This International Women’s Day, 8 March 2023, join UN Women and the United Nations in celebrating under the theme DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.
22%
Women make up only 22% of artificial intelligence workers globally.
44%
A global analysis of 133 AI systems across industries found that 44.2% demonstrate gender bias.
73%
A survey of women journalists from 125 countries found that 73% had suffered online violence in the course of their work.
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 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.
At the same time, digital technology is opening new doors for the global empowerment of women, girls and other marginalized groups. From gender-responsive digital learning to tech-facilitated sexual and reproductive healthcare, the digital age represents an unprecedented opportunity to eliminate all forms of disparity and inequality.
This 8 March, we are calling on governments, activists and the private sector alike to power on in their efforts to make the digital world safer, more inclusive and more equitable. Facing a multiplicity of global crises, we have a chance to create a better future—not just for women and girls, but for all humanity and all life on Earth. Join us.
Get started today by sharing visuals, messaging and more from our IWD social media package. And tune in to the UN Observance of International Women’s Day at 10 am ET on 8 March.
Power on: How we can supercharge an equitable digital future
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Glossary: Gender and Technology
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