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Abstract
This study critically examined the access of women farmers to Information and Communications Technology (ICTs) as against their male counterparts. The study was conducted Kapasiaupazila of Gazipur district. A total of 120 respondentswere selected using proportionate random sampling technique and interviewed through structured questionnaires. Data collected were subjected\n to descriptivestatistics, Chi-square and rank test. The results indicated that the\n women folk, despite their dominancein agricultural activities, were dominated in\n terms of access to and full participation in the use of ICTs.In terms of access to\n agricultural information through ICTs, it was evident that, people in the study\n area capture the advantages of increased number of ICTs to access information\n related to their farming business. Most of respondents valued ICTs as easy, fast\n and convenient way of communicating agricultural information and also allow\n more contacts among the farmers for family farming along with increase income\n of the family people in the community. Chi-square analysis on the relationship\n between socio-economic characteristics of the respondentswith their access to ICTs showed that age, education and innovativeness have significant relationship with therespondents’ access to ICTs. Kruskal Wallis rank test showed that there was a significant difference inthe gender access to and the uses of ICTs (P d” 0.005) with the male dominating the female gender. Chi-squareanalysis revealed that age and educational background and innovativeness of the respondents had significantrelationships with their access to ICTs (P d” 0.005).On the other hand religious/cultural barriers, language barriers and cost of possessing and accessing ICTs were the main reasons for gender disparity in gaining access to ICTs.