by Devinder Buttar, AWC London
A world full of empowered women isn't one where men are marginalized. It’s a world where everyone thrives. ― Purnima Mane
International Women’s Day (IWD), on March 8, 2023, will focus largely on how technology and education in the digital age can help the empowerment of women and girls across the world. With the theme “DigitALL Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality,” IWD aligns seamlessly with the main theme for the upcoming 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67): “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.”
Historically, major technological advances have always caused seismic societal changes – economic and cultural – which have had major impacts on women and their role in society. The Industrial Revolution is one example where, in addition to a wider distribution of wealth and women entering paid employment, mass migration lead to the breakup of the extended family for a smaller nuclear unit. Similarly, the Digital Age will also be a catalyst for change in empowering women, with easy access to information as the “tool” being used. Innovations in technology have the potential to address a myriad of areas where women are underprivileged: knowledge and information, reproductive health, infrastructure, livelihoods and mobility, among others. Access to technologies such as the internet, mobile phones and social media can educate and empower women on individual, economic, social and political levels.
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) offer tools that can be applied to raise entrepreneurial acumen and improve access to financial backing. One such initiative is directly depositing money into women’s bank accounts. A Yale study has highlighted that when wages were paid directly and digitally into women’s personal bank accounts, there were huge gains in female financial autonomy.1 Women entrepreneurs in developing countries continue to face disadvantages arising from their lack of access and capacity to use these technologies, however. There are several reasons for this, from social factors like poverty to lack of mobility and lower education completion rates. In addition, in some countries using the internet or engaging in business is still deemed inappropriate or unlawful for women. ICTs, in confluence with other forms of communication, have the potential to reach those women who have not been reached by any other media. This, in turn, empowers them to share in and be part of economic and social progress that has been denied to them and allows them to make informed decisions as stakeholders on issues that directly affect them. With the commencement of ICT and convergence technologies, knowledge networking process hurdles can be cleared, and it becomes possible to connect women in various communities through a digital network with a localized information focus.
Information technology has forged the process of women’s empowerment by opening up avenues for women to freely articulate and voice their concerns and knowledge, creating the possibility for their enrichment and advancement. The use of ICT has increased the breadth of their activities and enabled them to address issues previously beyond their capacity. They are connected and part of the outside world. When information flows freely to them without any distortion and censoring, it can only lead to broadening of perspectives and greater understanding of their current status. These and other themes are laid out in UN Women’s publication “Innovation and Technological Change, and Education in the Digital Age for Achieving Gender Equality and the Empowerment of All Women and Girls” in preparation for CSW67.
The new technology however, comes at a fiscal cost, which can hinder both individual and community access. The problem is compounded by the fact that some women in developing countries may have little control over their household incomes and do not have the decision-making power to invest in these technologies. In order to correct this imbalance, countries can and have enacted legislation to adopt mandatory gender quotas for boards of listed companies and for parliamentary elections. This kind of proactive approach is necessary not only to narrow the gender gap in places of power, but also because it puts women in positions to make decisions that impact women. This is a positive step, but it also comes with a daunting reality: EU member states with legislated quotas can achieve gender balance in parliaments by 2033, and those without such quotas could take almost another 20 years to close the gap.2
As we forge our way in the Digital Age, I am reminded that “technology is best when it brings people together” (Mark Mullenweg). The devil is in the details, however. Hopefully, with digital access being the focus for International Women’s Day and CSW67, the path forward, together, will become clear.
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