More women in technology would be good for us all

We urgently need to end the gender divide in innovation, technology and digital education, writes Sanda Ojiambo

On International Women’s Day on 8 March, we will be training a spotlight on the digital gender gap. The digital revolution has enriched companies, institutions and communities enormously, but not equally, given that men still dominate in many areas of the digital world. This is bad for women, bad for communities, bad for business and bad for the future of technology.

The Brookings Institution studied the impact of broadband upon communities in the US. It found broadband access led to faster economic growth, higher incomes, lower unemployment, better access to education and social support, and better health. Why should women around the world be deprived of these benefits?

Yet, in many parts of the world, they are. Worldwide, some 327 million fewer women than men own a smartphone with access to the internet, according to an OECD report. In South Asia, women were 70 per cent less likely to have a smartphone, and in Africa, 34 per cent.

When we connect, we enter a world largely designed by males. At 15 years of age, on average, only 0.5 per cent of girls wish to become ICT professionals, compared to five per cent of boys. Twice as many boys as girls expect to become engineers, scientists or architects.

Unsurprisingly, then, women are also under-represented in ICT jobs, where they earn less than their male colleagues in the same roles. The glass ceiling in tech leads 50 per cent of women in this field to quit their jobs before the age of 35, according to research by Accenture. Less than 20% of the leadership positions in the tech industry are held by women. 

Better for business

All this matters because the uses and applications for digital technologies are now everywhere, touching almost every aspect of our lives. Yet they are in the hands of an unrepresentative section of society. It’s reasonable to assume that applications and opportunities that might benefit us all are being forgone as a result.

There is a huge business opportunity, too, in bringing more women into the digital fold. According to the UN Gender Snapshot 2022 report, female exclusion from the digital world has shaved $1 trillion from the GDP of low and middle-income countries in the past decade — a loss that will grow to $1.5 trillion by 2025 without action.

We urgently need a new, ungendered and perhaps gender-responsive approach to innovation, technology and digital education. A more inclusive digital world will not only give women and girls greater access to technology — and its social and economic benefits — but will also help fight bias and discrimination against women.

Better for the future of the technology industry

If we are serious about achieving gender equality in all its forms by 2030 — one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — we must tackle the lack of engagement by women and girls with tech. If we don’t, the widening digital gender divide risks becoming one of the main drivers of social inequality in the 21st century.

Activists, civil society organizations, and UN member states and entities are gathering at the UN headquarters in New York to take part in the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). The key theme this year is Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.

Given the dominance of the private sector in tech, the CSW is a huge opportunity for businesses to get involved in closing the digital gender gap. Female employment in large tech firms was predicted to rise to 33 per cent in 2022, but progress is far too slow. To encourage more women to join the industry, companies need clear policies and measurable targets for hiring, promoting and paying women fairly as well as creating inclusive workplaces. They must also give all female employees the same opportunities as their male peers.

Fixing the problem

The United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, can be a great partner for tech companies keen to act.

We have a Gender Gap Analysis Tool that is anonymous, free and user-friendly. 4,000 companies have already used it to identify strengths, gaps and opportunities to improve their performance on gender equality.

We are also helping 800 companies in 40 countries to set and meet ambitious targets for female representation and leadership in business. Companies can find out more through one of our 60-plus Local Networks worldwide.

We need determined collective action to end all components of the digital gender divide. By working together, we can close a gap that is blighting the well-being and prosperity of countless women and girls around the globe.

Sanda Ojiambo is the CEO and Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact