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Gender inequality is not a problem that only affects women. When half of the human population is deprived of all its potential, the world as a whole is in an extremely disadvantageous situation. Despite increased awareness of issues affecting women, progress on this front continues to stagnate.
The Global Gender Gap Index measures the differences between men and women in four key areas: health, education, economics, and politics. According to the analysis of 144 countries of the World Economic Forum, women around the world are experiencing a pay gap, and with the current pace of progress, the UN estimates that it will take another 100 years to fill the gap. 39; gap. These data are just a snapshot of a much larger picture that includes everything from sexual harassment to cultural stereotypes about gender norms.
Yet, there are optimistic arguments for the future of gender equality. Technology provides us with tools to combat gender inequality and empower women.
The Contingent Labor Force
Although there are many explanations for the gender pay gap, one of the major contributing factors is the role of women as caregivers. According to various studies, there is a sharp decline in women's earnings (men in comparison do not experience the same decline) after the birth of their first child. This has a massive cumulative effect on the gender pay gap as a whole. Mothers are less likely to be offered jobs with significant travel and long hours due to negative perceptions of their ability to take on greater responsibilities. Another major problem is the lack of work flexibility for caregivers, who often want remote work options or flexible schedules.
The emerging workforce provides an indispensable solution to this problem by eliminating physical, geographical and social barriers. the manpower. Remote work platforms allow millions of women to work anywhere in the world for anyone in the world. Platforms like SheWorks! and PowerToFly enable women to access distant but exciting work opportunities while enabling businesses to manage their remote workforce with transparency and accountability
Technological Education and Women Empowered Communities [19659008]. Women earn only 28% of computer degrees and hold only 25% of computer jobs. They also hold only 11 percent of executive positions in Silicon Valley companies.
The lack of women in technology positions contributes to a vicious circle where other young women are dissuaded from entering the industry because of a lack of inspiration . even a support system.
There is an emergence of educational organizations that are tackling this problem by reaching girls from a very young age. Platforms like Girls Who Code, Girls' Learning Code and Kode With Klossy offer girls from Kindergarten to Grade 12 the opportunity to learn to code while receiving mentorship from female technology leaders. These programs have already reached hundreds of thousands of girls in North America alone.
However, it is not enough for young women to simply acquire technical and non-technical skills; We must also provide them with the support system, mentorship and networks that will allow them to truly accelerate their careers.
Women in Technology International (WITI) is an excellent example. WITI is a global network of more than two million tech-savvy women whose goal is to "inspire, connect and defend women in IT and technology careers." The organization does not discriminate gender and encourages men to participate in events such as
Digital Agencies
More often than not, women are underrepresented, not only in positions of leadership, but also as speakers at conferences and networking events. One study found that women are much less likely to be invited to speak at university conferences than men. According to the data, women scientists accounted for 29% of assigned interviews and 27% of invited speakers. Speaking skills can often play a central role in career development, and this lack of female representation means that fewer women have the opportunity to share their ideas and inspire others.
Digital platforms like Innovation Women aim to solve this problem. The online agency acts as a visibility office for women business leaders, technical and innovative. Their platform helps connect event managers to women who are entrepreneurs, researchers, and other pioneers with the necessary expertise to shake a scene
Tools for Developing Countries
It is important to recognize that women in some parts of the world are fighting for equal work opportunities, women in other regions are fighting for very basic rights. Many leaders use technological tools to meet the needs and challenges of women in developing or high-risk areas.
A recent Hackathon, co-organized by UN Women and Innovation Norway, brought together technological innovators to find solutions to the problems encountered. An example is VIPI Cash, an application that uses the blockchain to allow secure money transfer between women entrepreneurs to give them access and control their own money, regardless of male members of their families. Digital Grab Bag, an application that collects and records refugee identification data and provides an easy peer verification process, and Diwala, an app that assigns "Diwala tokens" with which women can buy and sell services instead of using money.
To bridge the gender gap, we must recognize the diverse needs of women in different parts of the world.
$ 12 trillion opportunity
In any conversation about the gender gap, it is important to recognize that we are discussing a variety of global issues. Therefore, it will take a series of solutions at the local, national and global levels in the areas of health education to bridge the gap.
It is here that the gender gap is not only a debilitating problem, but also a massive opportunity. The arguments for reducing the gap are not only morally motivated, but also economically motivating. In fact, the advancement of women's equality could add $ 12 trillion to global growth. And technology, in all its forms, can provide us with the essential tools to meet this global challenge.
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