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Information and communication technologies (ICTs) for poverty reduction?
Swiss Development Agency's policy on ICTs for poverty reduction
Authors:
R. Gerster; S. Zimmermann; Gerster Consulting; Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
Publisher:
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation , 2003
This Swiss development agency policy document outlines the main uses of ICTs for poverty reduction and debates around ICTs in development. It defines ICTs and describes the main characteristics of modern technologies. The authors include radio, television, telephones, fax and the internet in their definition of ICTs.
They state that, rather than seeing the benefits of ICT development in 'trickle down' terms, it is necessary to create specific pro-poor ICT policies and activities. The paper discusses four strategies for poverty reduction and their capacity to make use of ICTs. These are:
- a production oriented growth strategy, including pro-poor corrective measures
- the sustainable livelihoods approach, putting people first
- a distribution oriented strategy, emphasising the redistribution of assets
- a rights and empowerment strategy, promoting knowledge about basic rights and empowerment of people.
The authors argue that while radio and telephony are relatively cheap, internet access and use remains quite limited and that its value to the poorest remains undemonstrated. The lessons learned regarding use of the internet that are described here are that the poor must define their own information needs, content should be locally produced and in local languages and ICT interventions should be part of broader programmes. Wider poverty reduction outcomes of ICTs, such as improved governance and job creation are also discussed.
The document ends with recommendations for the SDC's policy with regard to ICTs. It calls on the agency to begin mainstreaming ICT development for poverty reduction while continuing to support empowerment and opportunity building activities for those in poverty.
