Harnessing Information and Communication Technology to Build an Online Community of Northern/Rural Women

Northern British Columbia (BC) is avast geographic area covering almost 600,000 square kilometres, with a population density ofless than one person per square kilometre. Less than 50 per cent of the 300,000 people residing in northern BC live in communities with a population of more than 10,000 people with the remaining living in communities of less than 5,000 people (Province of British Columbia). Given its geography, demographic features, and lack of proximity to the lower mainland, receiving appropriate health and social services in northern BC can be a challenge. Regardless of geographical location, women already face a disproportionately negative impact from poverty, violence, and economic inequality (Lippman, 1998; Lock, 1998). For northern women, this challenging situation is further complicated by geographic, social, and cultural isolation; lack of access to basic needs, appropriate housing and employment; uncertain resource-based economies; and lack of appropriate health and social services (Leipert; Leipert and Reutter 2005; Madrid). In fact, women living in the North, have a life expectancy that is four years less than their southern counterparts (British Columbia Provincial Health Officer). The detrimental effect of these negative factors increases manifold when coupled with issues related to culture, sexual orientation, abilityldisability, age and race (Leipert and Reutter 1998). T o further compound the situation, recent (and ongoing) government cuts to health and other social services have caused increased hardship for many northern and rural communities in British Columbia. T o overcome obstacles related to inequality and injustice resulting from living in a northernlrural setting, a group of women from across northern BC have come together to develop the Women North Network (WNN)-a primarily web-based network that harnesses information and communication technology (ICT) as a tool to connect women around issues of common concern. W N N allows women, who might otherwise have no way of coming together, to share experiences, information, and resources. Its formation has made it possible to build an online community aimed at addressing rural women's issues by overcoming barriers (e.g., distance, climate, prohibitive travel costs or non-existent public transportation, etc.) that isolate women in their geographic community-barriers that tend to confine and limit focus to local (often crisis oriented) concerns. Through connecting across the region, women are coming to recognize that local concerns about the health and wellbeing of their communities and families have larger structural, systemic implications that need to be addressed collectively and beyond narrow geographic confines.

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