BANGKOK, Thailand, Sep 16 (IPS) – When the Beijing Declaration was adopted in 1995, it called for the removal of systematic and structural barriers that prevent women and girls from enjoying their human rights in social, economic, political and environmental areas. Over the past decade, the percentage of the population with access to the internet has increased from 36 percent in 2013 to 67 percent today.
Despite this progress, a significant digital gender gap in internet access and use remains. By 2023, it will only 54 percent of women in Asia and the Pacific had digital access. Women in South Asia are specifically 36 percent less chance to use the internet than men.
Closing this digital gender divide is essential to advancing the goals of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, achieving gender equality and building inclusive and sustainable smart cities and communities. With Asia Pacific’s growing urban population and digital market, smart cities are an attractive development strategy that many countries are adopting to harness data, communications, technology and artificial intelligence for better governance, improved service delivery and trade.
Smart solutions deliver better outcomes, including quality of life, low-carbon growth and environmental management and sustainability. However, the digital gender divide remains a key challenge to unlocking the benefits of smart cities for all.
Gender inequality in access to digital technologies, their use and the benefits they bring poses significant barriers to sustainable development and inclusive growth.
This gap is influenced by several factors, including socio-cultural norms, affordability and digital literacy. Often the gaps are even greater for women and girls with disabilities, people from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds or ethnic minorities.
In an increasingly digital world, women’s lack of digital literacy and access to the internet and mobile devices leads to missed opportunities in e-government, health and financial services, as well as online learning, employment and e-commerce.
For example, limited digital access can prevent women from using telehealth services, accessing health information and managing their health through digital tools, accessing information about government services and social benefits, and participating in governance through online voting, public consultations and feedback mechanisms.
Efforts to increase women’s digital literacy and access and the development of people-centered smart city policies and initiatives are needed to increase inclusion and equality. This requires collaboration with multiple stakeholders, including women themselves, to create inclusive, fair and effective solutions that bridge the digital divide.
The benefits of closing the digital gender divide are immense. In addition to the intrinsic value of promoting SDG 5 (Gender Equality) for human rights, gender equality is linked to peace and prosperity and achieving inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and communities, as highlighted in SDG 11.
Improving digital access can lead to more inclusive and equitable societies, empowering women to contribute diverse perspectives, ideas and innovations that can enrich societies worldwide. The Alliance for Affordable Internet estimates that closing the gap in 32 low-income countries could generate up to USD 524 billion in economic activity by 2025.
Empowering women digitally is not just about fairness, but about harnessing the full potential of human talent and creativity for a more prosperous and inclusive region.
Governments, international organizations and civil society in the region are actively addressing the root causes of the digital gender divide. In this context, smart city initiatives have the potential to make significant progress towards gender equality by addressing the digital gender divide.
For example, Seoul has introduced a law various gender inclusive smart city initiativesincluding safety apps, enhanced surveillance, women-only parking, digital inclusion policies and gender equality programs. In addition, several digital inclusion policies and gender equality programs focus on increasing women’s literacy and supporting their economic empowerment.
from UNICEF Fund for the achievements of digital literacy equalityESCAPs Catalyzing the Women’s Entrepreneurship Programand the International Telecommunication Union ‘Girls in ICT‘days help girls and women advance their education and digital literacy. Public-private partnerships, such as Thailand Coalition for safe internet improve internet security. Initiatives such as the Alliance for Affordable Internet advocate for affordable and accessible digital infrastructure to promote participatory societies.
By embedding gender perspectives and applying gender mainstreaming in planning and implementation, they ensure that smart cities serve gender-specific needs and concerns. Moreover, addressing intersecting forms of inequality, such as those based on race, socioeconomic status and disability, is essential to creating truly inclusive smart cities.
Improving digital literacy, gender-sensitive policies and plans, and people-centred smart cities that harness digital technologies to close the gender gap are crucial to achieving the goals of the Beijing Declaration in the 21st century and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The upcoming Beijing+30 review provides an opportunity to assess progress and galvanise efforts to achieve gender equality through digital empowerment.
Sanjeevani Singh is an economic affairs officer at ESCAP; Fabia Sauter is an intern at ESCAP.
ESCAP is organising the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on the Beijing+30 Review in collaboration with the UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok from 19 to 21 November 2024.
IPS UN Office
© Inter Press Service (2024) — All rights reservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service