Since the emergence of the Women’s Rights Movement nearly 200 years ago, women have been battling for the right to control their earnings, own property, and, in the case of divorce, take custody of their children. Despite the victories, women are still struggling to bridge gaps in their political, economic, and social rights.
In 2023, women are opening a new front in their struggle for gender equality: a more equitable digital world for all.
‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality’ was the theme of a campaign launched by UN Women, the United Nations, and its partners and allies on International Women’s Day on 8 March.
The campaign calls on governments, activists and the private sector to “power on” in their efforts to shape a safer, more inclusive and more equitable digital world for all.
The UN bodies referred to what they described as a persistent gender gap in digital access which keeps women from unlocking technology’s full potential. Showing how bad this phenomenon is, UN data indicates that women’s exclusion from the digital world comes as a massive cost for all, having already shaved $1 trillion from the gross domestic product of low- and middle-income countries in the last decade — a loss that, without an intended plan of action and suitable investment, is expected to increase to $1.5 trillion by 2025.
The campaign also calls for a paradigm shift in this regard to harness the potential of technology and innovation to accelerate progress on the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasised in his message to commemorate the Day that “women today make up under a third of the workforce in science, technology, engineering, and maths. And when women are under-represented in developing new technologies, discrimination may be baked in from the start”. He also issued a call to close the gender digital divide, adding that “investing in women uplifts all people, communities, and countries”.
The UN also referred to the clear disparity between women and men and girls and boys in relation to digital adoption and their relative opportunities to access, use, and benefit from digital technology remain a major barrier to equal participation in tech design and governance. Women and girls remain underrepresented across the creation, use, and regulation of technology. They are less likely to use digital services or enter tech-related careers, and significantly more likely to face online harassment and violence. This limits not only their own digital empowerment but also the transformative potential of technology and innovation as a whole.
Women activists believe that gender-responsive digital technology represents an unprecedented opportunity for the global empowerment of women, to eliminate all forms of disparity and inequality in the digital age, and to transform innovation ecosystems.
The World Health Organisation elaborated that digital innovation, technology, and education can be game changers in improving health outcomes for women and girls and enhancing their privacy and autonomy.
While UNESCO referred to the major persistent gaps in innovation and technology, which can be instrumental in empowering girls and women. UNESCO indicates that women remain underrepresented in careers in the area of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), although the jobs of the future will primarily be in these industries.
Globally, women make up 31 per cent of research and development positions in science, with the lowest proportions in Southwest Asia (24 per cent) and East Asia, and the Pacific (27 per cent). Women are also under-represented at all levels in the technology sector. This is particularly so in leadership positions, where they represent only 24 per cent of professionals. In the field of artificial intelligence (AI), only 22 per cent of professionals are women.
The new campaign seems timely in women’s struggle in the current era when the digital revolution can offer transformative opportunities for the empowerment of women, as increasing women’s access to economic, educational, and social opportunities within technology have the power to not only unlock their potential but also that of their communities and societies.
