International Women's Day 2023
-By Mouli
International Women’s Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women across the world. In 1910, the proposal for a day for worldwide celebration of women to press for their demands was raised by Clara Zetkin (Leader of the 'Women's Office' for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) during the International Conference of Working Women held in Copenhagen. The next year over a million people joined the rallies organized on March 19 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, campaigning for women's rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination. International Women's Day was marked for the first time by the United Nations in 1975. Then in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the year by Member States, in accordance with their historical and national traditions. The United Nations announces an annual theme which is a key focus of their work the following year.
The theme for International Women’s Day 2023 is “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”. It aligns with the priority theme for the upcoming 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW-67), i.e., “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”. The theme highlights the importance of technology in achieving equal rights but the growing digital gender gap in turn affects women’s lives more- hindering them from job opportunities and risking their online safety. The theme also looks at the unequal access of the internet for women in comparison to men, as well as their under representation in fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The digital space is a double-edged sword- while on one hand new technology and its access opens new doors for the global empowerment of women, girls, and other marginalized groups. From gender-responsive digital learning to tech-facilitated sexual and reproductive healthcare, the digital age represents an unprecedented opportunity to eliminate all forms of disparity and inequality. However, there is a constant pervasive threat of gender based online violence. Due to preexisting stigmas regarding women in STEM, they find it difficult to find a place in related education and working spheres. This underrepresentation hinders their participation in tech design and governance. Also, despite the widespread usage of the internet and digital technology, there are not enough legal resources that can help victims of digital related violence, harassment, and abuse.
On International Women’s Day 2023 the aim is to celebrate the women and girls who are leading the charge for the development of transformative technology and digital education. The growing disparity between men and women in terms of access to and proficiency in navigating the digital space needs to be reduced. Women end up falling behind as a result of this digital gender gap. Women and girls also need to be made aware of their rights and civic engagement through proper digital education. Through working on these areas, the enormous potential of digital technology can be used to tackle issues that have become major setbacks in the advancement of women’s rights. Lack of representation in an area which directly affects our daily life has restricted women and put them at a risk of becoming victims of online violence.
According to recent data, women’s exclusion from the digital world comes with massive costs for all, having already shaved USD 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 USD 1.5 trillion by 2025. Due to this lacking representation, women who are currently working in this field face the discrimination deeply rooted in the industry. The disparity in access, use, and creation and regulation of technology leads to fewer women using digital services, entering tech related careers, and facing a higher risk of 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 deserve as much the right to this access to the digital world as men. Their absence leads to lacking creativity and perspectives to the development process of the technology. Only 22% of workers in artificial intelligence are women. Also, a global analysis of 133 AI systems across industries found that 44.2% demonstrate gender bias. Moreover, a survey of women journalists from 125 countries found that 73 per cent had suffered online violence in the course of their work. These statistics only go to show the adverse effects of this digital gender gap.
Growing inequalities are becoming increasingly evident in the context of digital skills and access to technologies, with women being left behind as the result of this digital gender divide. Women and girls must be able to engage, create, learn, and work, safely and productively either online or offline, making the most of all the opportunities in every sphere of life and at every stage of it, in education, in the economy, in society and in politics. The need for inclusive and transformative technology and digital education is therefore crucial for a sustainable future.
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