Let´s talk about tech, baby! Slam against the gender digital divide

Katrin Bornemann, Puno Selesho, Andreas Proksch, Juliet 'Kego
Ume-Onyido, Tarik Tesfu, Julia von Cube The digital revolution is
progressing at a fast pace. Access to the Internet is an important
prerequisite for social and economic participation. Yet, more than
250 million fewer women than men are online worldwide. In fact, the
latest figures even show an increase in the digital gap between men
and women since 2013. Women – particularly in developing countries
– often lack the necessary skills to use digital technologies.
Consequently, they are also underrepresented in technology-related
jobs. And yet digital technologies have great potential for
achieving the political, economic and social empowerment of women
and girls. In this session we want to explore the contradictions
and enablers women face when pursuing a career in the digital
economy. With a mixture of unorthodox, controversial statements,
examples from development practitioners and a storytellers’ slam,
the session seeks to inspire thoughts and reflections on the gender
digital divide. The session is organized by the German Federal
Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) as part of
the initiative #eSkills4Girls launched under Germany’s G20
presidency in 2017. The initiative aims to improve the digital
skills and employment perspectives for girls and women in emerging
and developing countries.