What is the role of technology in empowering women? As we know, today is the era of information and communication technologies (ICTs). A variety of ICT tools are frequently used by people around us. As access to mobile phones and the internet grows, I believe ICTs are playing an ever-stronger role in efforts aimed at improving the lives of women.
I attended a panel discussion entitled “The Role of Technology in Empowering Women”, co-hosted by OICT, ITU and UN Women on Thursday, 24 March. The panel mainly discussed the potential solutions to closing the digital gender gap.
“Women in emerging markets reinvest 90 cents of every additional dollar of income in their families.”
Statistics show that women perform 66% of the world’s work, and produce approximately 50% of the food; yet, they earn only 10% of the income and own only 1% of the property. e gender gap in technology access, use and training is still a global problem. In many countries, girls still lag behind boys in terms of access to and use of ICTs. Barriers vary from places to places, such as gender discrimination, lack of confidence, language difficulties, low literacy and lack of time and money continue to prevent girls and young women from taking full advantage of technology.
"All the sustainable development goals need technology,” said Ms. Atefeh Riaz, Assistant Secretary-General and Chief Information Technology Officer, "I want to push the limits as women as girls." As a woman as a girl, I asked myself: why should we push the limits? Women in emerging markets reinvest 90 cents of every additional dollar of income in their families. That’s why increasing the economic empowerment of women is essential to growing economic opportunity for women and their families and ending poverty and hunger. Technology can help break down barriers holding women back!
It is significant to closing the digital gender divide through equal and affordable access to ICTs. Women play an important role in economic growth and change the ways of using technology. Not only do our organizations have responsibilities to give women fully and equal access to the Internet, but also we should try to retain them as workforce, facilitate and educate women and girls to get access to ICTs. Social tech and social engineering need women.
In many developing countries, social norms in the society embarrass women accessing higher and regulated education. Moreover, women stay disconnected from the digital and information society because of the cost of internet and mobile. There is no doubt that gender equality includes ICTs. In order to reduce gender gap in developing countries, we need to make internet and mobile access affordable.
Besides fighting for gender stereotypes, we should also raise awareness on empowering and encouraging girls and young women to consider studies and careers in ICTs. We encourage women to access to education and technology and pass on mother to her children generations.Therefore, it is significant to make sure parents is a part of the conversation and educators are at the table. No mother is undervalued by her family and educate a mother is educate a family. In order to raise the awareness on encouraging girls to study in ICTs, we could have children at home get mobile internet access. In this educating process, Internet could do a lot for us. If education outreaches to mothers, I believe it is very necessary to look ways to outreach and train mothers to social media.
We have responsibility to clarify data for women and use data to modeling how things connect. However, technology can be used for both good and bad. If we push tech for women, it is important to educate them to stay safe online and and provide protection for women to use data and tech.
Innovative solutions are crucial and desperately needed to get more women have access to ICTs, study and employment. We are still on our way seeking more partnerships and supports, minimizing women’s economic loss and growing women entrepreneurs. We believe that we will leave no one behind.
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