For an Inclusive Digital World: Innovation and Technologies for Gender Equality

Innovations and new technologies are ubiquitous and have transformed the way we live, work and interact with each other. This pervasiveness is materializing in almost every different sector of activity in the 21st century, or the era of hyperconnectivity, for example:

• Commerce: with online trading, exchange, and advertising platforms
• Social relationships: TikTok, the most popular social network, has more than 1 billion users who spend an average of 60 minutes a day in front of their screen, just on TikTok. To this should be added the time spent on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, as well as on the metavers Fortnite and Roblox used by teenagers.
• Education: with the possibility of distance learning, the concept of democratisation of knowledge through mass resources available online, etc.
• Work: including teleworking devices, remote collaborative work, etc.

Given the impact and ubiquity of these new technologies in our lives, why not use them to promote inclusion and gender equality? Indeed, despite the obvious benefits of digitalisation, it is important to ensure that innovation and technology are inclusive and contribute to gender equality. For an inclusive digital world, it is essential that we recognise and address gender disparities in access, use and participation in digital technologies.

Digital transformation for women’s empowerment

Digitalisation has the potential to empower women economically, reduce inequality and improve access to essential services such as education and healthcare. However, women are often excluded from access to technology and the skills needed to use it. According to a report by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), women are 23% less likely than men to use the internet in developing countries, and this disparity rises to 43% in the least developed countries, particularly in Africa.

This may be due to a number of factors, including financial barriers, illiteracy, cultural biases, lack of access to technology, lack of training or digital skills, and lack of female role models in the technology sectors. These barriers must be overcome if women are to reap the full benefits of digitalisation. In particular, in the Senegalese context, these few actions need to be implemented or reinforced:

• Promote female role models working in the new technologies sector so that young girls can be inspired by them and create similar vocations to their role models in the near future.
• Create or support the actions of associations or NGOs that work towards the financial inclusion of women through new technologies (for example by helping women’s MSEs to have a website to sell their articles, accounts on social networks to promote their products, etc.)
• Organise support sessions for rural women to learn how to use computers for their daily needs (use of search engines, simple text entry, etc)
• Create technology project incubators for women and girls, as well as funding platforms for women-only technology projects.
• Organise attractive competitions to encourage young girls to take an interest in new technologies (the example of the Jigeen ci TIC competition in Senegal is to be welcomed).

Solutions for more digital inclusion

It is important to ensure that digital technologies are developed in an inclusive manner. Technologies should be designed to meet the needs and preferences of all users, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, disability or socio-economic status. Designers should take into account gender differences and factors that may influence the use of technologies, such as culture, social norms and local contexts. Such technologies could meet a certain “inclusion by design” law without neglecting “privacy by design”, which also contributes to cybersecurity and the protection of users’ personal data.

As an example, it would be possible to envisage, in the Senegalese context, sites that can be displayed in both French and Wolof. Or else to launch technological acculturation campaigns in the country’s rural or remote areas, where the digital divide is more than just an observation, it is a daily occurrence. Another possible suggestion is to encourage the creation of more and more software with integrated voice functions for the visually impaired.

There is a great need to promote the participation of women in the fields of technology and innovation. Women should be encouraged to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and to take up leadership positions in technology companies. Initiatives to enhance women’s digital skills and provide them with learning and mentoring opportunities are essential to improve their participation in the technology field. In this sense, it is more than urgent, especially in African countries, to strengthen awareness campaigns and to boost the creation and financing of infrastructures that can accommodate and train women in science and technology. One might even be tempted to dream of a “Mariama Ba” of new technologies in Senegal…

Digital technologies to combat violence against women

Digital technologies can and should be used to support gender equality and to combat discrimination and gender-based violence. Technologies can be used to disseminate information on women’s rights, to raise awareness of discrimination and violence, to provide support services for victims and to promote gender equality, especially in times when online hate, revengeporn etc. have reached their peak.

It is also important to ensure that women are able to use technology safely and effectively. Women are often victims of cyber-stalking, online stalking and other forms of online violence. Governments, businesses and civil society organisations must work together to ensure that women are protected from these forms of violence and that adequate safety measures are put in place to protect their privacy online. This is in addition to raising awareness among women themselves to adopt healthy online behaviour in general and to maintain a responsible and virtuous e-reputation.

In conclusion, for an inclusive digital world, it is essential to promote innovation and technologies that promote gender equality. This means encouraging women to enter the fields of technology, ensuring that women have access to the same resources and opportunities as men, taking into account women’s needs and perspectives in the design and development of new technologies, and ensuring that women are able to use technologies safely and effectively. By working together to promote gender equality in the digital world, we can create a more just and inclusive world for all.

E-karangé is already involved… and what are you doing?