“Achieving E-Quality in the ICT Sector”

UNIFEM/Cisco Gender Initiative

ICT Opportunities in the Arab Region

Third Annual Private Sector MeetingIn The Arab Region

Dead Sea, JordanOctober 1st & 2nd 2003

To empower women in the ICT sector, through building their capabilities and professional skills, ensuring equal opportunities with regards to the ICT job market and securing a gender sensitive policy environment

Objective …

Project Objective

Gaps & Interventions

Gap…Lack of female IT professionals, especially in networking and hardware due to limited training opportunities

850 students currently enrolled in CNAP (65% females)

20% are CCNA, CCNP certified

Intervention…

Database and tracking system developed

Capacity Building

450 graduated (280 hrs.)

IT skills training workshops enhanced market-required skills

Job Placement Program

Gaps & InterventionsGap…Ineffective female participation in Jordan’s ICT market due to stereotyping

Intervention…

Network of market stakeholders (job placement task force)

Coordination with recruitment programs and initiatives ICT Career Day

Human and career development skills training workshops

Information Base

Gaps & InterventionsGap…Lack of gender-sensitive information and statistics on the ICT sector in Jordan

“Jordanian Women in the ICT Space” research developed

Intervention…

Gender sensitive information and statistics on the ICT sector made available (online and offline) Research acting as a reference for planning ICT strategies and formulating national ICT initiatives

Awareness Raising

Gaps & InterventionsGap…Lack of awareness on the benefits of ICT and gender-ICT related issues among stakeholders

Conducted several gender awareness training workshops targeting students, market stakeholders and policy makers

Intervention…

Hosted the “E-Quality in the IT Sector” Conference Introduced female IT role models Carried out promotional and media campaigns targeting stakeholders

Policy Lobbying & Advocacy

Gaps & InterventionsGap…Gender-blind policies and lack of gender mainstreaming activities

Intervention…

Network of policy makers created

UNIFEM involved in strategy planning of major national ICT initiatives

Major national ICT initiatives were gender-sensitized

UNIFEM/MOICT task force developed mechanism to gender-sensitize national ICT initiatives

REACH 3.0Launching Jordan’s Software and IT Services

 An Updated Strategy and Action Plan

For H.M King Abdullah II 

September 2002

   

 MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

(MOICT) IN JORDAN 

  The e-Government Initiative 

ICT Literacy Training - Business Plan  

JUNE 2002

Success Stories

Dua’a JankhotDua’a was chosen from several candidates to work in an IT company. Dua’a says her Cisco training at YWCA’s Vocational Training Center has helped her find a job and has been very useful at her new job.

Success Stories

Alia Gharaibeh and Hayat Al-Jibali Both Alia and Hayat have been appointed as lab technicians in Yarmouk University. “If it wasn’t for the Cisco training, I don’t think I would have been appointed, this is a great opportunity for us”.

Ms. Amal al-Tafish

UNIFEM/Cisco had a big role in increasing my technical knowledge and developing my personality on a professional level, which helped my career tremendously. I had the incentive to continue in this field and participate in similar programs where I took a Computer Maintenance A+ Course and a Network Maintenance NW+ course.

Rania Al-Azab I have had the opportunity to work in the Kitteh JITCC in the governorate of Jerash. Obtaining the CCNA certificates was a dream for me since I graduated with a degree in Computer Engineering from the College of Engineering in Yarmouk University. While working in the JITCC I wanted to improve my skills and my job position, which is why I joined the CNAP program in Princess Eman Center for IT. After completing the four semesters, I took the CCNA exam & passed, thereby making my dream a reality. Now I feel the opportunities for me in this world are boundless.

Ms. Haya Mustafa and Ms. Hala Abbas

Our journey in the field of networking began in college through the efforts of the UNIFEM/Cisco program. Recently, we participated in the “ICT Career Day 2003”. We presented our graduation project at the Career Day where it received great reviews from many people especially from Dr. Mahmoud Khasawneh, Director of the E-government Program. He encouraged us to join the team that will be working on creating the networks for the MOICT. All thanks to UNIFEM’s contribution.

Rania Al-Azab One of the greatest experiences and most beneficial for me was my participation in the UNIFEM/Cisco program where I improved not only on my technical knowledge but also my personal skills. The program sought to develop my personality by providing me with the necessary skills to improve my communication, creative thinking and self-presentation thereby helping to make me better qualified for the IT market. After completing the UNIFEM /Cisco program and its Bridging Training Workshops, I wrote my CV and distributed it to various ICT companies. I was interviewed by a leading IT company where I was hired & currently work at.

Fadia Shakhdih

Lessons Learned

Raising awareness on the benefits of the program is an integral part for the success of the project

Establishing a steering committee and developing regular communication among members is of great importance

Involving stakeholders through formulating specialized task forces raises awareness and commitment

Conducting soft skills and human development training workshops is very much needed

Regularly updating information and statistics help facilitate dialogue with policy-makers and achieve objectives

Documenting and updating database and tracking system is a key requirement

Future Plans

Awareness

Capacity Building

Policy Advocacy

Job Placement

Extension :

Expansion :

Syria

The Gulf Lebanon

Egypt