In our rapidly evolving digital world, the gap between those with access to information and communications technology and those without, known as the digital divide, is a critical issue.
This divide is even more pronounced when considering gender, with women and girls facing unique challenges. Tetra Tech’s innovative solutions and programs aim to address these disparities, striving for a gender-equal future in technology and education.
Feature image by UN WOMEN
The significance of innovation in gender equality
UN WOMEN Australia’s 2023 theme, “Cracking the Code: Innovation for a Gender-Equal Future,” emphasises the role of innovation in disrupting gender-based discrimination. Achieving this goal requires closing the gender digital divide by enhancing women’s access to education, career pathways, and investments.
Overcoming barriers to education and technology
Despite progress in global education, disparities remain, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. The Asia-Pacific SDG 4-Education2030 Knowledge Portal reveals that a significant portion of the world’s illiterate adults, predominantly women, reside in this region. This gap underlines the need for targeted initiatives to bridge this divide.
The digital divide and its impact on gender equality
UN Women states that globally, there are around 250 million fewer women online than men, and worldwide some 327 million fewer women than men have a smartphone and can access mobile internet.
Gaps in access to the internet were always a social problem, but for many, COVID-19 made them catastrophic, accelerating the move online for educational institutions, workplaces, and essential services. Those who were disconnected from or inconsistently connected to the internet experienced increasing barriers to social participation. According to UN WOMEN Australia:
- The digital gender gap has barely improved since 2011
- Women’s exclusion from the digital world has shaved $1 trillion from the GDP of low and middle-income countries in the last decade, which will grow $1.5 trillion by 2025 without action
Tetra Tech’s role in bridging the gap
Over the last 20 years, Tetra Tech has delivered 37 education programs across 21 countries in the Indo-Pacific region. In collaboration with clients, local governments, learning communities and regional and global technology partners, Tetra Tech is addressing the digital divide through building digital literacy as a foundational pillar in education programs.
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