Page 97 - SAMENA Trends - September-October 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

ITU and EIF Join Forces to Reduce the Digital Gender Divide in Burundi,

Ethiopia and Haiti

The International Telecommunication
Union (ITU) and the Enhanced Integrated
Framework (EIF) have launched a
cooperative project to enhance the digital
ecosystem and build digital skills for
women in Least Developed Countries
(LDCs). The project will address the
ongoing gender digital divide which,
while narrowing in developed regions,
has widened in developing nations and
the LDCs since 2013. Across Africa, the
proportion of women using the Internet
is 12% lower than the proportion of men;
in African LDCs, the disparity broadens
to a 31% gap. Combining their resources,
ITU and EIF will enhance efforts to benefit
women in Burundi, Ethiopia and Haiti. This programmes, creating a system for to increase women's access, capacity
will be achieved by building capacity at the distributed education ranging from the and use of ICTs, we hope to support
policy level, increasing governments' ability most basic use of major information/ many working-age women to be change-
to mainstream gender and information and knowledge platforms to digital solutions makers in their communities." Improving
communication technologies (ICTs), and for clothing and garment design, smart the policy and regulatory environment
by expanding the horizons of thousands tailoring, production line, e-commerce that affects the selected countries' digital
of women entrepreneurs in sectors such solutions for small- and medium-sized society will be key to the project's success.
as textiles and apparel, and the coffee enterprises, mobile banking, design To start the conversation on what actions
and cocoa value chains. "More than ever thinking and technology innovation, and are needed to achieve this improvement,
before, digital technology is a key driver the Internet of Things for entrepreneurship. an open discussion is planned among
of women's economic opportunities," "Building digital skills for women in Least key stakeholders, including women
said ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao. Developed Countries can help women entrepreneurs and women employed
"This partnership between ITU and EIF take advantage of growing opportunities in the relevant sectors, officials of ICT
will result in vital policy support to ensure – for business expansion, increased ministries, trade sector representatives,
sustainable expansion of ICTs where it is market connectedness and enhanced sector associations in textiles and apparel,
most needed and will benefit women as employability. This is why I am so pleased cooperatives in the agriculture sector,
they access and use ICTs to participate that EIF is embarking on this effort together and private sector companies. This joint
fully in their economies." The project will with ITU and the governments in Burundi, project, a contribution to the EQUALS
focus on nationwide fieldwork, specifically: Ethiopia and Haiti as a part of its Empower Global Partnership and part of EIF's
• Working with governments and other Women, Power Trade initiative, which Empower Women, Power Trade initiative,
decision-makers to ensure that supports innovative work with women will help to match job market supply and
digital economy policies are gender- across the LDCs," remarked EIF Executive demand, and facilitate the entrepreneurial
responsive; Director Ratnakar Adhikari. "Finding activities of women through the use of ICTs.
• Working with organizational partners innovative ways to close the gender digital It will be conducted in close collaboration
and other members of the local divide is critical. We need to empower with local partners such as cooperatives
ecosystem to prepare working-age women in local communities to properly and business associations to ensure
women to navigate in the digital world; use ICTs and to maximize impact at the that support for women continues and
and economic and social level. This project strengthens after the project is complete.
• Working with the private sector to create focuses on the right sectors, the right EQUALS partners will be included in
economic opportunities for working- communities, and the right entrepreneurs the work at the national level, bringing
age women in the digital world. to do just that," said Doreen Bogdan-Martin, additional expertise to the project planning
For example, the project will develop Director of ITU's Telecommunication and execution.
national curricula for train-the-trainers Development Bureau. "By joining with EIF

97 SEP-OCT 2020