Without expanding digital connectivity, addressing sustainable development goals, in today’s digitally enabled society is difficult. It also means without fast-tracking universal internet connectivity, achieving gender equality in the digital age, which is an important step that must be addressed collectively and holistically, is equally cumbersome and exclusionary. Multiple forms of barriers to gender equality exists, and often require systemic and structured approach to dealing with them in society. From regressive culture, stereotypes, negative perceptions and biases to low education levels, unemployment and lack of decision-making for women and girls; these constraints limits and disempowers women and girls.
Addressing gender inequality and actions aimed at empowerment of women and girls in the digital realm can’t be achieved in isolation and sustained overtime. It requires the participation of all stakeholder groups, each bringing in, contributing and leveraging on each other’s resources and expertise to solve such a collective problem.
However, intervening on these issues must be deliberate, and often requires policy commitment and strategies from government to drive that agenda. Without a policy driven agenda from government and sufficient resources dedicated to addressing barriers to gender digital equality, realizing the SDGs’ targets is very difficult.
Women are not equally and fully tapping the benefits of digital technologies, either because of technical know-how but also because of other barriers that are systemic and re-enforces each other, both offline and even in the online spaces. Lack of access to ICT tools and ICT-based services, limited skills in ICTs, lack of internet connectivity due to cost but also its availability in remote locations means that women and girls remain disproportionately affected, often underutilizing and benefiting from these platforms and tools compared to their male counterparts.
Cultural barriers, limited skills to use ICTs, illiteracy levels, but also the fear and insecurity of getting into the digital space largely and predominantly account for these disproportionate benefits. This impedes women and girls’ ability to utilize these platforms for their own exploration, experiment and socio-economic benefits and empowerment.
Since the internet has potential to transform lives, create enabling opportunities in various thematic sectors and exposes individuals to positive realities of a globalized environment, it’s important that it is inclusive even for the most disadvantaged groups. Achieving gender equality today in the digital space is more than necessary, and technology should help propel that goal.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) particularly Goal 5b highlights the need to enhance the use of enabling technologies, in particular Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) to promote the empowerment of women and girls. According to GSMA report of 2016 acceleration of SDGs is influenced by the degree of digital connectivity. Therefore, the internet we want is one that should magnify the intent of communities and individuals to accelerate social and economic development even for those that are often neglected and below the pyramid. It should be fast, accessible on a smart device, affordable and reliable.
Measures that promote the digital skills and literacy of women and girls, their safety and security is key. Creating decent jobs and employment for women increases their ability to earn higher incomes and their potential to afford the cost of internet data for connectivity and other ICT based services. Education gives women and girls the skills necessary to use technology to enhance their businesses, amplify their concerns, but also to create room for innovation that are critical for catalyzing digital transformation wholistically.
Policy makers, needs to ensure that women and girls are content creators, streamlined through an education system and strategy, and that these contents are not only available but also meet their unique needs. The cost of ICT devices and data must be made affordable for average Ugandans, by fostering a favorable investment climate and enhancing, private sector competition and infrastructure cost sharing. Government should support or roll out ICT centers of excellence, activate and ensure these innovation hubs and its services intentionally reach out to the under-served communities. This should be backed up by their socio-economic well-being and empowerment. The role of private sector, funding agencies, civil society are crucial in advancing the digital transformation agenda in Uganda that positively influences the lives of women and girls and all Ugandans.
