International Women’s Day 2023: Bridging the digital gender divide is essential for unleashing women’s potential in rural areas, say UN food and agriculture agencies
Girls use a tablet as a learning device
©FAO/Mohammad Rakibul Hasan
Inclusive access to digital technologies and education is crucial to
reducing gender inequalities and empowering rural women and girls – that
was the message from three United Nations’ food and agriculture
agencies as they marked International Women’s Day 2023.
Participants
at the event, co-organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP), recognized that
while digitalization on its own cannot solve all the gender-related
disadvantages women face, if provided with equal access to digital
technology and education, women can have a more active and effective
role in our agrifood systems.
“Admittedly, it is discouraging to celebrate International Women’s Day in a time when we are going backwards on gender equality and are seeing widening gender gaps in science, technology and innovation,” said FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol. “When we invest in rural women, we invest in resilience, in the future of our communities and in creating a more inclusive and equitable world – one where no one is left behind.”