I was fortunate to attend the recent opening session of the United Nations 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York and hear the latest stats on gender equality first-hand from the UN secretary-general, Mr. Antonio Guterres.
During almost three decades of working in technology and cybersecurity I have witnessed gender disparity in the form of pay, promotions, access to training, and basic IT and telecommunications services. However, the latest data shared by the secretary-general is confronting and must be responded to with utmost urgency to circumnavigate his forecast that true gender parity is 300 years away.
In financial terms, Mr. Guterres stated that globally, $1 trillion of GDP has been lost because of a lack of women in technology.
Other interesting data showed that globally in the technology sector women face a 21 percent gender pay gap; women comprise just 30 percent of the STEM workforce in the 20 largest global tech companies; and only 11 percent of chief information officers globally are women.
And even more encumbering is the statistic that only 22 percent of artificial intelligence workers globally are women. In other words, the technology of the future is being embedded with inherent gender bias from the get-go. More women must be represented in the design of artificial intelligence if we are to achieve gender equity within 300 years.
One of the most concerning conversations for me was around online violence. The statistics are truly alarming.
- A study of 51 countries revealed that 38 percent of women had personally experienced online violence.
- 80 percent of children in 25 countries report feeling in danger of sexual abuse and exploitation when online, with adolescent girls the most vulnerable.
- In Australia, 79.1 percent of heterosexual women and 86.6 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual or women of another non-heterosexual orientation have experienced online sexual violence facilitated by dating apps.
- A survey of women journalists from 125 countries found that three-quarters had experienced online violence in the course of their work and a third had self-censored in response.
The knock-on effects are devastating.
We heard that in response to online violence many parents and caregivers limit girls’ time online out of concern for their safety, including risks of sexual exploitation, cyberbullying and exposure to harmful content. For journalists, self-censoring means our access to perspectives, information and truthful reporting are restricted.
Despite being confronted with harsh realities, I was inspired by many extraordinary women who are doing their bit globally to empower women in technology.
During the conversation circle that I hosted with 12 countries as part of the National Rural Women’s Coalition event, we discussed the affordability and accessibility of technology.
In my country, Australia, we have a long way to go in terms of regional access to technology and telecommunications, but a female technology leader from Ghana shared her innovative approach in response to the difficulty of accessing internet coverage in some of the more remote villages. When traveling for work regionally, she has developed a network of children who happily climb to the top of a tree with her phone to gain an internet signal, allowing her to communicate with head office. The children are reimbursed for their help, and she is an anticipated visitor in these remote villages!
We heard many other wonderful stories of women innovating to champion their cause, and these missions are supported and celebrated in global programs like ISACA’s SheLeadsTech initiative. Not only does this program teach children and adolescents about digital safety, it helps to frame conversations around positive masculinity and empower boys to become agents of change for gender equity. It also provides women with positive role models and mentors who can stand with them and provide encouragement – from across the globe!
I am so privileged to have connected with a global force of women in technology that are passionately championing for positive change. Collectively we are determined to forge a path that will see gender parity achieved – while not in my lifetime – well before three centuries.
Finally, this is written with thanks to the Australian Computer Society for hosting my visit to the United Nations 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
About the author: Jo has over 25 years’ experience in the security industry. She consults in risk and technology issues with a particular emphasis on governance and IT security in businesses as a Director with BRM Advisory. She regularly provides strategic advice and consulting to the banking and finance, utilities, healthcare, manufacturing, tertiary education, retail, and government sectors.