Invest in digital literacy of women

Investing in women’s digital literacy and supporting their participation in technology can build a more equitable and prosperous society for all.

As such, this year’s theme for International Women’s Day “DigitALL; Innovation and technology for gender equality” is timely. It emphasises technology’s potential to empower women by improving access to healthcare and education, as well as enabling financial independence.

Women in Malaysia are not just disproportionately affected in rural areas and low-income households, where they continue to face barriers to accessing digital tools due to low digital literacy and poor connectivity.

The gender gap in our technology sector also remains a challenge in Malaysia, where only 35 percent of the workforce comprises women.

In order to bridge the digital divide, the government and non-governmental organisations should work together to develop gender-inclusive policy initiatives that can foster digital creativity and innovation.

And also look at providing women with equal opportunities plus support networks in technology-related fields, which would enable them to contribute to a more inclusive digital economy.

Happy International Women’s Day and I take this opportunity to pledge solidarity with the women’s march that’s scheduled for the weekend. - Mkini

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CHARLES SANTIAGO is a former Klang MP for DAP and the chairperson of the Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR).

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.