The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for more women to participate in technology and innovation, noting that there needs to be more female leadership in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).
At a celebration for International Women’s Day (IWD), which is observed worldwide on March 8, Guterres made the request. The event was held at the UN headquarters in New York.
DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality is the theme for IWD in 2023.
Technology, according to Guterres and his Chef de Cabinet Courtenay Rattray, could also enhance the lives of women and girls all over the world.
“It can expand access to education, healthcare and financial services, and also open up new pathways into business and entrepreneurship.
“But realising the promise of technology also means confronting its perils, requiring action that includes closing the so-called “connectivity gap”.
“Closing the connectivity gap as three billion people worldwide are still unconnected to the internet, mainly women and girls in developing countries.’’
The secretary-general, however, called for breaking barriers that keep women and girls offline, such as stereotypes that discourage them from studying science and maths.
He added that while the internet needed to be made safe for women and girls, who are the number one targets of online hate, abuse and harassment.
The UN chief also pointed to good news, as women are at the forefront of making technology safer, more accessible, more inclusive and better regulated.
In his remarks, the President of General Assembly, Mr Csaba Kőrösi also called for greater gender inclusion in technology and innovation.
“I see this room seldom so packed and so full of energy. It is a clear indication of the noble goals that we are all celebrating and representing today,” he said.
Kőrösi highlighted the connection to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which provide the blueprint to a just and equitable future by 2030.
