Amplifying progress on International Girls in ICT Day

About 70 per cent of men today use the Internet, compared with 65 per cent of women globally. In some countries, the gap is much wider.

The good news is that we are making progress, with the percentage of the world’s women using the Internet increasing steadily in recent years. Still, we have some way to go before the world reaches digital gender parity.

Similarly, worldwide, women are underrepresented when it comes to decision-making and leadership roles in tech.

Women remain considerably less likely to hold an executive position, become information and communication technology (ICT) entrepreneurs, or be represented at the highest level of science and technology policy-making.

This needs to change. That’s why this year’s International Girls in ICT Day theme is Leadership.

Leader is not just a title. A leader is someone who has a dream – a vision of change.

To build an equitable, fair, and prosperous digital future for all, we need to ensure that girls and women get the skills and opportunities to take up leadership roles across the ICT sector. So that more of them become decision-makers, and they, too, can drive change.

Aiming to promote digital leadership for women and girls worldwide, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) took the global International Girls in ICT Day celebration on the road again this year.

We must come together to break down barriers to female participation and ensure a more equitable tech future.

Humanity’s digital-enabled potential can only be fully realized when it benefits from everyone’s input.