eHomemakers Network – Malaysia

Source: The Communication Initiative

Summary
Formed in 1998 with the name Mothers for Mothers, Malaysia’s eHomemakers network is an effort to address the information and communication needs of women homemakers. Initiated by a voluntary group of mothers from multi-ethnic communities, this network engages in active advocacy, outreach, and grassroots research on the use of information and communication technology (ICT) to improve the lives of homemakers, home workers, and the urban poor. eHomemakers hopes to foster the social and economic development of women (and men) working in the informal sector, while also highlighting and recognising homemakers’ contribution to both the domestic and the public spheres. The group’s vision includes:

• to build an e-community of information technology (IT)-savvy homemakers
• to provide a learning platform for homemakers to become teleworkers
• to encourage homemakers, especially the disadvantaged, to generate income through home-based activities
• to offer a venue for virtual gatherings and support groups for homemakers
• to disseminate family-oriented information at a one-stop e-centre
• to integrate the principles of sustainable development into its programmes so as to support the Millennium Development Goals at the Malaysian level.

Main Communication Strategies
Recognising that disadvantaged people tend to be left out of social development due to the lack of access to relevant information, eHomemakers brings together marginalised Malaysian women – and, increasingly, men – seeking to work from home. The thought is that, if these people could generate income from home and use ICTs to improve aspects of their family life, they could, in fact, actively participate in the information economy. ICTs, then, are a tool for providing workers in the informal sector with an avenue for self-development and economic opportunity – requiring little capital.

Initially, a static website (www.mom4mom.com) was built to meet the needs of mothers and homemakers by providing them with a platform to access information and to network. The site was managed and maintained by a small group of volunteers. Over time, the network realised that the static website could not support the growing needs of members who wanted a more dynamic platform with interactive features. In November 2001, eHomemakers was awarded a Demonstrator Application Grant from the Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment to develop eHomemakers. This trilingual portal was created to link homemakers and homeworkers all over Malaysia into an e-community, bound together by common interests in parenthood, homemaking and issues related to economic, social, family, and gender development. Designed to enable homeworkers and homemakers to teletrade, network, and support each other through creative problem-solving and idea-sharing, the portal offers services such as a forum, chat room, e-cards and a platform called Home-based Xchange for homemakers and home workers to market their products and services. All of these services are provided free of charge to members. These e-activities are complemented by on-the-ground activities geared toward those who do not have easy access to ICTs. These initiatives include training sessions and conferences for life-long learning and community outreach, annual Mother’s Day contests, and contests for home-based business ideas.

eHomemakers is actively involved in advocacy work to promote working from home as a means to balance work and family life. The network members are involved in cyber and ground activities to promote the concept of digital learning and use of ICTs at home as a tool for women’s economic empowerment. Part of the purpose of this work is to help its members gain self-esteem through mutual support activities, in light of “public prejudice about useless housewives who did not contribute to society”. eHomemakers is also working with the Malaysian Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development to develop a guidebook on working at home and setting up a home office. This guidebook will form part of the Government’s campaign to promote the concept of working at home to professional women who have chosen to be homemakers in order to raise a family or to take care of elderly dependents. eHomemakers has carried out related research studies, publishing papers that include, ‘Study on How Gender dynamics Affect Teleworkers Performance in Malaysia’ and ‘Empowering Homemakers to become Homepreneurs and eHomemakers through a Gender Governance Framework’.

Development Issues
Women, Gender, Economic Development.

Key Points
Organisers explain that women who choose to work from home to balance family life and career are vulnerable to being exploited with low-paying assignments and little assistance for personal development.

Since 2003, eHomemakers notes, the concept of working from home has attracted men’s interest as well. Today, the ratio of men to women e-members is almost 50:50, while the ground members comprise women without access to Internet.

Partners
Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development; the Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment provided a one-year grant.

For more information, contact:
Usha Krishnan
S Puvaneswary
Web Editors
eHomemakers Malaysia
editor@ehomemakers.net
eHomemakers website