Gender and ICT Projects Database

In recognition of the Gender and ICT initiatives all over the globe, we have created this projects database and made it available online. The database is a repository of Gender and ICT projects which were nominated and had qualified for the GICT Awards 2003 screening. This will be enriched by each award year. We are hoping that these efforts will inspire others to network, advocate and mobilize ICTs for women's empowerment and gender equality.

A. PROJECT INFORMATION
1. a. Project Name or Title:	New service of the Traveling libraries: Training centers in three provinces of Mongolia
b. Project URL, if any:	No specific Project URL available
a. Utilizes ICTs to promote women's economic empowerment
a.1 What types of ICT tools do you use?	At the central office we have 5 computers including special computer for editing TV and video programs, digital video camera, different kinds of software, Internet connection. We need to equip each Traveling library-Training center (TL-TC) in three provinces with computer with Modem, fixed and mobile line, printer, copier, TV set, DVD player.
a.2 How does the application of these contribute to the promotion of women's economic empowerment and gender equality?	The number of the public libraries in Mongolia decreased 2.3 times in 1989-2001. Knowledge and information are important not only for educational and intellectual performance but have direct influence on economic growth in a country. One cause of the spread of poverty in Mongolia is the lack of knowledge and information especially in the rural areas. And people too readily accept becoming poor. Becoming poor in terms of livelihood and poor in terms of intellectual capacity are intertwined processes. Moreover, TL-TCs are the first and only of its kind linking the traditional nomadic lifestyle and dwelling with provision of updated information and knowledge for nomads and remote settlements. Because of it our TL-TCs became very popular. Books and materials come themselves to the rural people. The clients can order the materials needed. At the wintertime TL-TCs work in the province centers. In warm time TL-TCs are set up in Mongolian felt tents that travel within the target provinces. During almost 5 years of functioning TL-TCs 60-70% of clients were women and girls. Women and girls would get knowledge, skills, information on economy and business, politics, gender, women?s leadership on the old classic way. In addition, using computer and by help our managers they: -could have knowledge about Internet; -could access to web-sites of the government, international and foreign sponsor organizations, NGOs, individuals in Mongolian; -could read electronic newsletter in Mongolian; -could get information/consultation needed by e-mail, phone, fax; -TL-TCs managers could order information or training materials with curricula -in addition to 49 documentaries on environment (UNDP), 10 TV programs on market economy for children (made by the IEC), would be prepared TV programs on saving and credit cooperatives, team work, insurance, taxes, small business and small credit programs etc; -these programs would be copied and distributed to TL-TCs and soums? social worker/a woman activists; -juridical consultation became faster and comprehensive; -IEC would translate the interesting materials from Internet and distribute through TL-TCs.
a.3 How was the achievement of women's economic empowerment and gender equality assessed/determined?	We would use our report book with clients? signature. We would record all accesses to Internet, information gotten, consultation given. We would record all self-help groups, saving and credit cooperatives established. We would record all potential women who could work at the decision-making level. We would record cases, problems which were/not were solved.
a.4 Which cultural, traditional and religious gender-biased notions and beliefs were challenged, if any?	Cultural notions: -women should be patient with double, triple burden; -super small business is for women; -women are not trustworthy for credit; Traditional notion: -politics and business are not for women; -girls should be educated, boys can life without it. 70 per cent of students are girls. But much less of girls can get jobs. Moreover, different level of education leads to big problems, for example to violence in family.
a.5 In what ways is your project different from others in enabling women's economic empowerment and gender equality?	We would use only one in Mongolia Travelling libraries-Training center (we began to establish the local book/information exchange network in each provinces) in the classic ways and, in addition, using ICT, which is totally new occurrence for nomads and citizens in soums level and in remote settlements. Our main activities are library service, information dissemination, non-formal education, consultation through e-mail, phone, fax.
a.6 What added value does your project bring to the ICT for development fora?	1.Rural people, especially nomads and citizens in remote areas would know about ICT. 2.For the beginning people would order or to help to find information. 3.After recognising the advantages of Internet, e-mail more and more rural people would use them. 4.Relatives and parents in rural areas would tell about ICT children and relatives in urban areas.
b. Upscales initiatives and community-centred technologies
b.1 Please narrate specific innovative or new approaches employed by the project, if any, that contribute to its development and its relevance to the community it is serving.	Traveling librariesTraining centers are an innovative idea, because they are the first and only of its kind linking the traditional nomadic lifestyle and dwelling with the provision of updated information and knowledge for the nomads and remote settlments in Mongolia. This service in its extension is unique in Mongolia and has been highly appreciated by authorities and public, especially by the beneficiaries. After one year of running the project in three provinces the province, soum governors were agreed to cooperate with our NGO and began to contribute with box transportation and TL-TCs transportation in the warm time to the remote settlements. Because of the different kinds of the modern books, materials on economics, business, politics, rights, violence, sexual harassment, social works, computer, feminism, gender, law, mass media, literature, scientific-popular literature, medicine, sexology, painting, children and family counseling etc, most of which are not available at the local governmental and not-governmental institutions the circle of our clients encompasses rural people from almost all walks of live. For example, the public servants in the provinces come the TL-TCs to study the laws. The eagerest readers are children who often come early in the morning and leave late at night, as long as there are no other chores waiting for them. In one province, a number of street children from the provincial center town are regular visitors, not only for educative reasons. *After the some time of TL-TCs? activity and discussions we reached the book and other materials exchange between the local institutions. It means the process to establish the information network in the rural areas started. All the more that the institutions have always the financial deficit. Now we are on the period of development of organization to expand our service according to the need of clients in rural areas. Nobody do it yet.
b.2 Describe the processes or mechanisms that are in place to ensure the project's sustainability.	With its service, the center exactly meets the needs of citizens, civil society organizations, government institutions and donor organizations, who strive for the development of Mongolia. These forces appreciate and thus support the work of an institution benefiting the efforts to achieve their major objective. Once established, the TL-TCs will continue to apply the newly acquired experiences, resources and equipment for the provision of its service, as the need will always be there. In the long term the center will need to raise fees for certain services in order to cover running costs and salaries. It will put its publications under copyright and sell them in the market. With the demonstration of the high value of our work, we are confident to acquire sustainable funding from governmental and international donors' side for our major operations. In three provinces, the local authorities already support the transportation costs partly. As far as IEC is the partner organization of DED in Mongolia and DED supports TL-TCs from the beginning, DED will support in the future also. But from year to year, the amount of support will decrease. IEC and other local institutions have to take the costs by own slowly. As far as the TL-TCs have success, some donor organizations are interested to support IEC business like farm to give the possibility to IEC to continue the project itself.
b.3 How can your project be replicated elsewhere?	There are the common features of the most poor people: lazy, sluggish, inactive, like to beg a money, but cannot use it rationally. There are another different ones, who are active, look for support, chances, have the will to work, but have no possibilities to get information, knowledge, and skills available. And both of them do not idea about gender. They mix up with feminism. Once understood they can cooperate, strive for common goals. The Traveling libraries? services are devised for both people: for lazy and for active. As far as the project goals are to let understand people that they can do life better themselves, to let know people that there is the good experiences to follow, to look at the life widely, this project can be implemented anywhere else. With TL-TCs' services, local authorities can join resources, save the money to found information centers, libraries. The local authorities and citizens will be satisfied: one party does duty by citizens and serves them; another party improves its life.
c. Promotes cooperation and social networking
c.1 Who participates in the initiative? (Please identify participants, beneficiaries, and implementation partners. Provide specific demographic (age, income, rural/urban) information about your beneficiaries.)	Participants: -IEC Information, Education Center with its three TL-TCs in three provinces (implementer) -German Development Service -Three province governors -Established by IEC The book/materials exchange network -Ministry for Education, Culture, Science Beneficiaries: The beneficiaries of the TL-TCs were rural population, especially citizens in the remote communities and nomadic families. The number of clients is approximately 160431 people (including readers and training participants) in 3 provinces such as Tuv, Arkhangai, Dornod. We traveled during 4 years 16367 km. 12 percent of readers are people aged 7-16 (of it 50 percent are girls), 45 percent are people aged 16-23 (of it 58 percent are women), 15 percent are people aged 23-35 (of it 85 percent are women), 19 percent are people aged 35-50 (77 percent are women), 7 percent are people aged 50 and more (10 percent are women). -Nomads, citizens in three province centers, soum centers and in remote settlements, in prisons, in Mongolian army points.
c.2 Please identify the project's most important partners and explain their role in the project and in helping to mainstream gender.	1. The German Development Service (DED) in Mongolia will support the implementation of the project in various ways. The main portion of this support is the assistance to the Traveling Libraries in the three provinces and the center in Ulaanbaatar. This assistance comprises of funding for rent of office space, for the salaries and for logistics during preparation and dissemination of training and information materials as well as consultation services. DED will also provide support in form of monitoring of the implementation process and giving advice where appropriate. This includes practical help with narrative and financial reporting 2. Province governors: *Provide with financial support the project part related to transportation *Coordination of the activities of all local participating organizations 3. Network: Book and material exchange, consultation, training 4. Ministry: providing with information, support with operational costs.
c.3 How does the project foster cooperation and active participation among the different sectors (government, private sector, civil society) in the community?	Province and soum governors were agreed to cooperate with our NGO and began to contribute with box transportation and TL-TCs transportation in the warm time to the remote settlements. WE organize together trainings, consultations for people. At the moment we help to private sector to write proposals and take credits. In future they will need our service because of they are on time, fast and real. Representants of civil society-NGOs take very actively part in our project by organizing trainings. People always want to be served by TL-TCs.
c.4 How does the project strengthen the capacity of those who are involved in its implementation?	Yes, we will do the our best by learning together with other organizations, institutions and people.
3. Learning Lessons and Sharing Strategies
a. Why, when, and how did the project begin?	The team leader has 8 years? work experience at the LEOS (Liberal Women?s Brain Pool-first in Mongolia women?s NGO). All three TL-TCs? managers in three provinces are the member the same and another women?s organizations. The team leader traveled a lot and worked on the countryside. She met many people, worked with children, women, and small businessmen. She understood how big is information lack there, and how it is important to have it neither in the private life, or business. TL-TCs started to serve rural people in October 2000. Actually, the information dissemination was the same in all provinces. People. Even public servants did not know about new society: new political system and market-oriented economy. As mentioned, public servants came to TL-TCs to learn laws. People became extremely fast poor. And the idea was born. Traveling library-Training center in provinces.
b. What are the goals of the initiative?	Long-term · Enable people to positively respond to changing economic, social and political situations and take advantage of new opportunities · Create a wide general understanding about economic processes and their impacts · Lay the foundation for the introduction of practical economic education as equal subjects in school curricula · Stimulate the establishment of information and communication networks Short term · Provide people with knowledge and information that helps them to act and take the initiative to improve their economic situation · Stimulate discussion on market economic topics leading into innovative business ideas · Spread knowledge on taxation, organizational law, credit schemes, insurances, ethics, cooperation, environment etc. that directly impact daily live · Create a base of non-formal educative material (Videos and textbooks) for civic education · Reach a large portion of rural population with essential information and knowledge · Increase the libraries? resource volumes
c. How are decisions being made in project implementation?	1. Because it is totally new project in Mongolia we faced many difficulties. The priority was our team decision. 2. Second priority was suggestions and interests of people.
d. What mechanisms are in place to ensure transparency and accountability in implementing the project?	1.We have different kind of records of service. 2.We have special book for clients (for complaints or praise) 3.TL-TCs managers should bring a recommendation letter from soum governor, where they worked. 4.TL-TCs can have a recommendation from other organizations (schools, hospital, prison,?), individuals. 5.Photos
e. What results and/or immediate outcomes has the initiative achieved, and what impact has it had on the beneficiaries, participants, and community?	-Extension of unique TL-TC' services: citizens in the remote area such as in small villages, nomads (totally approximately 42000 people including poor people, children). The number of the clients will be determine from the client record book at the library, from the record books accompanied the boxes. -Extension the collaboration with local authorities and institutions including schools, informal education centers, and public libraries for the benefit of the rural population. -Citizens have access to knowledge and information that are supportive to the application of their self-help capacities and skills. They are conscious about their own potentials and ready to apply them. Every TL-TC has the client opinions? book. -The cooperation between GOs and NGOs has matured and is spreading from few major development projects to a widely adapted practice. -Everybody interested can receive authentic and detailed information. The material order forms will reflect the interests of people to be served. -The monthly newsletters for women and girls distributed to all 21 provinces (approximately 2000 readers) -Educational TV programs on market economy
f. What tools and processes did you use to monitor and evaluate the results of the initiative?	We use all records of service, recommendations letters, clients books, photos, and visit some places choosing themselves. Till now we do not have troubles: 1.Our managers are very dedicated to work; 2.Unfortunately, it is only one project in my country.
B. GENERAL INFORMATION
1. Name of individual or organization	IEC - Information, Education & Communication Center
2. Address	Sukhbaatar street 6, Chingeltei district, Ulaanbaatat, Mongolia Postal address: POB 46/35, Ulaanbaatar-210646, Mongolia
3. Region/Country	Asia, Mongolia
4. Telephone number	976-11-328780. Sell phone: 976-99 76 97 86
5. Fax number	976-11-314282
6. E-mail address	odonchimegp@yahoo.com
7. Organisation's URL (if applicable):	None
8. Name and designation of person submitting this application form	Mrs.P.Odonchimeg manager of the IEC center
9. Organization's Vision/Mission	The mission of IEC is to raise awareness, knowledge and skills nomads and citizens in remote areas through non-formal education and information networking and thus enable them to contribute to the process of development.
10. Where did you hear about the GICT Awards?	Through apcwomen's mailing list