Power as an ethical concern in the Global South’s digital transformation: Power or empowerment?

open access articleThe digitalization of the Global South, particularly with respect to African countries, is moving at a fast pace. This can be seen in the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in different domains such as healthcare, education, industry, entertainment, as well as in the provision of e-government services, to name just a few. Such digital progress is seen as positive and often presented as such in international development discussions, for example at the World Summit on the Information Society Forum 2019 on ICTs for achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Despite the positives, there are also negative aspects of digitalization, which have to be addressed in the form of ethical concerns. This paper discusses these concerns by specifically exploring the aspect of power in light of the digital transformation of the Global South. The discussion advanced in this paper is informed by a review of literature

Implicating mobile phones in violence against women: What’s gender got to do with it?

This paper gives an analysis of women and men’s differential access and use of the mobile phone and how through it gender stereotypes are reinforced. During a four year study in Zambia, it emerged that although there were clear advantages that have come as a result of mobile phones some negative social impacts which reinforce gender stereotypes and power relations and subsequently result in violence against women have remained largely un-documented. The paper therefore makes the case that despite the clear advantage of the mobile phone; it is also providing a new focal point for social conflict and violence in relationships

Using ICTs to Enhance Healthcare in Zambia

The copyright of this article belongs to the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa. http://www.codesria.org/IMG/pdf/3-Kutoma_AMR_2_08.pdfThis paper examines an electronic record system in Zambia, where Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have been adopted and are being used innovatively in one area of the health sector – perinatal care. The paper explores how the system known as the Zambia Electronic Perinatal Record System (ZEPRS) is being used in Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia. Having carried out fieldwork in 2005 where interviews were conducted and observations made in relation to the system, the paper makes the case that such use of ICTs is contributing to human development and subsequently helping to meet some of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This paper therefore makes the case that ZEPRS, one of a first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa, is a good example of a programme that is being used to meet United Nations (UN) MDGs, of which enhancement of health is one of them

Stakeholder Engagement and Responsible Research & Innovation in promoting Sustainable Development and Empowerment through ICT

ICT plays a significant role in both developed and developing countries across the globe. ICTs are also seen as playing an important role in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, their importance is seen in terms of achieving sustainable development in the areas of health, education, social inclusion, global partnership and empowerment among others. However, much ground cannot be made without creating and involving communities and networks that will support the sustainable use and development of ICT in emerging and developing countries. One concept that advocates for the inclusion of communities and establishment of networks around the use and development of ICT is Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). At the core of RRI is the engagement of different stakeholders within communities and networks that are involved with ICT development in emerging and developing countries to ensure sustainable development. Using stakeholder theory, we introduce the work being conducted in the Responsible Research and Innovation Networked Globally (RRING) project to highlight the important role of stakeholders as part of RRI in the use and development of ICTs in emerging and developing countries. In particular, we will discuss how stakeholder engagement as part of RRI can be understood in an emerging country like India, specifically through our discussion of a women’s artisan handicraft centre known as Gramshree in the heart of Ahmedabad, India. We aim to highlight aspects of stakeholder engagement, the role of stakeholders in implementing ICTs in women’s sustainable development and empowerment. The aim is to showcase how sustainable development and empowerment could be achieved through the formation of a community network around ICT use and development

Recognising ethical issues in ICTs targeted at the elderly.

This paper looks at the significance of ICTs for the elderly population of Europe. It pays particular attention to some of the EU’s ICT initiatives and discusses potential ethical issues that may arise within the ICTs. The paper argues that identifying potential ethical problems in ICTs targeted at the elderly is likely to make a fundamental difference to the lives of the elderly population. This is because identifying the potential ethical problems, especially at an earlier stage, helps developers, the users as well as carers and families to remedy potential problems as the ICTs are used. Lastly the paper discusses work that the Ethical Issues of Emerging ICT Applications (ETICA) project is undertaking in its mandate to identify future emerging technologies and their subsequent ethical issues

Introducing Responsible AI in Africa

open access boo