International Women’s Day 2023 focuses on digital inclusion

The United Nations seeks to recognize women’s and feminist organizations that seek to reduce the technological gap between genders. 

Every March 8, International Women’s Day is commemorated and the theme of its 2023 edition is: “For an Inclusive Digital World: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality”, informed the United Nations (UN).

This theme is given in line with the priority theme of the sixty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women: “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”.

The United Nations celebration of International Women’s Day recognizes and honors women and girls and women’s and feminist organizations that are fighting for the advancement of transformative technology and access to digital education. International Women’s Day 2023 will explore the effects of the gender digital divide on the growth of social and economic inequalities. It will also highlight the importance of protecting the rights of women and girls in digital spaces and addressing gender-based violence online and that facilitated by new communication technologies.

As expressed in a UN statement, “incorporating women, as well as traditionally marginalized groups, into technology allows for more creative solutions and has greater potential for innovations that meet women’s needs and promote gender equality.

Its lack of inclusion, on the other hand, comes at a huge cost. According to UN Women’s Gender Snapshot 2022 report, women’s exclusion from the digital world has cut $1 trillion from the gross domestic product of low- and middle-income countries over the past decade, a loss that will increase to $1.5 trillion by 2025 if no action is taken. Reversing this trend will require addressing the problem of online violence, which, according to a 51-country study, 38% of women have personally experienced.

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