, the relationship between femininity and technology has been portrayed as one of nonexistence is Malaysian culture.

Massive recruitments of women seeking jobs during the recent boom in technology in Malaysia led them to leave their rural villages to take on opportunities in the growing technological industry. This transition altered the perception that technology was mainly a masculine profession and gender associations with industrialized jobs virtually disappeared. Women in Malaysia have gradually grasped technology as a "woman-friendly" profession and now more than 50 percent of the computer industry's employees and many management positions are held by women. This transition also came about in part because of the rise in the amount of educated and skilled women entering the workforce and the need for well-trained computer specialists to take on jobs created by the technological boom. According to Schechter, women see education as a way to gain independence and taking on professions that are represented as non-traditional to the rest of world has made them role models for newly skilled women as members of the professional community.

The Wave of Change for Chinese Women Due to Globalization  - Alisa Hemmesch

The United Nations proposed a concept entitled 'gender mainstreaming' during the fourth United Nations World Conference on Women in Beijing, at which China was included as one of 49 countries who promised that they would oblige to gender mainstreaming using a background of globalization. To do this, they focused their efforts on three different waves of women's studies. These waves included courses in higher education, a "Women and Development" project, and gender analysis in public policy. Unfortunately, though they promised to enforce these efforts back in 1995 it has taken until present for them to actually begin implementing these "waves".



In the 1980s, China suffered from major social issues including a decline in women's studies. Females were not allowed to go to school, and the women who were able to graduate had a very difficult time finding jobs. Many female workers were laid off from China's state-owned factories, meanwhile the rural women were used as sex workers or sold to disabled/old men as wives. Finally, many married women suffered from domestic violence while migrant women lost their social welfare benefits in the workplace. However, in the 1990s women's studies finally came to China through the means of globalization. It was not done in the same fashion as western feminism occurred, but instead it involved more of a focus on the, to them foreign, concept of gender theory. They institutionalized women's studies classes in academic universities throughout the country and held international and national meetings to create networks of women's studies. Unfortunately, due to a lack of male involvement, it took years for these women's studies courses to become successful and make an impact in Chinese society. Now, women are not only capable of receiving a higher education but they even are getting PhD's and Master's Degrees in the field of women's studies.

With the second wave of women's studies, many "Women and Development" projects were set up in Beijing by a variety of famous groups. These projects included, but were not limitedto, UNICEF's "Poverty relief for mothers in western regions"; UNDP's "Poverty relief and women's development in inner Mongolia"; Hongkong Oxford's "Poverty relief and rural women capadty building in Guizhou province"; Canada InternationalAgency's "Rural educational networks"; Ford Foundation's "Reproductive health program in Yunnan province"; and Ministry of Development in United Kingdom's "Workshop for teenage girl in western poverty-stricken areas." The Ford Foundation has remained the main monetary source for "women and development" projects in China and has made it the most popular face for development projects. However, in many of these cases gender discrimination was the focal point yet not solutions were provided. Therefore, many women's studies scholars got involved and called to action projects in order to change society's views and discriminatory opinions about women.



 Finally, the last wave of women's studies focuses on the analysis of gender in public policy. In China, this analysis generally includes three types. The first type concerns itself with public policy at the macro-level. This includes social structure, social welfare, and social policy. However, there was a second type of gender analysis during the third wave of women's studies that included two aspects. These provided that scholars were concerned with written law clauses about women's rights and interests and that the number of women's studies scholars that were concerned with laws which indirectly affeded women, such as education welfare reform and economic and social issues, were enhanced. The final type of gender analysis involves using direct affect, high-level decision makers before inventing new policies or changing existing laws from a gender perspective. Recently, the UN has created a series of indexes to evaluate gender equality, one of which is whether national governments have adopted "gender analysis" as part of policy making. The concept of gender is not easily accepted by either the public or officials. It will take some more time to understand better the concept of gender and gender theories, especially the difference between gender and sex. It is important to understand how to introduce the concept of gender and gender theories to society as a whole.

Women in Information Technology (WIT) in Lebanon - Gina Burgess = = <span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;"> Lebanon, along with other Arab nations, has always had a history of inequality of the sexes. However, since the 1970’s women have been able to play a more active role socially and in the work force. According to Country Studies, this is in part a result of the shortage of manpower caused by heavy migration of men to Persian Gulf countries. Lebanese women now have equal civil rights and can attend institutions of higher education, but they still face discrimination which they are fighting against.

<span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;"> One example of Lebanese women trying to make a difference is Women in Information Technology. WIT is a Lebanese non-profit association that was launched in 2006. Its mission is to inspire more women to be willing and able to use the new technologies that have become available to further their empowerment. On their site they list that WIT aims to: “provide a platform of connections, resources and opportunities; transform corporate and media perceptions of women; create a network of women to fill leadership positions; demonstrate that advancing women directly contributes to the prosperity of all; encourage girls and young women to prepare for science and technology careers.”

<span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;"> The group asked teens aged 16-19 about the right of women to work and right to equal pay, opportunities and the right of married women to work. Some of the reactions according to WIT were “I don’t accept that my wife will work and get a higher salary than me, I will not be able to <span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">control her and she will have a big head” and “women are taking our place in the society. If they stay at home, we will find better opportunities.” These two reactions show the importance of the work that WIT is doing and the fact that their society needs to raise awareness on the important role that women are currently playing in the work environment.

= = <span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;"> They are creating opportunities to work with the media as a key mechanism for attitude change. They are working to raise awareness and challenge gender stereotyping of the role of women in society and the working environment. WIT is furthering the steps that have already been taken toward equality for women and making it happen through the use of technology. = =

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Zapfino,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Empowering Rural Women in India Through the Technology Boom <span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">- Samantha Tollin

<span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">In India, rural women are being encouraged to pursue entrepreneurial occupations. In a country with a population of over one billion people, it can be very difficult for some people to find jobs, but India’s technology boom has made it easier for more people to be incorporated into the work force. Unfortunately, rural women do not have much control over the decisions made for their families, and in their own lives. This is partly because males dominate the villages they live in. Because of this unequal ratio of gender within certain villages, women have had a more difficult time securing prominent positions in the workplace.

<span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;"> In many rural villages, many women are now being introduced to technology that has been foreign to them for most of their lives; the drastic advancement of technology helped make this possible. It is only recently that women in Bangalore, India, a city that provides support to the worlds largest companies, have experienced being in front of a computer for the first time. Associated Press writer Neelesh Misra states in her article, India's Tech Boom Hits Poor Women, “In a farming region, poor village women step into video e-mail booths to send messages to their husbands working in faraway cities”. India’s technology boom reaches out to areas all over the country, and it has “transformed the lives of women, the country’s poorest and least educated citizens” (Misra).

<span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;"> In response to the information technology revolution, there have been about forty community information centers created in select cities in India. The objective for each information center is to teach women how to use computers in order to set them on an entrepreneurial path. One such organization dedicated to empowering rural women is called AWAKE: <span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">The Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Karnataka. Established in December 1983, AWAKE lists several core values in their mission statement: “volunteerism, transparency, commitment, integrity in programs and budgeting, learning and sharing from others, network and exposure, and personal growth” (http://awakeindia.org.). Ultimately, organizations such as AWAKE motivate women in India to develop their own businesses, and with growing accessibility to technology, this dream is ever closer to fruition.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Zapfino,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Huda Ahmed <span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">- Venice Fahey

<span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Since the beginning of civilization, the roles of women in the workforce have always been repressed by those of men, who have traditionally held superior positions. For decades, women in the United States were expected to cook, clean and provide for the children, maintaining the perfect housewife image. Thankfully this is no longer the case. The feminist movements that swept our nation are certainly not unique to developed countries. Many think the women of the Middle East are completely silenced, with no rights or roles in society. While they do not share the same freedoms as women in the United States, their roles in the workforce and in society in general are becoming more prevalent.

<span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">With the constant conflict that has revolved around Iraq, journalism proves to be one of the most dangerous jobs a person in the Middle East can hold, gender disregarded. A popular female journalist in the Middle East is a woman named Huda Ahmed, who is a reporter for the U.S based McClatchy Newspapers in Baghdad Iraq. During the course of the Iraq war, she has covered and translated stories for both the McClatchy Newspapers and the Washington Post, many times on the front lines of breaking news. Among other awards, Ahmed has received the International Women's Media Foundation's 2007 Courage in Journalism Award – a token of her hard work and bravery whilst giving the people of Iraq something they are so often refused: News. While journalism in America can be seen as a form of expression, the Iraqi men and women who call themselves journalists risk their lives every day. Media in these middle eastern nations are constantly under government watch, and if one goes against what the government is saying, the consequences can be fatal. In her online blog, “A Day in the Life of a Female Iraqi Journalist in Baghdad” Ahmed recounts the morning routine for a typical journalist, which includes having to “check underneath cars for an IED (improvised explosive device) and check the street for any unexpected armed group or militia...change from the dangerous routes to avoid bombings, traffic jam or checkpoints and keep(ing) your seat belt unfastened so you can run away quickly during any bombing, shooting or kidnapping attempts.”(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huda-ahmed/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-fe_b_57635.html) While Ahmed recognizes these dangers, she maintains that her work is essential, stating "I keep writing and contributing because we have few females doing that. We have many many challenges that make me feel that I have to serve my own people and those people who want their stories to be told."([])

<span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">While one of the few female journalists in Baghdad, there is hope that with the growing number of women attending universities in the Middle East, Ahmed will not be alone. Mehrangiz Kar, a journalist in Iran says that 65% of students in Iranian universities are women, with many going into the field of journalism. While there is still much work to be done, the women of the Middle East see these bright and ambitious girls who are attending the universities to be the future of journalism. In 2006-2007 Hudah Ahmed traveled to the U.S to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology as its Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship winner. The Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship offers female journalists the “opportunity to focus exclusively on human rights journalism and social justice issues.” ([]) She has also attended Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business to earn her MBA, where she and a group of her classmates created the International Development Collaborative (IDC), a nonprofit designed to encourage and assist in the creation of entrepreneurial enterprises in developing countries, especially for women. Hudah Ahmed is an inspiration to the young women of the Middle East, and her determination to create a revolution will surely shape the roles of women in the media and society in the future.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Zapfino,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">References <span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">:

<span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Schechter, R. (n.d.). Malaysian women redefine gender roles in technology | Gender News .Stanford University. Retrieved November 24, 2010, from http://www.stanford.edu/group/gender/cgi-bin/wordpressblog/2010/02/malaysian-women-redefine-gender-roles-in-technology/

<span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Mellström, U. (2003).Masculinity, power, and technology: a Malaysian ethnography. Aldershot, Hampshire, England : Ashgate.

<span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Ahmed, H. (2007) A Day in the Life of a Female Iraqi : The Huffington Post Retrieved from []

<span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">AWAKE - Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Karnataka, Bangalore, India. (2008). Retrieved November 22, 2010 from <http://awakeindia.org.in/viewpage.php?page_id=1>

<span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">"Gender Roles". (n.d) retrieved November 16 2010, from Lebanon Web Site: http://countrystudies.us/lebanon/60.htm

<span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Ghuneim, M. (2007). Role of Women in Middle East Grows: Payvan's Iran News Retrived from []

<span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">"March 2010, Visit to School". (2010, March, 31). retrieved November 16 2010, from Women In Information Technology Web Site: http://www.wit.org.lb/template3details.asp?id=65&navID=0

<span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">N, Misra. India’s Tech Boom Hits Poor Women. (n.d.). Retrieved November 22, 2010 from <http://asiarecipe.com/storyindia.html>.

<span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Tarr, A. (2006). Iraqi Journalist Hudah Ahmed Joins MIT Center For International Studies Knight Ridder Reporter is the Center's 2006-2007 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow. Retrieved from []

<span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Unknown (2008). '07 Grad Helps Start Nonprofit to Benefit Bolivian Village. Retrieved from []

<span style="font-family: Optima,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Zhang, L.. (2010). Reflections on the Three Waves of Women's Studies in China and Globalization. Asian Journal of Women's Studies, 16(2), 7-31,93. Retrieved November 24, 2010, from http://proquest.umi.com.libproxy.sdsu.edu/pqdweb?did=2089651791&sid=1&Fmt=3&clientId=17862&RQT=309&VName=PQD