English Language and Media Studies

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been increasingly promoted in recent years as "powerful enablers" for women; providing a journey out of poverty and a march towards equality. This has been highlighted by the Declaration of Agreement in Support of Girls and Women in Information and Communication Technology, introduced at the United Nations World Summit in 2005, which stressed that "ICT allows women increased participation in political, social and economic arenas and supports empowerment for themselves, their families, and their communities" (World Bank, 2006). Following on the heels of this summit, the firstever Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Women in the Economy Summit held in 2011 affirmed the need to build women's capacities and skills in ICT, underlining the important role women play in economic development, in developing and developed nations alike. While these global agreements are indeed promising, it is important to understand the extent to which women participate and utilize available ICT. It is also important to bring their perspectives to the fore, in order to ensure effective policy design, as well as to enrich our understanding of ICT in the context of Women's Studies in Asia. This paper investigates the business activities of a selected population of women entrepreneurs both in Japan and Nepal, focusing on their perspectives of ICT, and the challenges they face in adopting it. Interviews were conducted with 69 women using a structured questionnaire. The findings point to the need for caution regarding the potential for ICT in women's business initiatives. The findings reveal that women first need to overcome the social structural constraints that reflect cultural, and in the case of Nepal, religious forms of gender discrimination need to be addressed, before ICT can be utilized to its full extent.

This paper introduces the Cyber Nepal Project, adopting the various systems of information technology available at the Faculty of Environmental and Information Studies (FEIS) at Musashi Institute of Technology (MI-Tech). In particular, the campus virtual studio system was used to create learning materials through the collaboration of MI-Tech students, staff and teachers together with students and teachers from Nepal, producing DVDs of presentations from data gathered in Nepal, as well as creating web pages and mailing lists in "cyberspace" (Internet). The details of these activities are described in this paper and the effectiveness from the viewpoints of both environment and information education is analyzed. From a questionnaire and interview with students, we can conclude that a synergy effect for both environment and information education can be generated. In conclusion, we point out the problems to be overcome in our future work.

This paper introduces the Cyber Nepal Project, adopting the various systems of information technology available at the Faculty of Environmental and Information Studies (FEIS) at Musashi Institute of Technology (MI-Tech). In particular, the campus virtual studio system was used to create learning materials through the collaboration of MI-Tech students, staff and teachers together with students and teachers from Nepal, producing DVDs of presentations from data gathered in Nepal, as well as creating web pages and mailing lists in "cyberspace" (Internet). The details of these activities are described in this paper and the effectiveness from the viewpoints of both environment and information education is analyzed. From a questionnaire and interview with students, we can conclude that a synergy effect for both environment and information education can be generated. In conclusion, we point out the problems to be overcome in our future work.

Attempts to enact legislation and develop a sustainable waste management system in the capital city Kathmandu,Nepal has stalled over the past two decades,mainly due to an unstable political situation and a lack of commitment among various stakeholders.As solid waste poses an increasing threat to public health and the environment,neighborhoods in Kathmandu have recognized the need for capacity building among stakeholders.This article reports on a recycling initiative led by women in one community of Kathmandu and presents the findings from a pilot survey focusing on awareness level and attitudes towards collaboration at the community level.A total of 50 respondents were sampled using a structured questionnaire.Mean age of the respondents was 26.5 years with a standard deviation of 8.80.It was revealed that most of the respondents have basic awareness about environmental degradation and believe in the need for initiating joint efforts from all sectors.However,behavioral action is still lacking and can be enhanced through environment education and economic enterprise through women's initiatives at the community level.

Alternative energy technologies which convert local resources to usable energy forms are being promoted in many countries as a way to reduce the use of traditional resources and promote sustainable development. Especially in developing countries, these technologies are designed as a small energy technology source, targeting mainly individual households or small communities. In Nepal biogas technology, which converts animal and household waste into usable energy is being widely promoted particularly in rural communities. It is recognized not only as an alternative and sustainable energy source but also as a way of alleviating poverty, promoting gender equality and conserving forest resources. This paper is the result of a preliminary investigation into the feasibility of biogas from household characteristics and perspectives in one village where the biogas program is being actively promoted. The data collection methods include random household questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and observations. The results indicate a strong relationship between key household characteristics such as women's educational achievement, family communication and economic stability. While the biogas program is successful in achieving the basic aims, the paper highlights several problems and barriers in the adoption and satisfaction of the biogas program and makes recommendations for its improvement. Introduction Sustainable development with the aim of addressing climate change is at present the global agenda of this millennium. Integration of conservation, education, technology and community capacity building towards achieving sustainable development have become common practice in many countries around the world. Definitions of sustainable development have generally encapsulated some version of the Brundtland Commission Report (1987) with the emphasis placed on meeting people's needs over time and space without depleting natural resources. At the community level it is about enabling people to plan and manage their development in such a way that any unsustainable actions are identified and corrected locally through people's initiatives. Although progress towards sustainable development has been made in most countries at some level, it is a struggle, particularly in developing countries where poverty, low educational levels, issues of gender, environmental degradation and weak governing bodies are often inherent. In Nepal, one of the world's least developed countries, sustainable development is focused on building capacities in rural communities where almost 80% of the population lives as subsistent farmers (Nepal Capacity 21, 2000). Faced with a growing population and dependence on natural resources for income generation and household energy needs, the Nepal government, in collaboration with both international and national non-governmental organizations is targeting a range of issues including reducing extreme poverty, promoting gender equality and the conservation of natural resources. One sustainable development project that weaves these three issues together is the use of biogas technology through the installation of small biogas digesters in rural households. A simple technology, biogas is a mixture of methane (70%), and carbon dioxide (30%), and is the product of anaerobic fermentation of organic matter such as animal or human waste, biodegradable waste and municipal solid waste. The by

Women continue to dominate the agriculture sector in most non-industrial, low income societies around the world. Despite their significant contributions in agriculture, their work is undervalued and they are marginalised due to social norms and traditions. Based on this reality, the paper investigates the current socioeconomic status of women farmers through two descriptive case studies based in rural Jamaica and in rural Nepal. Thematic content analysis was employed to analyse the data, using the women's empowerment in agriculture index, including education, resources, production, income diversity, and workload. The findings reveal that access to education, resources and income diversity are crucial to improving the socioeconomic status of women farmers.. His teaching focuses on urban and regional planning, and his research is centered on issues in urban and rural development and disaster management. Brenda Bushell is a Professor in the Department of English Language and Media Communication at the University of the Sacred Heart. Her teaching focuses on gender and sustainable society, and her research is centered on women's livelihoods and entrepreneurship.

In many respects it is Jamaican women who play a pivotal role in small-scale farming, particularly in marketing farm produce. More highly educated than men, and gender-wise, women farmers are highly self-reliant; however, their socio-economic strength is not fully capitalized through cooperative endeavors to foster productivity on their farms. This research examines women's cooperatives and the operations of women farmers in two remote rural communities using focus group discussion and targeted on-site investigation approaches. We find that over the years, small farming cooperatives are unsustainable because of their land-tenure problem, and lack of decision-making power at the grassroots level. The research suggests that the potential of women farmers in rural Jamaica has not been well utilized to foster their farming cooperatives. Crucially needed is the promotion of grassroots-based farming groupings to ensure the durability of cooperatives, as well as a multi-sector approach in agriculture, and the intensification of appropriate technological applications in all stages of farming, coupled with micro-food processing. Furthermore, a conducive environment for agricultural production and economic return requires land reform, increasing marketing opportunities, and cooperatives based on the diversification of agricultural and non-agricultural activities.

Leadership education for young women has the potential to not only empower them to embark on paths of personal leadership development, but also to shape a better destiny for women around them. This paper offers insight into how leadership education can respond to a call to lead. The research reports on a field survey conducted by female students and their instructor as part of a leadership program at Africa Rural University, Kagadi, Uganda. Thirty women market vendors were interviewed with the aim of giving them voice in identifying the issues they face in the marketplace. An important objective of the research was to provide a tangible opportunity for the students to build on their leadership skills and realize their potential to support women in their community, through analysis, insight and problem-solving.

An assessment of the English-as-a-Second-Language curriculum at International Christian University (Japan) looked at: (1) the kind of English language study perceived by students as important for their success; (2) how students' perceived needs compare to the professors' assessments of required academic tasks, as measured by a previous task analysis; (3) the support available for a global education curriculum within the English languav program; and (4) whether the environmental studies unit presently in place in the program is compatible with the results of the needs analysis. It was found that students' perceptions of their language needs were close to those of both their teachers and the program's goals and objectives, and that content-based global studies were perceived as appropriate to students' immediate academic needs and visions of the future. A task-based curriculub design model based on the findings is outlined. Problems yet to be resolved include assessment of task difficulty and the degree to which learners' perceived needs should guide curriculum design. A list of further resources, the student questionnaires, and excerpts from student comments on global issues are appended. (MSE)

This paper introduces the Cyber Nepal Project, adopting the various systems of information technology available at the Faculty of Environmental and Information Studies (FEIS) at Musashi Institute of Technology (MI-Tech). In particular, the campus virtual studio system was used to create learning materials through the collaboration of MI-Tech students, staff and teachers together with students and teachers from Nepal, producing DVDs of presentations from data gathered in Nepal, as well as creating web pages and mailing lists in "cyberspace" (Internet). The details of these activities are described in this paper and the effectiveness from the viewpoints of both environment and information education is analyzed. From a questionnaire and interview with students, we can conclude that a synergy effect for both environment and information education can be generated. In conclusion, we point out the problems to be overcome in our future work.

In many respects it is Jamaican women who play a pivotal role in small-scale farming, particularly in marketing farm produce. More highly educated than men, and gender-wise, women farmers are highly self-reliant; however, their socio-economic strength is not fully capitalized through cooperative endeavors to foster productivity on their farms. This research examines women’s cooperatives and the operations of women farmers in two remote rural communities using focus group discussion and targeted on-site investigation approaches. We find that over the years, small farming cooperatives are unsustainable because of their land-tenure problem, and lack of decision-making power at the grassroots level. The research suggests that the potential of women farmers in rural Jamaica has not been well utilized to foster their farming cooperatives. Crucially needed is the promotion of grassroots-based farming groupings to ensure the durability of cooperatives, as well as a multi-sector approach in ...