This paper, published in the Gender and Media Diversity Journal, argues that while technology offers many opportunities, the push to bridging the digital divide and harnessing the power of ICT often neglects people as the resource that is most central to development. The author proposes that while technology may provide tools that people can use, it should not be over-rated as the solution to every problem. Based on 2 experiences using mobile phones in Africa to address women’s rights and social development, the key lesson learned is that mobile phones are only useful as one part of a strategy in which people must remain at the forefront.
Mobile Activism or Mobile Hype? Gender and Media Diversity Journal: Media, Activism, and Change
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