Founder of Women’s Aid Collective (WACOL), a non-for-profit organisation, Joy Ngozi Ezeilo has called on stakeholders to implement policies that seek to increase awareness on the gender digital divide.
Speaking at a forum in Enugu to commemorate the 2023 International Women’s Day (IWD), Ezeilo who is also former United Nations special rapporteur on trafficking in persons as well as the executive director of GirlsWill Initiative said that such policies when implemented would ensure ICT safety for girls, especially in rural areas which in turn would drive growth, empowerment and infrastructural development to bridge the urban-rural divides.
According to her, there should be a deliberate commitmentto encourage women and girls’ inclusion into the digital space and support digital skills acquisition for sustainable development in the communities and nation at large.
She also identified social norms, religion and other cultural vices as some of the factors that hinder women and girls to fully participate in economic and social activities.
“These gender inequalities and blatant sex discrimination inhibit women and girls from active involvement and inclusion in the digital economy.
“The proportion of women who own mobile telephones, engage in innovative activities with a technology-based start-up and/or study STEM courses is insignificant.
“Women are not adequately represented in ICT jobs, top technology management and digital careers. It has been observed that men are ten times more likely to be ICT and hi-tech specialists than women,’’ Ezeilo said.
The exclusion of women and girls from digital spaces, she said further deepens exacerbating inequalities and negate SDG 5 which according to her focuses on gender equality.
On the theme of this year’s IWD celebration, ‘Digital innovation and technology for gender equity,” she said it was strategic and instrumental to enable actors explore the impact of the existing gender digital divide and develop a road map of action for an inclusive digital space.
“Innovations and transformations through digitisation provide new opportunities for women’s economic empowerment. Bringing women and girls into technology can pave the way for more creative solutions and greater potential for innovations that meet women’s unique needs and promote gender equality.
“Inclusive and transformative technology for digital literacy and empowerment will advance the ICT capacities of women and enhance their quality of life and learning particularly for agency, voice and advocacy is vital to sustaining investment toward women’s digital inclusion. Holding them in this area will affect every aspect of their lives including their ability to speak out and campaign on issues that affect them,” She said.
