1. 1. Title
I’m Linda Raftree, I work at Plan International. I focus on social media and ICTs in our
grassroots programs with youth. That includes ICTs is in child rights, youth engagement,
youth participation, child protection and gender-based violence work. I also support the
global organization to integrate ICTs in our work in general.
2. Who is Plan?
We’re a child rights organization. That means that we work to 1) Identify and
monitor those persons and institutions responsible for ensuring children’s rights
(the ‘duty bearers’); and 2) we help children and adolescents (the ‘rights holders’ in
this case), to empower themselves by knowing their rights, and together with
supportive adults and institutions, holding duty bearers accountable for ensuring
children’s rights. We support children to participate fully in the process.
3. Where we work
We work in about 50 developing countries (orange), with about 99% local staff. We
fundraise and engage the public in 17 other countries (green) such as the US, Canada,
Europe, Japan, etc. We work at community, district, national and global levels.
4. Why children and youth?
An engaged and active population is a key ingredient for good development. Children
and youth have valuable ideas and energy to offer. They make up around half the
population in many countries that are lagging behind in terms of development.
Children’s participation leads to better outcomes and policies. Involving children early in
their lives helps them develop skills and attitudes that lead to a better society in the
short and long-term. Engaging in community development and developing good
leadership skills at a young age helps them become better leaders in the future.
5. Why girls?
Without fundamental investment in girls and young women and a genuine desire to
encourage their participation, they will be both at a disadvantage in the economy and at
personal risk. We are working to ensure that girls are equipped with the skills they need
to seize the opportunities that the digital world offers them, and not simply stand by as
old forms of abuse are perpetuated and exacerbated
6. Research
In 2009 we did research to start looking at how we could incorporate mobiles into our
work. This research looked at how we were using mobiles, how other organizations
were using them, and suggested ways that we could look at using mobiles and other
ICTs in our work.

2. 7. 3 ways to integrate ICTs
So the research suggests 3 ways:
Direct: Providing direct access to ICTs and advocating governments to do the same
Strategic: Using ICTs as tools to support the development process
Indirect: Using ICTs to improve efficiency and communication within the organization
I’ll talk about ICTs broadly since we are working with a variety of tools, not only mobile.
We look first at the goals we want to achieve and the local context and then see what
are the best tools – ICT or no. Underlying the ICTs are many other things, ICTs are icing
on the cake.
8. Research
Every year we put out a report on the State of the World’s Girls. This year the report
covers Girls in Cities and Girls and ICTs. It includes original research, outside research,
and case studies.
9. Why girls and ICTs?
ICTs offer tremendous potential for girls to learn, grow, develop, socialize and earn a
living. ICTs also offer avenues for girls to be exploited. We need to see how to enable
girls’ equal access to ICTs and how to help girls protect themselves when using them.
10. What prevents girls from using ICTs?
Some of the things that prevent girls from using ICTs are the same things that hold girls
back in other arenas: Discrimination, lack of confidence, language barriers, lack of free
time, lack of money and resources, lack of freedom.
11. Report’s recommendations
o Increase girls’ access and control over IT hardware
o Invest in maths science and vocational education for girls,
o Expand and improve online protection mechanisms
o Stop violence against girls online
o Implement international legislation and increase collaboration
o Teach girls how to protect themselves
12. 7 areas we are using mobiles and ICTs
I’ll just briefly share 7 things I’m involved in which have an ICT or mobile component:
• youth and local development
• girls making media
• community led total sanitation
• youth and governance
• violence prevention and response
• community led birth registration
• mobile data gathering by staff

3. I’ll be around to explain more if anyone has any questions after the presentation.
13. Youth and local development
ICTs and the arts spark young people’s interest in community development and are
excellent advocacy tools. Youth use arts, media and ICTs, including mobiles to discuss,
research and build their agendas and also as tools for stimulating dialogue with their
communities and decision makers to make change happen. Filming positive youth
actions helps spread messages and motivate youth in neighboring communities to get
involved as well. Youth participation in community meetings has increased due to the
project.
14. Girls Making Media
ICTs and some basic training enable girls to tell their own stories. What we want to do is
to put ICT tools and communication skills in the hands of young people, especially girls,
and get out of the way. We’re working with female journalists as role models, and
offering girls internships to promote future jobs and to get more women in to balance
the profession. Girls learn different journalistic skills, including mobile reporting.
15. Community total led sanitation
We’re working to enable local staff, communities, and municipalities to create digital
maps of their communities; for example, using digital maps to track resources,
government funding projects. Mapping has proven useful for decision making and
behavior change for example tracking where people shit, and where their food and
water sources are.
16. Youth and governance
One way that we are encouraging youth to pressure local and national authorities for
accountability, transparency and to help build a case for the youth’s agenda is via
mapping and better information sharing. We’re working with Map Kibera and other
local partners to train youth on digital mapping and mobile tools to access government
budget information, and use the exercise to compare what government says it’s
spending and what it’s actually spending. This same tool can be turned around on NGOs
as well. And should be.
17. Violence prevention and response
We are developing an SMS based reporting system using FrontlineSMS and Ushahidi, in
collaboration with communities, youth and local child protection agencies. It allows
people to report child abuses and violence against children for response and also to
build up an evidence base to advocate for more resources for prevention and
treatment.
18. Community led birth registration

4. A birth certificate is key in accessing many other rights like healthcare and education,
and for preventing child marriages. We are working with the Kwale Municipality in
Kenya to develop a digitized civil registry system, including mobiles outreach and service
for the population.
19. Mobile data gathering by staff
Our Kenya staff are working with PAJAT, a private company in Finland, the University of
Nairobi and Plan Finland to build a mobile mapping application that works on lower cost
mobile phones to collect and track information which can help better manage programs.
20. More information
Download the 2010 Because I am a Girl Report, at www.plan-international.org/girls
For more information on any of these projects, please look for my blog, Wait… What? At
http://lindaraftree.wordpress.com or email me at linda.raftree@plan-international.org.