ICT Instruction and Access Impediments on Women from a Disadvantaged Urban Community: A South African Perspective

There is much value in not neglecting women for the socio-economic development of any society. Without access to Information Communication Technology (ICT) education and training women will continue to be excluded from social and economic leadership opportunities. Women lack ICT access and have fewer ICT-related training opportunities than men. The deliverance of women from all practices of repression could assist in bridging the gap between genders. This paper aims to establish which antecedents inhibit the access to instruction of ICT experienced by women in a disadvantaged urban community and to propose a solution. In this qualitative study, data was gathered through semi-structured interviews and purposive sampling was used to identify the women in a disadvantaged urban community. The data was analysed using qualitative content analysis assisted by Atlas.ti software. The most reported issue as a barrier to ICT instruction and access is cost. Here cost is linked to Internet access, instruction tuition and personal purchases of the information and communication equipment. The least reported issues include social class and gender. The study recognized the sad situation faced by women from disadvantaged communities, regardless of progressive laws for women in South Africa. It is therefore recommended that awareness programmes be put in place to remind women about their constitutional rights. Education about human rights should be prioritized and enforced by the government and organizations that advocate women’s emancipation.