Discussion 5
LIBR 275 – Professor Liu
“The Information Behaviors of Rural Women in Botswana”
by Patricia Ayame Thomson

Social Networking (in-person & online):

Most Effective Global Information Provision Tool?

Primary Information Needs of Rural Women in Botswana:

Agriculture and Health Information

Mooke’s (2005) article titled “The Information Behaviors of Rural Women in Botswana” is about an informative study conducted on information needs of women living in three rural villages in Botswana, Africa. I found the article intriguing and unique, since I didn’t know much about Botswana. In addition, I appreciate the fact that the study focuses on situations and obstacles facing rural women rather than urban, not only because it is a refreshing topic but it also adds another level of interest to the study. The objective of Mooke’s article is to investigate and understand the information-seeking behavior and information needs of rural women living in Botswana with the intention to provide reliable sources of information and needed information to empower themselves and their families.

Based on the study, Botswanian women’s greatest information needs were issues relating to agriculture and health. The information needs relating to agriculture is understandable and logical, since it is directly tied to the women’s gainful employment and main source of income. As a result, many women needed information such as: How they can improve their agricultural knowledge and skills, and whether there is financial aid available from the government to improve farming production, including procedures described by Mooko’s (2005) article as: “The rearing of cattle, small stock, and crop production” (p. 125).

The women expressed that they needed information, but also needed to learn about government services available to help low-income families. They wanted to know where they can obtain government forms and more about the application process. For example, the women required help in completing government financial assistance applications, loan applications to start their own businesses, employment applications, identity card applications, and agricultural policies and regulations forms.

Culturally, women in Botswana are the household farmers and providers for their families. Consequently, it is the women’s responsibility to secure basic things like food and clothing for the family. The fact that agricultural information had a high level of information need was anticipated by the researchers who conducted the study since the farming industry is such an integral part of their lives.

Health information was another topic of information most sought by women in the study. Although researchers who conducted the study expected health to be a primary information need in rural communities, they did not anticipate the high level of need for information relating to health problems. The article mentioned three main reasons why it is so difficult for citizens of Botswana to get basic healthcare and treatment in their country. The reasons are due to the ubiquity of HIV/AIDS pandemic, reliance on health posts, and the fact that not everyone is healthy all of the time. Many mothers in the study were interested in infant and children’s diseases and ailments, and how to effectively care for their sick children and family members at home.

The prevalence of the HIV/AIDS pandemic developed a high demand for health resources required by afflicted patients, and is the main reason why healthcare is spread so thin in Botswana and other neighboring South African countries. The women in the study needed information about their own health issues, however, more importantly, they wanted to learn how to treat family members who suffer from maladies, infirmity, and disabilities at home.

Other situations that led the women to seek information were not brought up in the study as frequently as agriculture and health. However, they are significant and important enough to mention as follows: Employment, jobs and training, family violence, finances, caring for sick family members, and other basic needs.

Sources Consulted for Information by Women in Rural Botswana:

I believe the primary source of information women living in the villages of rural Botswana is summed up eloquently in Mooko’s (2005) article as follows: “Interpersonal sources played an important role in the communication of information to and among the rural women. It appears oral communication was the preferred channel of information among the women” (p. 125). Friends, relatives, and word-of-mouth appears to be the most effective means of relaying information among women living in rural villages of Botswana. The study concludes that the women confided in their friends, relatives, and others closest to them and trusted first before approaching an official or more formal source, if ever.

The rural and primitive settings of the study brought together an interesting cast of characters as sources of information the women in the study consulted. For example, the colorful characters include the village chiefs – kgotla, faith healers, agricultural demonstrators, and other sources.

Regarding health issues, the women in the study said they consulted the village nurse. The women in the villages don’t have much choice in the matter since the village nurse is “the sole ‘official’ source of health information in the village” (p. 122). Also according to the study, the sources most often mentioned by respondents were medical practitioners and others with prior experience with similar situations and obstacles.

Botswana’s primary industry is agriculture in which women play a significant role. Subsequently, the women consulted agricultural and veterinary officers most frequently to request information pertaining to farming. Another interesting source of information I learned about in the article is an “agricultural demonstrator” (p. 123). Mooko’s (2005) article states that these agricultural demonstrators have official residences in the villages, and they are available for consultation about farming with the local farmers. The respondents also liked the fact that they took the time to visit the small local farms. The only criticism mentioned about agricultural demonstrators is that they were not available when some farmers needed consultation.

Another source of information the women consulted for various types of information and help is the Women’s Center. The Women’s Center were one of the highest rating sources in terms of providing useful information to women who needed financial advice, as well as those interested in starting their own businesses.

Community welfare officers also had a good reputation among the women and are described in the article as “helpful and accessible” and “an important source of information on welfare programs” (p. 123). The article points out that the women may have been confused about the political duties and responsibilities of community welfare officers. By law, community welfare officers have limited power. However, it appears that the women respondents were not aware that “The village community welfare officer can only make recommendations after doing investigations. The final decision is taken at the regional level, not village level” (p. 123). Overall, community welfare officers were regarded favorably among the women. The only criticism received in the study is that they practiced “favoritism” (p. 123).

The women considered the village chief as another sources of information, and in the statistics as high as 7.8% (p. 123). Kgotla means village chief but also refers to a place where the village chief holds trials, the parliament conducts public meetings, and government officials informed citizens about government-related information. The cultural belief was inculcated in the women since they were children that a village chief is a reliable source of information, and consulting with him is a normal custom.

Sources For Information Women Would Not Consult:

In general, the study claims the women who lived in rural villages of Botswana were highly suspicious and mistrusting of anything to do with the government and mass media. In Table 3 of Mooko’s (2005) article, it lists the sources the women are reluctant to consult as: “Political leaders, government officials, printed sources, and sales representatives,” statistically between the slim margins of 0.9% to 1.4% (p. 122).

The general mistrust of the government determined the women’s decision-making process about which sources they would consult for information. The study concludes that Botswanian women trusted traditional doctors and spiritual healers equally, but significantly more than government institutions. The women believed that traditional doctors can heal most illnesses, but there are some diseases that only spiritual healers can cure. The women consulted spiritual healers for a few specific infant-related diseases.

The women were aware that traditional doctors were more expensive than government clinics. The primary and underlying reason why government clinics were consulted less frequently compared to other sources is because the women in the study were suspicious and reluctant to seek information from them. On the other hand, some of the women in the study were content and satisfied with healthcare provided by government clinics. Overall, the women thought the quality of service was adequate, and they appreciated the fact that it was free.

Misconceptions existed among rural women. For example, they believed that the village spiritual healers are less expensive than government hospitals. In reality, it mentions that village faith healers are about as expensive as traditional doctors. Along with the mission of attempting to reach rural women with needed information, information providers can also help ameliorate existing misconceptions, and replace them with accurate information especially if what they presently believe may be harmful to them. Some beliefs among cultures can prevent women and others to become reluctant to seek information that ultimately has the potential to improve their lives.

Although technology has done a lot to advance humanity, it too has its limitations. I believe that person-to-person contact is still the most effective way to get information across to people who need it, especially in primitive cultures where communication methods are inadequate, limited, and unavailable. I concur with Mooko’s (2005) statement in the article stating: “Interpersonal sources played an important role in the communication of information to and among the rural women. It appears oral communication was the preferred channel of information among the women” (p. 125). As the study concludes, most of the women expressed that they consulted friends, relatives, and people closest to them for information. Therefore, friendly person-to-person visits with members of the community on a periodic basis can be one of the most effective ways to communicate the information needed, supplemented with pertinent literature.

Also, Mooko’s (2005) article states that person-to-person contact is the most personal way of social networking. On the other hand, with the ubiquity of technology and access to the Internet, online social networking strategies can no longer be underestimated. Another obstacle related to person-to-person visits is that they have geographical limitations. The Internet is an excellent tool for dispensing information to a wider audience where distance is not an issue. Therefore, if I had to update Mooko’s (2005) article, I would emphasize the importance and impact of the technology revolution, at the same time continuing to visit local members of the community personally.

In conclusion, I believe the following quote sums up the most important element in investigating information-seeking behavior: “The importance of knowing the situation that led to information-seeking in order to understand the information-seeking behavior of the users and their use of sources at their disposal” (p. 124). Providing the women with knowledge empowers them with the awareness of their rights, and subsequently allows them to receive what is rightfully theirs.

An acute need for information in a community indicates that information on the issue is urgently needed, due to the fact that the information required is not getting through to the community. As information professionals, I believe it is our mission to link pertinent information with the people who need it. In addition, cultural considerations should be included in the information provision process as expressed in the article as: “The acute need for health information suggests a need to repackage the information in a manner that will be useful and acceptable to women” (p. 125). The information provided should be adapted to each user’s cultural background, and presented in a palatable and informative way.

Reference:

Mooko, N. P. (2005). The information behaviors of rural women in Botswana. Library and Information Science Research, 27(1), 115-127.