Round Table. Digital Inclusion PARIS, MAY 30TH

Transcription

1 Round Table Digital Inclusion PARIS, MAY 30TH

2 Index WHAT WE HAVE DONE SO FAR 3 DIGITAL INCLUSION CONCEPT NOTE 5 Summary 6 Introduction 7 What is the digital gender divide? 8 What are the barriers to digital inclusion? 9 DIGITAL INCLUSION: POLICY BRIEFS 13 Future of Work through a gender lens 13 Access and Usage of Digital Technologies 14 Artificial intelligence from a gender perspective 14 MAIN PRIORITIES TO DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS 15 Introduction 15 Recommendations 16 Recommendation #1: Ensure that all analyses of the future of work, including education needs and demands for new skills are performed with a lifelong learning approach and a gender perspective. 16 Recommendation #2. Guarantee access, use, and production of digital free or affordable technologies for girls and women, especially in rural areas. 17 Recommendation #3. Protect women's rights, online privacy and security, and work against online harassment. 18 Recommendation #4. Collect, analyze and share gender disaggregated data to elaborate evidence-based policies for the digital inclusion of women, especially in areas with little or outdated data. WHAT IS NEXT

3 What we have done so far + In order to define how would we approach Digital Inclusion in W20 Argentina, we took what was done last year in Germany as a basis. + We built a common diagnosis for Digital Inclusion in a Concept Note which was written between W20, knowledge partners and experts. It was later shared with Delegates in Mango so they could provide feedback. Two months later, it was edited using their comments. + A survey was developed in order to define the priority areas for each of the four topics. To do so, we took Germany s Implementation Plan and added a few of our own concerns, to choose the recommendations we thought would be more successful based on the priorities of G20 this year. 3

4 + We organized 11 webinars to generate debates and idea-sharing. Four of them were related to Digital Inclusion: main barriers to access and usage of digital technologies by women (GSMA), cutting edge issues for the digital future of women (The Web Foundation), the case of mobile money for the financial inclusion of women (Millicom) and Blockchain solutions to address gender inequity in supply chains of emerging markets (BanQu) + Our W20 team, Chairs and experts delivered Policy Briefs based on what the delegates voted and on the priorities of the G20 and all engagement and government groups. The main goal is to produce strong, short documents while our recommendations are agreed on. + We have elaborated a draft version of the Communiqué which was shared with the delegates last week in order to get their feedback; especially those who were not able to come to the roundtable. This draft will be the basis for the second part of the roundtable. 4

5 Digital Inclusion Concept Note + This Concept Note is the result of a process of consultation and debate between W20 delegates representing companies, governments and civil society organisations across the globe. It describes some of the challenges involved and reviews, existing recommendations for governments and policy makers. All this can provide a way forward for a coordinated and effective action by the G20 in support of women s empowerment and equality. 5

6 We wish to thank the following institutions for their valuable contributions (listed in alphabetical order): ARPA, Association for Progressive Communications, Bricksave, Centro de Desarrollo Económico de la Mujer, Centro Redes, Universidad Tecnológica Nacional de Argentina, Developers For Good, Embassy of Canada in Argentina and Paraguay, EQUALS; Faro Digital, Fundación para el Estudio e Investigación de la Mujer; Fundación Activismo Feminista Digital, Fundación Huésped, Fundación Conocimiento Abierto, Fundación Sadosky, Fundación UPWARD Argentina, Hacklab Violeta, ILDA, IT for Change, Lasdesistemas, Media Chicas, Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation, Mujeres que no fueron tapa, Red Argentina de Género, Tecnología de mujeres afrolatinoamericanas, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva de la Nación, Ministerio de Ciencia Tecnología e Innovación Productiva de Santa Fe, UN Women, Voces Vitales Argentina, Women in the Digital Ecosystem, Women TechMakers Río de la Plata. As well as the kind review and useful comments of our Topic Chair, GSMA, and our Knowledge Partners: Fundación Mujeres en Igualdad, Red Argentina de Género, Ciencia y Tecnología (RAGCyT), and Wikimedia Argentina. Summary Digital technologies have become a powerful force for social and economic development, delivering substantial benefits for both individuals and society. Digital technologies empower women, providing them with access to information, services and life enhancing opportunities1. Ensuring women are digitally included brings significant benefits not only to them, but to their communities, economies and general development2. However, women s participation in the information society3 is constrained by two main factors: too many women face barriers to access and use digital technologies; and, underpinning this, too few women are involved in the design, development, production and governance of digital technologies. Latest estimates from the ITU (2017) suggest that women globally are 12% less likely to use the internet4. A recent GSMA study shows that in low- and middle-income countries, women are 26% less likely to use mobile internet than men, the primary means of accessing the internet in many parts of the world5. Women are also often under-represented at senior levels in high-technology industries -including the digital sectorand there is a substantial gender gap, in both developed and developing countries, in skills, jobs and careers involving science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM subjects). These gender gaps begin in education from the primary school and continue in the workplace limiting the access to high productivity enterprises and remaining in low-wage employment. 6

7 The increasing economic and social importance of digital technologies means that disparities and gender biases could exacerbate existing inequalities experienced by wom en rather than reduce them. This digital gender gap is unlikely to close on its own. Its root causes are driven by a complex set of social, economic and cultural barriers which can only be overcome with targeted intervention by all stakeholders. G20 Member States already play a leading role in digital transformation and digital development, supporting the SDGs. Concerted action including clear policies and cooperation amongst them and in partnership with other stakeholders can address the digital gender gap and ensure that women are not being left behind. Introduction Digital technologies, including the internet, mobile and broadband communications and other rapidly evolving information and communication technologies (ICTs)6, have the potential to empower women and help overcome some of the inequalities and barriers to opportunity and achievement that they face. That potential, however, will only be unlocked if women have the same opportunities to access, use digital technologies and benefit from them, as men do. Women s participation in the Information Society7 is constrained at present by two main factors: 1 too many women mostly, from developing countries and lower socioeconomic status- face barriers to access and use digital technologies ; and, underpinning this, 2 too few women mainly, from privileged backgrounds - are involved in the design, development, production and governance of digital technologies. If these digital gender gaps are not addressed, digital technologies may exacerbate gender inequalities rather than helping to reduce them. For example, digital exclusion also means that women in poverty may not be able to easily access government schemes and services that are increasingly going digital, further deepening their exclusion. The digital economy can also lead to greater inequality. For example, studies indicate that the digital economy may worsen gender divides in pay and job status8 and that women may be the worst affected by the normalisation of precarious employment in the gig economy9. 7

8 Digital inclusion matters to women, because it makes it less costly to communicate and gives them access to valuable information, facilitates their financial independence and enables them to live independent lives and enjoy independent livelihoods10. Such positive impacts do not extend only to women, but to their communities, businesses, economies and general development.11 As societies become increasingly dependent on digital technology, women, their broader communities and national economies are at risk of losing out on the positive promise of full participation in digital economies. What is the digital gender divide? 1. ACCESS AND USE The extent to which data are available on access and use of digital technologies by women and men varies between countries. Nevertheless, available evidence is clear. Latest (2017) estimates from the ITU suggest that women globally are 12% less likely than men to use the internet. Women are also less likely than men to own or use a mobile phone, the most common means of personal communications and internet access in developing countries12. A 2018 GSMA report found that women in low- and middle-income countries are on average 26% less likely to use mobile internet. Moreover, this gender gap is also wider in developing countries and also in vulnerable population groups in developed countries. The World Bank highlighted that there are approximately 3.9 billion people offline13, and that many of these offline populations share common characteristics they are predominantly rural, low-educated, with lower incomes, and a large number are women and girls14. GSMA evidence suggests that women who live in South Asia are 26% less likely to own a mobile than their male peers, and 70% less likely to use mobile internet.15 This data is useful in establishing the scale of the gender digital divide, but is also important to assess how access and use are experienced by particular groups of women (for example, elderly women, women who live in rural areas, those who live with disabilities, those who face discrimination because of their sexuality, those who are refugees). Some groups of women are relatively well-served in the digital environment, while others experience multiple disadvantages. To be beneficial to women, access to and use of digital technologies must be universal, affordable, unconditional, meaningful and equal16 and must meet the diversity of women s varying circumstances, needs and priorities, in the different countries and different contexts in which they live their lives and earn their livelihoods. 8

9 2. PARTICIPATION IN DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES Women participation in the design, development, production and governance of digital technologies is also limited and unequal. There is a substantial gender gap, in both developed and developing countries, where skills, jobs and careers involving science, technology, engineering and mathematics (known as STEM subjects) are concerned17. Moreover, women are under-represented at senior levels in high-technology industries, including the digital sector18. The problem begins with education. Gender differences are present at all levels of STEM education starting at primary school, but particularly higher levels; globally, young women represent just 35% of all students enrolled in STEM-related disciplines in higher education19. New opportunities are often accompanied today by a demand for more advanced skills, which can further marginalize women who have not developed them. The gap continues within employment. Women are less likely than men to enter STEM careers and more likely to leave them20. In the technology sector, men outnumber women at every level, with the starkest differences at the top of the industry, where women make up just 21% of technology executives. More participation by women in leading this dynamic sector would help to improve their financial status, redress this wider deficit in female leadership and provide much-needed role models for girls in education and early careers21. Lastly, the under-representation of women in the sector can also be linked to gender-biased observed in machine learning, image recognition and other AI tools (IDG, 2018). Software trained on biased datasets can mirror and amplify these biases22, code discrimination against women into big data processes23, and design gender-blind digital artefacts, such as digital assistants24. These implications are significant considering that companies and governments are increasingly turning to these tools (Bloomberg 2017). What are the barriers to digital inclusion? 1. BARRIERS TO ACCESS AND USE The barriers to women s digital access and use are interrelated and are often deeply rooted in social and economic barriers that constrain women s ability to benefit from accessing and using digital technologies. While men also experience structural inequalities25, such as those in income, education and employment opportunities as well as social norms, on average, women are likely to experience them more severely. A holistic approach is required if the digital gender gap is to be effectively addressed. Improved gen 9

10 der-disaggregated data on internet access and use is also critical for understanding and measuring the digital gender gap and informing policy and strategies for addressing it. 2. THE AVAILABILITY OF RELEVANT INFRASTRUCTURE This refers to the physical unavailability or inadequacy of infrastructure, including network coverage and the electricity required to power devices. Women who live in poor and remote areas often find the internet particularly difficult to access because of limited connectivity or lack of energy. Public access facilities can offer an alternative solution; however, such facilities may only be available in locations that women find unsafe or inaccessible, or where social norms and safety concerns curtail freedom of movement. In some societies, women also experience difficulties in obtaining proof of identification which is required to open accounts or register SIM cards COST AND AFFORDABILITY Cost of device and cost of connectivity and usage can have a significant effect on women s ability to benefit from the internet. Cost, for instance, remains the greatest barrier to mobile phone ownership for many men and women27. Cost typically affects women more than men because women s income is generally lower28. In addition, women often have less financial independence and find it more difficult to access capital than men29. Women are therefore more sensitive to price when buying devices, and often choose those with poorer quality and connectivity, enabling lesser access to the internet and other information sources. 4. DESIGN AND USABILITY The design of digital technologies impacts on women s ability to use them30. Unfortunately, because too few women are involved in the design and development of digital technologies, women s needs and priorities are insufficiently considered in the development of devices and services SKILLS Relatedly, women also lack the skills and confidence to engage with digital technologies effectively at every level, from basic usage to professional work and governance. In many countries, girls have poorer access to education than boys and, as a result, more are illiterate32. Limited literacy leads on to lack of digital skills and lack of confidence, reducing women s ability to take advantage of online resources33. Women are less likely than men to use transformational services (like mobile internet) as a result of this lack of confidence34. 10

11 6. SAFETY AND SECURITY Digital technologies can both empower women and foster abuse that disempowers them. It is increasingly recognised that online abuse should be considered an aspect of gender-based violence35 that limits women s freedoms and human rights, and violates the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)36. Online harassment, abuse and violence can represent significant barriers to access for many women37. Those women who live in poor and remote areas may only be able to access the internet at schools, where privacy is limited, or public access facilities, which may be unsafe or inaccessible. Those women who own or wish to own devices often feel vulnerable to theft, online harassment, surveillance, illegal data retention and fraud38. In many countries, women have experienced online abuse from petty harassment and trolling to stalking and sexual intimidation. Social media platforms have often been lax in addressing sexism and misogyn39. Recent events have also highlighted concerns over the use of personal data40 - unethical/ illegal data practices can discriminate against women41 and privacy concerns have been expressed in relation to women s health related data42. Nevertheless, studies also show that women can use mobile-related services to protect and enhance their personal security AWARENESS AND RELEVANT CONTENT In developing countries, many women are unsure or unaware of the potential of communications services to benefit their lives. Recent research by LIRNEasia shows that awareness of the internet is very low, particularly amongst women. Many internet users, particularly in developing countries, equate the internet with social media services like Facebook rather than the more diverse services it offers44. Women with little disposable income, time, literacy or awareness of the internet have little incentive to spend time and money to gain access. The lack of relevant content also exacerbates this problem. ICT services and applications are sometimes criticised for focusing mostly on men s priorities or paying too little attention to women s needs for example, private access to information on reproductive health. These biases are also present in the production of digital and software content. For instance, women account for 8%-16% of Wikipedia content editors (Wikimedia Foundation Wikipedia editor surveys, 2011). 11

12 8. CULTURAL NORMS A final factor inhibiting women s access to and use of digital technologies concerns the cultural norms that shape women s lives to different degrees in different countries. Cultural factors which act as barriers to digital technologies are difficult to address, deeply entrenched, and often so subtle that women fail to fully recognise their impact. Examples of such barriers are for example, the prioritization of boys education over that of girls, or women s fear of the internet because they believe content may be inappropriate, offensive or harmful to them45. These barriers may exacerbate other inequalities women face, including those arising from lower incomes and educational attainment levels. 9. BARRIERS TO WOMEN S PARTICIPATION IN DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, PRODUCTION AND GOVERNANCE The gender gaps affecting skills and access to jobs and careers in STEM disciplines and workplaces, including digital technologies, begin with the barriers women face in education since primary school. Some teachers and parents, for example, and indeed some students, believe that STEM subjects are more appropriate to boys than girls, discouraging girls from studying them. Other issues are more general, like stereotypical perceptions of women s roles in society in curricula, textbooks and teacher education programmes46. Without relevant skills, many women are less able to benefit from the potential of digital technology for employment, enterprise and business47. As a result of existing gaps, the technical departments in digital businesses are predominantly staffed by men. Male-dominated workplaces may also be unattractive to women because of the risk of harassment and inappropriate behaviour, and also because they perpetuate a certain archetypal employee leading to cultures within organisations that while superficially acknowledge diversity effectively marginalize women. As things stand, these factors tend to reinforce the gender bias in STEM and ICT employment. In addition, stereotypes and assumptions about types of work that are appropriate for men and women are widespread. There is also often gender bias in recruitment and promotion that affects women s ability to participate fully in the design, development, production and governance of digital technologies. One study found that approximately 66% of women surveyed had experienced some form of bias against them in the workplace as well as uneven progression opportunities48. 12

13 Digital Inclusion Policy Briefs Future of Work through through a gender lens + The future of work will bring various opportunities for both men and women. G20 governments must commit to ensure that women do not face the same limitations to access work, finances, productive resources as they do today. Policies which do not account for the structural differences between men and women will perpetuate or even widen inequalities. 13

14 This brief addresses the actions that G20 leaders should undertake in order to ensure women are connected, educated and have the necessary skills for future decent jobs. It also addresses the need for quality, affordable and professionalized care services for children and adults to reduce women s care work and the reduction of legal and customary barriers for women s development. Access and Usage of Digital Technologies + Digital technologies have become a powerful force for social and economic development, delivering substantial benefits for both individuals and society. However, there remains a significant digital gender gap which must be addressed to ensure that women are not being left behind. This document provides an overview of the importance of advancing digital inclusion for women, describes some of the challenges involved, and outlines recommendations for coordinated and effective action by the G20 in support of women s empowerment and equal participation in the digital future. Artificial Intelligence from a gender perspective + AI is shaping gender relations, bringing new challenges and opportunities for women in the workplace and in their private lives. For their personal development and professional growth to be fully integrated, more women need to participate in the design, implementation, evaluation and debates on ethics and norms of the next generation of machine learning and AI-powered technologies. Only the meaningful inclusion of women at all stages will result in policies and technologies that make digital equality a reality. The AI World is almost entirely dominated by men. We need them to be allies and proactively act to make AI better for all. 14

15 Main priorities to develop recommendations Ensuring women are digitally included brings significant benefits not only to them, but to their communities, and to the general economy49. However, women s participation in the information society50 is constrained by two main factors: too many women face barriers to access and use digital technologies; and too few women are involved in the design, development, production and governance of digital technologies. Latest estimates suggest that women globally are 12% less likely to use the internet51, and in low- and middle-income countries, women are 26% less likely to use mobile internet than men, the primary means of accessing the internet in many parts of the world52. Women are also often under-represented at senior levels in high-technology industries -including the digital sector- and there is a substantial gender gap, in both developed and developing countries, in skills, jobs and careers involving science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM subjects). If these digital gender gaps are not addressed, digital technologies may exacerbate gender inequalities rather than helping to reduce them. 15

16 Recommendation #1 Ensure that all analyses of the future of work, including education needs and demands for new skills, are performed with a lifelong learning approach and a gender perspective. While the 4th Industrial Revolution53 has the potential to raise global income levels and improve people s lifestyles, we have to ensure that these benefits are shared more equally between countries and amongst men and women. The use of ICT in the workplace is now required in most occupations. In order to make the most of these opportunities, workers need to acquire digitals skills and be capable of adapting continuously as technologies evolve. This requires solid literacy, numeracy and problem-solving, but also autonomy, co-ordination and collaborative efforts which complement ICT skills. Besides in terms of what we expect to happen in the future of work, automation will affect the job market: on average, men and women will likely be exposed to similar risks of losing their jobs. This underlines the need for flexible skills that allow workers to shift to new tasks that are difficult to automate. POLICY ACTION 1.1: G20 countries need to provide high-quality free education and capacity building initiatives that increase digital skills and confidence for everyone, making sure no girl or woman is left behind. Also, they need to ensure that the new jobs to be created in light of the technological revolution are decent jobs. This is of utmost importance for women as they are overrepresented in the informal sectors. Regarding the needed skills to become more active agents of development, there is a need to make STEM-related topics and careers more attractive to girls and women. Most of the decent jobs to be created in the future will come from these areas, and currently, women account for 30% of graduates in natural sciences, engineering and ICT54. Career paths of boys and girls start to diverge before the age of 15, due to stereotypes passed on to children by their families, teachers, and society at large55. Existing education initiatives should consider the needs and interests of women and girls to make STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) areas more attractive. Initiatives should consider training gender perspective to teachers (in all levels of education) to reduce biases which discourage women and girls from studying STEM-related disciplines. Innovative ways of teaching these subjects should be promoted, enhancing the motivation and retention of women. 16

17 POLICY ACTION 1.2: Governments should promote pedagogical approaches where STEM related careers are promoted and taught from a gender lens, while education prepares students for a more inclusive and diverse world. Countries should ensure that virtual and physical classrooms are technically well-equipped. In addition, recent research has shown that machine learning algorithms, used in a wide variety of applications (from customer recommendations, job searching, training platforms to credit-approval processes) are biased56, perpetuating and even amplifying behavioral biases57. Some of these biases are of extreme importance as they refer to how people are portrayed professionally and consequently, impact in their employability. POLICY ACTION 1.3: G20 Countries must guarantee women s participation in the design, implementation, evaluation and debates on ethics and norms of the next generation of machine learning and AI-powered technologies. Recommendation #2 LEGAL & OPERATIONS Guarantee access, use, and production of digital free or affordable technologies for girls and women, especially in rural areas. Currently, half of the world's population is not connected to the internet, creating a major divide between developed and developing nations. This divide also apply to men and women: in low and middle income countries 250 million fewer women than men have Internet access (12% difference) and women are 14% less likely to own a cell phone than men. POLICY ACTION 2.1: G20 leaders need to work on partnerships to further investment in connectivity and infrastructure to ensure that the least developed countries do not fall further behind, with a special consideration to rural areas. Countries must ensure that providers can offer data and devices for accessing the internet at prices that are affordable to women and girls, particularly for those with lower incomes. 17

18 Research has also shown that the gender gap grows larger as devices and services grow more complex. The capacity to access and reap the benefits of digital products and services depends both on the available device, and on the user's knowledge and understanding. Women with little disposable income, time, literacy or awareness of the internet have little incentive to spend time and money to go beyond usage for personal relations. The lack of relevant content to women s interests and needs also exacerbates this problem. POLICY ACTION 2.2: G20 governments must build awareness of the potential value of digital services and their benefits to women s lives and develop relevant and meaningful content and services to stimulate demand and use. In terms of decision-making positions, at the top of the industry, women worldwide are 20% less likely to hold a senior leadership position in the mobile communication industry and only 17% of the scientists earning more than USD (in 2015)58. More participation by women in leading this dynamic sector would help to redress this wide deficit in female leadership and provide much-needed role models for girls in education and early careers. Currently, too few women are considered in these phases of technology and software creation, impacting women s ability to use them. POLICY ACTION 2.3: G20 countries must support and promote female role models in the digital sector, both in the design, development and production of digital technologies and in leadership positions in the sector. Recommendation #3 Protect the rights of women, work against online harassment, and protect women's data privacy and security. While the internet can give women access to empowering information, many women don't yet have the skills and opportunities to participate in the digital revolution privately, securely, and freely. The internet s role as a safe space for expression is being undermined by an epidemic of harassment and violence against women online. Companies are exploiting women's online data for profit, without user knowledge in many cases. 18

19 POLICY ACTION 3.1: G20 governments must work to introduce legal and policy frameworks that recognise and address ICT-mediated abuse, harassment and fraud, and measures to promote access to justice, making it easy and safe for women and girls to report online abuse. Recommendation #4 Collect, analyze and share sex-disaggregated data to elaborate evidence-based policies for the digital inclusion of women, especially in areas with little or outdated data. To measure who is included in the digital world is key for good evidence-based policy making. This would help governments understand the needs of underserved and excluded groups but also enable companies to make good business decisions and protect customers. There is a general lack of reliable standardised sex-disaggregated data and existing data sets are often fragmented59. Data on access and usage of digital technologies and the internet is needed, as well as the participation of girls and women in STEM-related courses at all levels of education, in STEM careers and in leadership positions on these industries. POLICY ACTION 4.1: G20 members should collect, analyze, track supply and demand disaggregated data by sex and age, to measure access and usage of technologies, using international guidelines and integrating them into existing official data collection requirements. Data should be able to be cross-referenced with other socio-economic characteristics and comparable among countries and time. 19

20 What is next + After the roundtable we will share with you the final version of the Digital Inclusion Communiqué to be discussed at the Summit. + Until the Summit we will base our advocacy strategy on this Communiqué. + For each recommendations in the Communiqué we will define specific indicators, in order to ask G20 governments for a concrete commitment in each of these issues. We will ask for your help through our online platform. 20

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