• BLOG SURF
KATHMANDU, MAY 11
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how the world can function using rapidly-evolving digital infrastructure. We learned that remote working can be effective, fintech can be used in the developing world, and that people can receive an education from far away using technology.
Long before COVID-19, women were being socially left behind in the use of technology. Sadly, despite the increased use of technology, the pandemic has not narrowed the digital gender gap. It has, however, shown us that changes to how we work, bank, learn, and network can be embedded in women's lives through smart gender-sensitive policies.
The reasons behind the digital gender gap are manifold. Low representation of women in the tech industry due to lack of access to digital resources, lack of finance and the notion that the tech sector is a masculine domain, contributes to this. In the UK, women leadership in the tech sector stands at only 5% on average. In the developing world, women are 20% less likely to use mobile internet or own a smartphone.
A version of this article appears in the print on May 12, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
