Empowerment at their Fingertips: A Case Study of the Implementation of a Mobile App Project for Farmers in Senegal

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Date

2021-11-23

Authors

Diop, Layire

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Publisher

University of Oregon

Abstract

The advent of the information age brought with it a strong belief in the potential of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for allowing Third World countries to leapfrog many stages of the development process. If in the early years of development initiatives, radio and television were perceived as powerful instruments that could lead people in developing countries to cut their ties with their traditions and embrace progress, in recent years new ICTs such as the Internet, computers, and mobile phones have been praised for their capacity to empower the poor and disadvantaged groups. International organizations entertain a wave of ICT fetichism, promoting various projects in Third World countries. This research analyzes the project called “Agricultural Services and Digital Inclusion in Africa” launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2017, which consists of a mobile app with four components designed for farmers in Senegal and Rwanda. Beyond these two countries, the FAO intends to replicate the project in the whole African continent. This dissertation studies the implementation of the project in Senegal within the pilot region of Tambacounda. Using a critical approach to the Modernization Theory, the Capability framework, and a gender perspective, the research, which is based on a survey, in-depth interviews, focus groups, and document analysis, explains why the project did not yield the expected results. The findings show that illiteracy, a lack of access to telecommunications and networks, as well as a lack of financial means which mostly affect women, would prevent farmers to fully benefit from the FAO project. The study also reveals that the potential beneficiaries face structural problems such as access to land, inputs, and equipment which cannot be solved with a click on a mobile app. The findings also suggest that the UN Agency used a top-down approach to implement this project which was planned in its headquarters in Rome before farmers, including women, were contacted through various activities for feedback. The study indicates that gender and other identity biases were evident in the initial design of the mobile app project, which fell into disuse at the end of the pilot phase.

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Keywords

Communication for Development, Digital Inclusion, Empowerment, ICT4D, Information and Communication Technologies, mobile apps

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