Ahead of European Development Days 2018, European Commissioner Neven Mimica contributes this editorial on digital education for women and girls in developing areas.
No matter your age, gender, nationality or disability, digitalisation is one of the most effective tools for empowering the most vulnerable people in our communities – economically, politically and socially. We only need to look at the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements to understand the potential of bold, fearless, and digitally connected women to transform the fabric of society.
But without a concerted effort, from the public and private sectors, digital technologies can instead deepen existing inequalities and discrimination and even create new ones, for example, across generations. We need the right public policies and incentives, together with a responsible private sector, to push this agenda forward. This is why I am organising an event on 11th April with UN Women’s Executive Director, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, and the Chair of the European Parliament’s Development Committee, Linda McAvan, to engage the private sector in “closing the digital gap for women and girls in developing countries”.
Today, globally 4bn people still do not have access to broadband. And data shows that women, especially those living in the poorest countries, are less likely than men to have access to the internet. In Africa, for example, only one woman in every ten has ever touched a computer. So while some are reaping the benefits of a more interconnected world, many are still lagging behind. Closing the digital gap is essential for ensuring a voice, and the real social, economic and political empowerment of women and girls.
Access to reliable and affordable digital infrastructure must go hand-in-hand with greater digital literacy and fewer cultural barriers. Otherwise, we risk creating a new class of digital poor, where women and girls are the most disadvantaged.
The European Union’s commitment
Europe has everything to gain by being an exemplary global leader on this front. Prioritising gender equality, integrating digitalisation into our gender and development policies, and moving beyond rhetorical commitments towards concrete actions is one of our main objectives today.
Our European Consensus on Development, Gender Action Plan and Digital4Development strategy provide the policy framework for promoting digital technologies and women and girls as key drivers of sustainable development.
We are already putting this into practice through our new European External Investment Plan. With its innovative financing mechanisms, and dedicated investment window for digital technologies, we want to help women to start and grow their businesses, not only by providing financial guarantees to banks to ensure lending to them, but also through technical assistance, advice and mentoring for female entrepreneurs on digital solutions.
A personal commitment
In my role as European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, I regularly come across outstanding female digital leaders, but too often they are still a minority. As the World Economic Forum concluded: “female talent remains one of the most underutilised business resources”, especially in the digital and technology sectors.
One of these exceptions is Chinenye, an electronic engineering graduate, now working at Microsoft Nigeria. When I first met this incredibly gifted woman she was just 25, and eager to make computer literacy and access to science and technology a reality for other young women like her.
Thanks to her vision, Chinenye has trained teachers in 20 schools and provided mentorships for over 500 young female students in Nigeria in areas such as energy, computer programming and physics. We can all take inspiration from talented female young leaders like Chinenye.
Our main priority in this area must be to ensure that everyone can benefit from this digital revolution and that no one is left behind. This will require a joined-up effort not only from policymakers, but also from multiple stakeholders, including the private sector. Our young leaders – who are digital by default – will be crucial in helping us to break down barriers through technology, and to create a more equal and sustainable society for all.
The 2018 European Development Days will focus on “Women and Girls at the Forefront of Sustainable Development”. Find out more about the event, including our Young Leaders programme at eudevdays.eu.
You can also read Commissioner Mimica’s previous contribution to Government Europa.
