INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY: ESSAY COMPETITION

Introduction

Gender equality remains a major issue in the world, with women being under-represented in so many sectors of the economy, although we are in the 21st century, a supposedly unique period that seems to spearhead the need for gender equality and eventual equity. Women have long been denied equal access to resources and opportunities in many societies and with the world, today seeing an incredible transformation with technology and its innovative advances that is rapidly changing the way that people interact and participate with one another, there is a need to incorporate technology in bridging the gender gap.

Technology can be used as a powerful tool to empower women by providing them with greater access to financial services and digital tools, improved healthcare and education opportunities, and better livelihoods. This essay will explore how technology can play a key role in creating equal opportunities for women by helping to realize sustainable development goals (SDGs) related specifically to gender equality, no poverty, reduced inequalities, and decent work and economic growth. It will focus on four specific ways that technology can provide economic, social, and physical benefits specifically for women: 1) increasing financial access and inclusion; 2) providing improved access to healthcare, education, and other vital resources; 3) enhancing employment capabilities through programmable skills; 4) breaking the digital gender divide. By removing barriers of entry created by traditional systems of human interaction or past biases against certain demographics of people, technology has the potential to make significant strides forward toward true equality for all women worldwide.

To begin with, financial inclusion, powered by technology can be is an important tool for women’s empowerment. According to a Wall Street Journal article, “women make up about 55% of the world’s unbanked adults, meaning they have no access to bank accounts or insurance”. Women are often excluded from the formal financial system due to cultural and as well as mobility constraints, lack of collateral, and limited mobile phone ownership. This becomes a setback for women, particularly those with SMEs as most of their funding is derived from family and friends, thus limiting their capacity to grow.