On 20th May 2016 UNU-CS hosted an event on Migrant Technologies: (re)producing (un)freedoms in Macau. The one-day event brought together scholars, practitioners and activists to share learning and exchange ideas on the range of migrant technologies research being conducted across Asia and explore future collaborative approaches. The key theme addressed at the event was how the use of mobile technologies adds layers of freedoms and unfreedoms to migration. Speakers of the day include: Introduction and Welcome: Michael Best, Director of UNU-CS Opening Remarks: Tony Roberts, UNU-CS Morning Panel: Emerging themes in Migrant Technology research - Chair: Tony Roberts, UNU-CS - Jack Qiu, Chinese University of Hong Kong - Freedom, Slavery, and Working-Class ICTs: Learning from Chinese Migrant Workers in Foxconn - Nikos Dacanay, Chiang Mai University - ICT usage and how ethnic migrant women in northern Thailand indigenize/mediate human rights’ discourse of gender equality - Odalia Wong, Baptist University of Hong Kong - Transnational Mothers and Mobile Phone Usage: The Case of the Filipino Female Domestic Workers in Hong Kong - Discussant: Rhodora A. Abano, Centre for Migrant Advocacy in Philippines Afternoon Panel: New Migrant Technologies - Chair: Tony Roberts, UNU-CS - Kayoko Ueno, University of Tokushima - Facebook Activism and Networking among Foreign Domestic Workers in Singapore - Jude Yew, National University of Singapore - Pemca: A proposed mobile platform for crowdsourcing the reporting and visualization of migrant worker injuries/deaths - Kakit Cheong, National University of Singapore - Kwento: Designing a family storytelling mobile application for domestic helpers - Discussant: Fish Ip, International Domestic Workers Federation

1. NIKOS DACANAY
Chiang Mai University
Migrant Technologies:
(re)producing (un)freedoms
Friday, 20th May, 2016
10:00am – 4:30pm
Nations University Institute on Computing and Society
for a free, one-day event where we bring together scholars, practitioners and
o panel discussions to share our understandings and research on information
and communication technology (ICT) use by migrants from Asia.
r now on Eventbrite by 15th May 2016 to secure your place for the event
ww.eventbrite.com/e/migrant-technologies-reproducing-unfreedoms-
922537982.
: Casa Silva Mendes, Estrada do
o Trigo No 4, Macau SAR, China
to the main entrance of Hotel Guia)
y:
MIGRANT TECHNOLOGIES:
(RE)PRODUCING (UN)FREEDOMS
Emerging themes in Migrant Technology research
Morningpanel
ICT usage and how ethnic migrant
workers in northern Thailand
indigenize/mediate human rights’
discourse of gender equality

2. ICT & HOW MIGRANT WOMEN IN THAILAND
Indigenise/Mediate Gender Equality Discourse
Nikos Dacanay
May 20, 2016, United Nations University Institute on Computing and Society

3. STRUCTURE
• Context
• Objective
• Methodology
• Findings and analysis

5. ETHNIC MIGRANT
WOMEN FROM BURMA

6. NGO & CBOS

7. • HUMAN RIGHTS
• WOMEN S RIGHTS
• GENDER/SEXUALITY, SRHR, CSE
• CHILD RIGHTS
• EMPOWERMENT
• CAPACITY BUILDING

8. ICT

18. EXPLORE
LOCALIZED UNDERSTANDING OF GENDER
EQUALITY

19. CEDAW (CONVENTION ON THE
ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN)

20. INTERVIEWS, FGDS &
PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION

21. Localisation of gender equality

22. ‒ NwiNwi, Burmese in her 20s
I like learning about women s rights because I m a woman and I
need to know my rights as a woman. I also want to be able to
share this information with other women who do not know their
rights. In my ethnic group, we believe that the ideal woman is
someone who serves the family and must take care of the
household. A young woman, for example, must be quiet and
polite. She must be obedient to what older people tell or order
her to do.
In my opinion, I don t agree that a woman should only do
household chores. You have the right to be what you want to be.
You also have a right to express your opinions. But if you don t
agree with people who are older than you, you have to keep quiet
because if you talk to them it means that you are rude. This is our
culture. We have to respect older people.

23. ‒ KwinKwin, Kachin in her 20s
I believe that a wife has equal rights with her husband. She is
free to choose what she wants to become and what she wants
to do. She is available to question or consult with her husband.
As she gives respects to her husband, he should respect her
back.
Women should question the rules given to them and not just
obey them. If the rules are not acceptable to them and violate
their rights, they should not follow them. I also believe that it is
important that a wife should make her family happy and must
know how to do household chores well. This is the role of
women in our community and is part of our culture.

24. ‒ KwinKwin
In our culture, this is how we define a good woman: a good woman is
someone who can fulfill household duties well. Her parents will be proud
of her, and the whole community will be proud of her. I think a woman
can do more than household work if she is given the chance to be a
leader in our community. But she cannot be a leader overnight. She has
to first start as a good wife, and then after that she can prove that she
can also do other work. We have to teach women and men in our village
that women can do more than house work once they prove that they are
good in house work.

25. INDIGENIZATION

26. MEDIATION

27. ICT AS TACTICAL SPACES?

28. Thank you