Opinion: For digital equality, we must invest in access for women and girls

Women today are less likely than men to have access to the essentials of the modern age, from mobile phones and mobile money to mobile internet and other mobile services. But with the right policies and targeted investments, we can close the gender digital divide and unlock a host of social and economic benefits. Imagine if more women could shape, access, and benefit from digital initiatives linked to agritech, fintech, digital health, and e-governance. If more girls could access digital tools to encourage their education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, we could revolutionize these fields by harnessing humanity’s full potential. The inclusion of women and girls in the design and use of digital technologies is not simply a question of fairness. It is an economic imperative. Closing the gender gap in internet use in low- and middle-income countries, for example, could save $500 billion over the next five years. Imagine redeploying those resources to break through the systemic barriers preventing more women from thriving. By pursuing inclusive, gender-responsive digital technologies, we unleash progress across multiple Sustainable Development Goals. “A digital future without gender equality is a future half-built.” --— Accelerating progress, however, requires that women and girls reap the benefits of these powerful technologies, while mitigating their harm. Inherent to this is ensuring women and girls have equal access to the tools, skills, and opportunities needed to thrive in a digital economy. On this, progress remains frustratingly slow. While the world is moving toward gender parity in internet use, for example,189 million more men than women use the internet. Women are also less likely to have equal use of these services, particularly in underserved areas. In low-income countries, the digital disparities are more profound, with 9 out of every 10 young women and adolescent girls lacking online access. Time to turbocharge efforts and close the digital gender divide The Global Digital Compact, adopted by world leaders as part of the Pact for the Future, is the first comprehensive framework for global governance of digital technology and artificial intelligence. It offers a road map for improved digital cooperation, presenting an historic opportunity to close the gender digital divide. In the United Nations General Assembly, we are taking bold action to foster an inclusive and transparent process to implement the Global Digital Compact. The creation of an Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence is central to this work. I have appointed the permanent representatives of Costa Rica and Spain as co-facilitators of negotiations to identify the terms for the panel’s establishment and functioning — and to initiate a Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence. I have also appointed the permanent representatives of Kenya and Lithuania as co-facilitators of negotiations on the modalities for a high-level meeting later this year to assess progress on achieving the outcomes of the landmark World Summit on the Information Society. World leaders committed to these outcomes in 2003 and 2005, affirming that women are key players in a people-centered, inclusive, and development-oriented information society and that they must be supported to participate fully and equally in decision-making. I intend to rally more support for these efforts, leveraging key moments on the horizon during the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Looking ahead, in a series of dialogues on the implementation of the Pact for the Future, I will be encouraging U.N. member states to focus on how to integrate the needs of women and girls in the design and use of digital technologies. In this context, I will call on member states to identify measures to address the structural barriers to meaningful, safe, and affordable digital connectivity for all women and girls. My priority: Placing women and girls at the heart of the digital revolution During my presidency of the U.N. General Assembly, I have been privileged to see what happens when women and girls are at the heart of the digital revolution. In India, it means “anywhere access” to “anytime vaccination” for any registered child or pregnant woman through the U-WIN digital initiative, which simplifies the retrieval of vaccination records and ensures uninterrupted services across the country. In Malawi, it means young women entrepreneurs are turning their ideas into innovative products in sectors from health care delivery to mobile money transfers, supported by the U.N. Development Programme’s timbuktoo innovation pods. A digital future without gender equality is a future half-built. To achieve our 2030 aspirations, every woman and girl must have an equal shot at learning, using, and sharing the digital knowledge and skills critical for success. As president of the U.N. General Assembly, I call on the private sector to manage innovation in ways that do not reinforce gender inequalities but instead empower women and girls to shape and benefit equally from digital advances. I call on governments to provide the enabling regulatory environment without stifling the creativity and incentives needed to make this possible. We must find the resources. We must draft the legislation. We must create a safe, secure digital future for all women and girls.