Foss best alternative for women and children in Africa
By Olivia Phiri
Free and open source software Foss is the way of the future in terms of making technology accessible to neglected groups such as women and children in Africa.
Women in Zambia for example have not explored technology due to different factors such as lack of education, lack of income but most importantly because of the cost of running a computer under proprietary licenses.
The difference with Open source software is that it is free, sharable and modifiable by the user in order to make a computer application work better.
Many arguments however have risen over the aspect of the software’s free concept. Foss is not free of cost but the source code is availed to the buyer and then the recipient is free to share the software with who ever they please.
This system is very cost effective and appropriate for the technological divide that is at present growing between men, women and children.
With Foss many neglected communities will be empowered. Because the source code is given, localization is possible. Computer users will be able to configure the applications in their indigenous languages.
Governments will be able to save loads amount of money in licensing costs for proprietary software, because of the free distribution policy.
As the cliché goes, educate a woman and you educate the world. If women are given an opportunity to be exposed to the use of information technologies, they will become more knowledgeable in important aspects of life such as democratic and electoral processes and basic human rights.
This kind of empowerment will help Africa not only over come poverty, gender inequality but HIV/AIDS as well because women and children will be able to make informed decisions.
The just ended Africa Source conference held in Kalangala, Uganda from 8th to 15th January 2006, brought together women and men from different Non-governmental Organizations from all over the world to discuss the benefits of migration to Foss, as organizations, the education sector and Information sector as well.
Women attending the conference discussed the importance of migration and its benefits.
Benta Bwana aged 40 from Kenya working with Women and Children in Crisis-WOCH had a first time experience working with Foss as an alternative.
‘Am going to be an inspiration to women in my community and the my fellow workmates in rural Kisumu, I have truly been inspired,’ Bwana said.
Ronke Bello from Nigeria who works with Schoolnet echoed the need for free and open access because of the importance of knowledge and the power it gives any individual, especially children.
‘One aspect of Foss is that it will help curb vices such as piracy, and if we have an open society children will be able understand issues going on around them and this will lead to a new breed of African leaders,’ Ronke explained.
Organizations with a female agenda represented at the conference were Femnet and WomensNet, among others.
Africa needs workable and easy technical solutions that are accessible and cheap, if Foss is free and shareable, then Foss is the future for Africa.
By Olivia Phiri
Free and open source software Foss is the way of the future in terms of making technology accessible to neglected groups such as women and children in Africa.
Women in Zambia for example have not explored technology due to different factors such as lack of education, lack of income but most importantly because of the cost of running a computer under proprietary licenses.
The difference with Open source software is that it is free, sharable and modifiable by the user in order to make a computer application work better.
Many arguments however have risen over the aspect of the software’s free concept. Foss is not free of cost but the source code is availed to the buyer and then the recipient is free to share the software with who ever they please.
This system is very cost effective and appropriate for the technological divide that is at present growing between men, women and children.
With Foss many neglected communities will be empowered. Because the source code is given, localization is possible. Computer users will be able to configure the applications in their indigenous languages.
Governments will be able to save loads amount of money in licensing costs for proprietary software, because of the free distribution policy.
As the cliché goes, educate a woman and you educate the world. If women are given an opportunity to be exposed to the use of information technologies, they will become more knowledgeable in important aspects of life such as democratic and electoral processes and basic human rights.
This kind of empowerment will help Africa not only over come poverty, gender inequality but HIV/AIDS as well because women and children will be able to make informed decisions.
The just ended Africa Source conference held in Kalangala, Uganda from 8th to 15th January 2006, brought together women and men from different Non-governmental Organizations from all over the world to discuss the benefits of migration to Foss, as organizations, the education sector and Information sector as well.
Women attending the conference discussed the importance of migration and its benefits.
Benta Bwana aged 40 from Kenya working with Women and Children in Crisis-WOCH had a first time experience working with Foss as an alternative.
‘Am going to be an inspiration to women in my community and the my fellow workmates in rural Kisumu, I have truly been inspired,’ Bwana said.
Ronke Bello from Nigeria who works with Schoolnet echoed the need for free and open access because of the importance of knowledge and the power it gives any individual, especially children.
‘One aspect of Foss is that it will help curb vices such as piracy, and if we have an open society children will be able understand issues going on around them and this will lead to a new breed of African leaders,’ Ronke explained.
Organizations with a female agenda represented at the conference were Femnet and WomensNet, among others.
Africa needs workable and easy technical solutions that are accessible and cheap, if Foss is free and shareable, then Foss is the future for Africa.
posted by Olivia Phiri at 8:33 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home