Transforming digital inclusion services to enhance women development in Mexico

This research aimed to explore whether adoption of ICT enhances the development of women living in impoverished urban communities in Mexico. The objective was to identify women's motivation to participate in a digital inclusion experience, their process of ICT skills acquisition, whether they applied ICT into their daily life, and whether this application translated into better development opportunities for them. We found that Internet and ICT usage among vulnerable women participating in this case study tends to focus on covering family needs, like helping children with homework or monitoring teen activities online, rather than covering their own needs. Motivation to participate in the courses was associated with reaching independence in usage, since most participants depended on others to explain to them how to use their computing devices, which were mostly mobile. Although motivation was high, dropouts occurred with an average of three women missing each course. Women who finished the program accomplished independence and autonomy in usage for their own interests and needs, not only those of their families. Learning experiences increased women's self-confidence and self-esteem, empowering them to accomplish relevant ICT usage according to their own priorities, such as enhancing their entrepreneurial activities. Future work and policy recommendations considered implementing digital skills acquisition as part of the social program's conditionality factors; enabling Digital Community Centers (PMC) content across a range of communication channels in order to reach more people; establishing a public¿private partnership to secure long-term funding and expansion of the PMC program; integrating an insurance facility to account for mobile and computing devices stolen from participants