INCLUSION

WHERE ARE WE IN ? Women have major barriers to reaching the top in ICT careers, and in just accessing technology in some countries – and all women face both offline and online violence, says ADRIANA LABARDINI INZUNZA

magine being at the IIC’s annual conference in grouped in four categories determine how equal a the year 2028 with an equal number of women society is for women – work, essential services and and men experts in the fields of ultrabroadband enablers, legal protection and political voice, Iinfrastructure, all-shared spectrum, data security and autonomy.1 analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithms, In the more developed nations, we are finally robotics, automated vehicles, torts law for witnessing an improvement in gender equality with autonomous devices, cyber jurisdiction, virtual a reduction in physical and labour communities, meta platforms, collaborative a major impact on the wellbeing of societies media, internet governance and cryptocurrencies. as a whole: more effective governments, more The IIC president took us through the productive economies, more profitable industries, technological and institutional evolution of society, healthier citizens, happier children, and less crime. citizens and ICT in the data economy since 2018. Importantly, we now envisage a freer, fairer, “The past 10 years have seen unprecedented brighter life for men and women who share power, transformation and yet, we are still witnessing duties, rights, access to public speech, decision- violence and against women – but making spaces, as well as domestic and family now coming mainly from autonomous machines responsibilities in a more balanced fashion. that have been fed with centuries of gender , McKinsey, in another report, has found that a and discrimination from a long staggering $12 trillion could be added to global GDP prevailing sexist society,” she highlighted. by 2025 by advancing women’s equality in the It is with that warning in mind that I highlight workplace.2 That might be too much given the the topic of gender equality as a prerequisite to likelihood of job losses to automated processes and eliminate various forms of violence against women, gender-biased AI decisions influencing management the key to bridging the digital gender divide, and a and top executives, but it proven way to increase profitability, productivity In most wealthy will still be a huge gain. and innovation in any public and private sector The journey will be organisation. Physical, sexual, psychological and countries, there are long though. In 2017, economic violence and discrimination against now more highly only 7% of government women both offline and online are still common, leaders and 15% of but well-designed global and local policies and educated women corporate board seats campaigns to fight it at home, school, work and in than men. were occupied by women.3 the media will contribute greatly to achieving the Only 3% of CEOs around UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 – which the world were women and only 21 out of the of course is gender equality. We have 12 years left. Fortune 500 companies were led by women The president added that with AI, equality has (down from 24 in 2014) although in most wealthy been a steeper cliff to climb. We must catalyse countries, there are now more highly educated efforts to stop gender-based discrimination and women than men. Taking a key part of our sector: violence in algorithms, data feeds, wearables, female participation in the telecoms workforce platforms and their online services, applications varies widely among firms, ranging from 10% to and content to give the younger generations the 52%, but among the companies surveyed by the same progress we have achieved offline. GSMA/A.T. Kearney in 2015, in 75% of firms, women accounted for less than 40% of the workforce.4 UNDERSTANDING GENDER EQUALITY Those countries that have improved gender Let’s first try to understand gender inequality. Take equality and implemented equal pay and career violence: the 2011 Istanbul Convention states that promotion policies for women and men, see parity gender-based violence is the result of a historic or close to parity in female participation in decision- imbalance in power relations between women and making positions in government, the judiciary, men together with social and cultural structures corporations, academia and nongovernmental that have kept women subordinated in public and organisations (NGOs). This has made a big difference private spheres. Other key factors impact inequality. in profitability, innovation, productivity, corporate According to a study by McKinsey, 15 indicators image, democracy and liberty.

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INTERNET USER GENDER GAP

Africa Arab Asia- Europe CIS Americas Developed World Developing LDCs states Pacific 32.9% 30.9% 29.9% 25.3% 23% 20.7% 20% 19.2% 17.4% 17.3% 17.1% 16.9% 16.8% 16.1% 15.8% 12.2% 11.6% 11% 9.4% 7.9% 7.5% 6.9% 5.8% 5.8% 5.1% 2.8% 2.8% 1.8% -0.3% -0.4%

2013 2016 2017 Source: ITU gender dashboard LDCs = least developed countries

Aiming for parity requires recruitment and divide has worsened. As recent figures from the ITU promotion procedures where the gender of the show (see graph), the internet user gender gap has applicant is not revealed, flexible work schedules actually widened in Africa and barely changed in and locations, longer and more frequent leaves of the Asia and Pacific region. Among the figures are absence for men, genuine part time jobs, and that there are 184 million fewer women online results-oriented work assessment. The commitment than men in low- and middle-income countries, and to take on the gender equality agenda is critical. globally 250 million fewer women than men online. Transparency and regulation have also been Of course, there is the wider issue of the vast critical to reaching this point, making disclosure of number of people with no internet access – gender statistics mandatory for the payroll; for the although there are 4 billion people now online, the share of men and women at every step of the world’s population is now about 7.6 billion. In Latin organisational ladder – in promotions and America there are as many women online as men, recruitment, and for those who sit on boards and so the gender gap has been bridged in my region. executive committees. Standardised data criteria While gender equality in developed countries has have made the task easier for larger firms. no doubt contributed to a virtual disappearance in OECD countries have increasingly focused the gender digital divide in Europe and the US, efforts to identify female talent and provide cultural barriers to the participation of women in encouragement and scholarships for young female the workforce and in using technologies such as students to pursue STEM careers (science, smartphones persist in the less developed world. technology, engineering and mathematics). It has Such gender barriers have been highlighted for been essential to re-educate parents, grandparents, some time at the annual Internet Governance teachers, children and the media so that they Forum (IGF), but the last meeting featured gender “unlearn” stereotypes and help women and men to for the first time as a main session, rather than just overcome fears and other barriers in both public in workshops, which was seen as a breakthrough. and private life, sharing responsibilities of family Among the key messages from the main session upbringing and care. By 2028 we will also promote were that the gender digital divide manifests in more young women into economics, arts and multiple dimensions, and discrimination on digital behavioural sciences, putting “EA” into STEM – we grounds is no less than a issue. call them STEEAM careers. Efforts to enable women and girls to access As of 2017, figures from the OECD show that the infrastructure and digital technologies need to be number of women graduates in ICT was alarmingly complemented with promoting digital literacy, low. Several barriers are in play, one being that encouraging them to take jobs in technology fields, women do not see many females reaching the top in enabling them to create content that is relevant STEM. And the presence of more women in STEM and valuable to their lives and contexts, and careers does not secure gender equality in the empowering them to contribute to internet workplace. As women advance professionally, we governance and digital policy processes. often start to see a narrower pipeline toward the top It was underlined that special attention should despite women’s knowledge and ambition to reach be given to gender related issues of subgroups (such the summit being as strong as that of male peers. as rural women, girls, women in refugee camps) But it is likely that high-skills jobs such as data and and gender minorities, and the issue of online computer science will be paid equally in the next 10 gender-based abuse and violence was highlighted as years simply because of the scarcity of professionals a challenge to be addressed by all stakeholders. – the technology giants are already paying big Two particular aspects have been raised time and salaries to people with talent in fields such as AI. again in past IGF meetings. The first is the cultural norms in patriarchal societies, where women are DIGITAL INCLUSION often expected to stay at home and not take up When girls and women are kept from learning to careers that would expose them to ICTs; further, use ICTs whether due to poverty, illiteracy, isolation, even then they are deprived of access to the internet traditions, or social norms, this exacerbates and smartphones owing to efforts by men to inequality. We must keep an eye on digital “protect” them from online harm, but with the inclusion. In fact, in some regions the gender digital result that all access can be denied. The second www.iicom.org October 2018 Vol 46 Issue 3 | InterMEDIA 29 INCLUSION

GENDER POINTS AND PROJECTS

l SDG 5b aims to enhance the use and #eskills4girls, which is tackling the Communications, is aiming to create of enabling technology, in particular gender digital divide in low income and better understanding of content and information and communications developing countries. harm based on women’s experience of technology, to promote the l Publicising pioneering female internet sexuality online. of women. figures such as China’s internet pioneer, l Points made at the last IGF meeting l An annex to the latest G20 Digital Qiheng Hu, provides role models of on online gender violence: Economy Ministerial Declaration, women to take up ICT careers, and use – Online abuse against women is often “Bridging the digital gender divide them in everyday life. Research from sexualised and designed to not only – Delivering impact”, details actions Microsoft has shown that the number push one woman offline but the whole such as raising awareness, gathering of girls interested in STEM across Europe female community sex-disaggregated data, promoting almost doubles when they have a role – A disconnect exists between how digital skills, targeting women lagging model to inspire them. offline and online is treated in digital access and supporting women l The term “dataveillance” is used to by law enforcement in digital businesses. It also says cyber describe practices that aggregate large – Victims should understand what their violence against women and girls should quantities of data, including biometrics, rights are on- and offline be addressed. The OECD has produced to monitor, track and regulate people – Women abused online are also more a report informing the G20, also called and populations, and has gender, vulnerable to a physical attack “Bridging the digital gender divide”. sexuality, race and implications. –Efforts by platforms to make certain l There are several global initiatives Campaigners are increasingly materials harder to find may have the for women in technology, including concerned about what they term the reverse effect, as Instagram found with EQUALS, launched by the ITU and “informatisation” of the body. content on self-harming UN Women in 2016, which aims to l EROTICS, a project from the – Female politicians face much online develop access, skills and leadership, Association for Progressive abuse. See the #NotTheCost campaign.

is the many initiatives that foster small women were 27 times more likely to be victims of businesses and entrepreneurship among women cyber violence than men, which results in digital where ICTs are key enablers, in addition to ICT exclusion for girls and women, according to the UN training and career opportunities in technology REFERENCES Broadband Commission for Digital Development.7 fields. See the panel for more about the issues and 1 McKinsey & Co (2017). A paper issued last year by the IGF’s Dynamic projects, not least a new G20 declaration on gender. Women matter: Time to Coalition on Gender and Internet Governance, accelerate. “An internet for #YesAllWomen? Women’s rights, COMBATING ONLINE VIOLENCE mck.co/2NukMpw gender and equality in digital spaces”, notes that 2 McKinsey Global Institute I turn now to the worst aspect of gender inequality: (2015). The power of parity: there are five clusters of feminist principles for violence. According to the European Council, in How advancing women’s the internet: access, movement and public 2014 12 women were killed every day in Europe; one equality can add $12 trillion participation, economy, expression and “agency” – in every five women has experienced physical or to global growth. and it is this last one that is explored. Key issues in sexual violence at home in Europe.5 In Mexico, my mck.co/2jjXZi6 agency are consent, privacy and data, memory and country, seven women a day were killed in 2016; in 3 Deloitte (2017). Women in anonymity. Consent is a critical women’s rights the Boardroom – 5th ed. the same year, 1.3 million women were victims of bit.ly/2r4sQ3U issue in the digital age. Women’s agency lies in their 6 some kind of physical violence. 4 GSMA (2015). Accelerating ability to make informed decisions on what aspects Indeed, physical, sexual, psychological and the digital economy: of their public or private lives to share in digital economic violence against women and girls has been Gender in the spaces – as information, data, text, images or video. endemic, despite commitments of the international telecommunications sector. Take the posting of intimate images and data community such as the Belém Do Pará Convention, bit.ly/2Qyz9KM without consent, where the perpetrator can remain 5 Council of Europe. to fight all forms of violence against women, and anonymous. Despite tools to identify the IP address Preventing and combating 14 years later, the European Council’s Istanbul violence against women. (which is also one of many reasons to promote full Convention ratified by the EU in 2017 and by most bit.ly/2NdYICV migration to IPv6) and the take-down duties of EU members (11 EU members pending in 2018). 6 Frías SM (2016). search engines and content platforms, online It has taken a long time to realise that Violentadas. Nexos, 1 June. violence on digital platforms is rising, and we need eliminating violence against women requires, bit.ly/2NOEaAG more effective collaborative efforts to combat it. 7 UN Broadband among other conditions, equal access to power, but And as I noted, my concern is also about the use Commission for Digital it is still not enough in the digital society. Life Development (2015). Cyber of AI and that the pace of new technology will online is a hall of mirrors of our lives offline, with violence against women outpace these efforts. We would all be better off had the best and the worst of the human race let loose. and girls: A world-wide these tools been designed from the start by more Eliminating acts of violence online against wake-up call. women, and certainly with a gender perspective.8 women, whether through threats, stalking, bit.ly/1VgYyIz 8 Kuchler H (2018). Tech’s harassment or , is a tough challenge. ADRIANA LABARDINI INZUNZA is an ICT lawyer sexist algorithms and how specialising in public interest issues, regulation and These threats can severely affect fundamental rights to fix them. Female input is to freedom of speech, psychological and even needed to remove bias in competition, and co-founder of Conectadas, a Mexican physical integrity, privacy, honour and reputation. products. FT, 8 March. network of women in ICT working for gender equality. Although bad for male victims too, as of 2017, on.ft.com/2FF589K With thanks to Karla Prudencio and Aimée Vega.

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