International Women’s Day – 8 March 2023
2023 Theme: DigitalALL: “Innovation and technology for gender equality”
On March 8th, International Women’s Day (IWD) recognises women’s achievements in social, economic, cultural and political areas while advocating for gender parity. As a result of the first commemoration of International Women’s Day, held on 8 March1975, organisations such as the United Nations have become the primary sponsors of the day, marking it with an appropriate theme to recognise women’s achievements both culturally, politically, and economically.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is “DigitalALL: “Innovation and technology for gender equality,” designed to recognise and honor women who have paved the way for innovation and technological advancements while simultaneously emphasising the importance of achieving expedited gender equality in technological advancements.
There is a palpable and current need for innovation and technology in order to achieve gender equality, as our society and post-colonial environment have created an enormous dependence on solid technology.
According to the United Nations, 37% of women do not use the internet, and 259 million fewer women have internet access compared to their male counterparts, even though they account for nearly half the world’s population. This further disadvantages and hinders women from developing the necessary digital skills to engage in digital spaces and hinders opportunities to pursue careers in STEM-related fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) in a world where by 2050, 75% of jobs will be STEM-related. Additionally, in today’s buzzing world of the 4th Industrial Revolution and Artificial Intelligence, women hold just 22% of positions in artificial intelligence.