International Girls In ICT Day
“Science is not a boy’s game;
it’s not a girl’s game. It’s everyone game.” –Nichelle Nichols
April 26 is observed as the International Girls in ICT day. Regrettably, in many parts of the world, women and girls are disproportionately impacted by digital transformation which is yet another barrier to gender equality. Research from the UN Women states women are 14 per cent less likely than men to own a mobile phone and 25 per cent fewer women and girls are online when compared to men and boys. According to a UN Women report, internet access and mobile connectivity, along with provision of digital literacy, can reduce social and gender inequalities. Digital literacy is defined as the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills. Historically, women have faced discrimination especially since in most societies women are the invincible creators of wealth and the adhesive for the functioning of families. Women, in some societies are discouraged from seeking employment outside of the domestic or private sphere. The education of girls on a global scale is therefore not viewed as a priority. Unfortunately, in some societies violence is used as a tool to prevent girls from accessing an education. We must be reminded of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl who was shot in the head in 2013 for going to school. It bares thought that almost all of society’s social and gender inequalities have its genesis in a system of patriarchy which unfortunately many states still subscribe to even in the 21st century. Undoubtedly, digital technology has the potential not only to transform lives and communities but also to interrogate the sense of ownership and protection that patriarchy provides for men.
STEM EDUCATION
According to the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) are rapidly becoming the most in demand and lucrative in the world. The AAUW adds that despite this demand, at almost every step of the STEM education path women and girls walk away. According to UN Women, women currently represent only 20 per cent of engineering school graduates, additionally, 25 per cent of women engineers leave the field after age 30, compared to 10 per cent of men engineers. This narrative is problematic and we need to do more to ensure a different ending. Jamaica has been proactive in embracing and infusing STEM in the National Standards Curriculum (NSC). In fact a number of schools at the secondary level across all fourteen parishes have been transformed into STEM academies. Thankfully, we live in a country where our girls and women have equal access to education and training. Undoubtedly, the better paying jobs of the 21st century are all aligned to areas of STEM education and as a result we must prepare our students to take full advantages of these opportunities. In preparing our students we must ensure that the education system embarks on a policy of gender mainstreaming in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The next phase of empowering our girls should be fought at the Early Childhood level of the education system. We need to make a concerted effort to highlight the positive impact that female participation has on national development. Gender mainstreaming must takes root across all levels of the education system in order to support, encourage and motivate girls to enter STEM careers.
GENDER MAINSTREAMING
The UN Economic and Social Council defines gender mainstreaming as a strategy for making women’s as well as men’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the policies and programmes in all political, economic and social spheres so that women and men benefit equally, and inequality is not perpetuated. Gender mainstreaming is deliberate, calculated and cannot be left to chance. Gender mainstreaming cannot be achieved without the use of sex-disaggregated data which is critical in driving the intervention required to scaffold women and girls who are oftentimes left behind. Regrettably, the perspective of gender is often an afterthought and added on later in the design and implementation of our policies and programmes. We need to change this mindset and attitude in which we undermine the contribution of women to economic development. In order for this well needed transformation to come about a more concerted effort involving Non-Governmental Organization (NGO’s), the State and other partners must join forces to raise awareness on empowering girls and young women to consider careers in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
GENDER EQUAL WORLD
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number 5, speaks to achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. While we must acknowledge that progress has been made and continue to be made we must be mindful that gender inequality is pervasive, depriving women and girls of their basic rights, freedoms and accompanying opportunities. The march towards achieving gender equality requires more vigorous efforts, including legal framework in order to counter centuries old gender-based discrimination that often results from patriarchal attitudes and related social norms. Interestingly, in spite of the pervasive nature of patriarchy, many families in the Caribbean are matrifocal in design. Researchers, Amy Antonio and David Tuffley in their report, The Gender Digital Divide in Developing Countries, noted that forty per cent of women surveyed indicated they were unfamiliar or uncomfortable with technology. This disturbing finding underpins the barrier to digital literacy skills which many women face. In order to remove the barriers of digital literacy there is a need to foster a culture of gender inclusiveness and gender equity. It is for this reason that the society must work to embrace Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) across our education system. STEM education provides a platform for students to tackle real-life situations and finding solutions. We need to invest more in women’s and girls’ education in order to create a gender equal world. It is critical that students, especially girls are engaged and exposed to careers in STEM in order to break the cycle of poverty. Our girls need to see role models in the ICT industry. It would be useful for us in Jamaica to have a national ICT day for girls, spearheaded perhaps by the Ministries of Science and Technology and Education. Categorically, closing the digital divide for women and girls in developing countries is a must with regards to changing the conversation about gender equality. We must ensure that women and girls have equal access to digital technology, skills and services in order to achieve gender equality and sustainable development.
In the powerful words of Kofi Annan, there is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women.
Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development
policies as they affect culture and/or gender issues.
waykam@yahoo.com
@WayneCamo
#internationalgirlsinICTDay #digitalliteracy #technology #genderequality #SDG's #gender #digitaldivide
April 26 is observed as the International Girls in ICT day. Regrettably, in many parts of the world, women and girls are disproportionately impacted by digital transformation which is yet another barrier to gender equality. Research from the UN Women states women are 14 per cent less likely than men to own a mobile phone and 25 per cent fewer women and girls are online when compared to men and boys. According to a UN Women report, internet access and mobile connectivity, along with provision of digital literacy, can reduce social and gender inequalities. Digital literacy is defined as the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills. Historically, women have faced discrimination especially since in most societies women are the invincible creators of wealth and the adhesive for the functioning of families. Women, in some societies are discouraged from seeking employment outside of the domestic or private sphere. The education of girls on a global scale is therefore not viewed as a priority. Unfortunately, in some societies violence is used as a tool to prevent girls from accessing an education. We must be reminded of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl who was shot in the head in 2013 for going to school. It bares thought that almost all of society’s social and gender inequalities have its genesis in a system of patriarchy which unfortunately many states still subscribe to even in the 21st century. Undoubtedly, digital technology has the potential not only to transform lives and communities but also to interrogate the sense of ownership and protection that patriarchy provides for men.
STEM EDUCATION
According to the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) are rapidly becoming the most in demand and lucrative in the world. The AAUW adds that despite this demand, at almost every step of the STEM education path women and girls walk away. According to UN Women, women currently represent only 20 per cent of engineering school graduates, additionally, 25 per cent of women engineers leave the field after age 30, compared to 10 per cent of men engineers. This narrative is problematic and we need to do more to ensure a different ending. Jamaica has been proactive in embracing and infusing STEM in the National Standards Curriculum (NSC). In fact a number of schools at the secondary level across all fourteen parishes have been transformed into STEM academies. Thankfully, we live in a country where our girls and women have equal access to education and training. Undoubtedly, the better paying jobs of the 21st century are all aligned to areas of STEM education and as a result we must prepare our students to take full advantages of these opportunities. In preparing our students we must ensure that the education system embarks on a policy of gender mainstreaming in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The next phase of empowering our girls should be fought at the Early Childhood level of the education system. We need to make a concerted effort to highlight the positive impact that female participation has on national development. Gender mainstreaming must takes root across all levels of the education system in order to support, encourage and motivate girls to enter STEM careers.
GENDER MAINSTREAMING
The UN Economic and Social Council defines gender mainstreaming as a strategy for making women’s as well as men’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the policies and programmes in all political, economic and social spheres so that women and men benefit equally, and inequality is not perpetuated. Gender mainstreaming is deliberate, calculated and cannot be left to chance. Gender mainstreaming cannot be achieved without the use of sex-disaggregated data which is critical in driving the intervention required to scaffold women and girls who are oftentimes left behind. Regrettably, the perspective of gender is often an afterthought and added on later in the design and implementation of our policies and programmes. We need to change this mindset and attitude in which we undermine the contribution of women to economic development. In order for this well needed transformation to come about a more concerted effort involving Non-Governmental Organization (NGO’s), the State and other partners must join forces to raise awareness on empowering girls and young women to consider careers in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
GENDER EQUAL WORLD
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number 5, speaks to achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. While we must acknowledge that progress has been made and continue to be made we must be mindful that gender inequality is pervasive, depriving women and girls of their basic rights, freedoms and accompanying opportunities. The march towards achieving gender equality requires more vigorous efforts, including legal framework in order to counter centuries old gender-based discrimination that often results from patriarchal attitudes and related social norms. Interestingly, in spite of the pervasive nature of patriarchy, many families in the Caribbean are matrifocal in design. Researchers, Amy Antonio and David Tuffley in their report, The Gender Digital Divide in Developing Countries, noted that forty per cent of women surveyed indicated they were unfamiliar or uncomfortable with technology. This disturbing finding underpins the barrier to digital literacy skills which many women face. In order to remove the barriers of digital literacy there is a need to foster a culture of gender inclusiveness and gender equity. It is for this reason that the society must work to embrace Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) across our education system. STEM education provides a platform for students to tackle real-life situations and finding solutions. We need to invest more in women’s and girls’ education in order to create a gender equal world. It is critical that students, especially girls are engaged and exposed to careers in STEM in order to break the cycle of poverty. Our girls need to see role models in the ICT industry. It would be useful for us in Jamaica to have a national ICT day for girls, spearheaded perhaps by the Ministries of Science and Technology and Education. Categorically, closing the digital divide for women and girls in developing countries is a must with regards to changing the conversation about gender equality. We must ensure that women and girls have equal access to digital technology, skills and services in order to achieve gender equality and sustainable development.
In the powerful words of Kofi Annan, there is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women.
Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development
policies as they affect culture and/or gender issues.
waykam@yahoo.com
@WayneCamo
#internationalgirlsinICTDay #digitalliteracy #technology #genderequality #SDG's #gender #digitaldivide
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