Doreen Bogdan-Martin,
the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), has
sounded the clarion call for the international community to rally behind the
cause of empowering young women to take up STEM careers and bridging the digital divide once and for all.
In her
address commemorating International Girls in ICT Day, Bogdan-Martin noted the
critical role that women play in shaping the digital future. Despite
significant strides in technological advancement, women continue to be
underrepresented in STEM fields, particularly in emerging areas such as
artificial intelligence and quantum computing. This gender disparity not only
deprives women of opportunities for personal and professional growth but also
hampers global efforts to build an inclusive and sustainable digital ecosystem.
“We cannot build the
innovative, safe and sustainable digital future we need without half of
humanity,” she
stressed.
The theme
of this year's International Girls in ICT Day, "Leadership,"
highlights the importance of nurturing young women to become future leaders in
the tech industry. Bogdan-Martin explained the role of initiatives like Girls
in ICT, launched by the ITU over a decade ago, in inspiring and empowering
young women to pursue careers in STEM. What began as a grassroots movement has
now evolved into a global platform for addressing the barriers that women face
in the tech world.
Despite
progress, the ITU Secretary-General said less than a quarter of all Ministers
for ICTs worldwide are women, and only a fraction of ICT regulators are led by
female leaders. In the private sector, women technologists continue to face
significant challenges, including a substantial pay gap.
“Less than a quarter of
all Ministers for Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are women.
Only 32 out of 165 ICT regulators are led by a woman. In the private sector,
women technologists occupy less than a third of positions, where they face a 21
per cent pay gap. These are not mere statistics, but a call to action. We must
prepare young women and girls to become tomorrow's visionary women leaders,” she said.
Every year, the ITU and its partners work together to
inspire and encourage girls to pursue a future in ICTs towards bridging the
gender digital divide. The aim is to encourage young women and girls to pursue
their studies and careers in science, engineering, technology, mathematics, and
other fields and help them achieve their dreams.
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
