Pakistan Urges To Address Digital Gender Gap At UN

News Desk

United Nations: In an effort to promote gender equality and protect every woman and girl’s right to education, Pakistan has called for closing the digital gender gap at the United Nations.

Speaking at an expert panel of UN Commission on the Status of Women’s 67th session, National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) Chairperson Nilofar Bakhtiar said that despite national and international efforts, the digital gender gap was growing—particularly between developed and developing countries and within developing countries.

“It is time to build resilient, inclusive, and peaceful societies where no one is left behind, not even our women with disabilities, so that the tragic but brave story of Malala Yousafzai is not repeated,” Nilofar Bakhtiar added.

NCSW Chairperson urged transformative action and emphasised the need to mobilise funds and technical support to support millions of women and girls who have been denied the opportunity to receive an education, particularly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of the crisis caused by global climate change.

In 2021, it was estimated that 11 million girls would never return to school, adding to the staggering 130 million girls who were already out of school before the pandemic hit, Nilofar added.

From the earliest days of computing to the present age of virtual reality and artificial intelligence, women have made untold contributions to the digital world in which we increasingly live. Their accomplishments have been against all odds, in a field that has historically neither welcomed nor appreciated them.

Today, a persistent gender gap in digital access keeps women from unlocking technology’s full potential. Their underrepresentation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and careers remains a major barrier to their participation in tech design and governance. And the pervasive threat of online gender-based violence—coupled with a lack of legal recourse—too often forces them out of the digital spaces they do occupy.

Technological innovations have been a source of hope and security for many girls and young women, enabling them to continue learning and seek help if they are at risk of child marriage or gender-based violence.

The Pakistani delegate added that there is a pressing need to promote greater female participation in STEM-related fields of study as well as the elimination of parental preferences and curricula that still contain gender biases. Further encouraging women and girls to pursue careers in technology and digital industries, according to her, is the projection of female role models in these fields.

In order to stop harassment online, Bakhtiar urged authorities, companies, and social media platforms to promote digital safety and security. The Pakistani delegation also advocated for making internet access free for everyone so that teachers, students, and schools have access to universal broadband connectivity.