Bridging the gender digital divide
Revi Sterling of USAID will give a virtual talk at ɬ to discuss the gender digital divide.
, director of the WomenConnect Challenge at the U.S. Agency for International Development, will join the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives and the Computer Science department at ɬ on Thursday, April 8, at 4:30 p.m. ET, to discuss the gender digital divide in a virtual talk entitled “Why Most Women Will Never Own a Smartphone.”
Women’s empowerment is considered one of the most effective poverty reduction strategies. Internet access, particularly through use of mobile devices, is key to participation in international development initiatives. Yet in many areas of the developing world, the majority of women are still unconnected, and even banned, from mobile phone use.
A variety of socioeconomic factors and social and cultural norms prevent women from taking advantage of this digital development, and the gap between men’s and women’s internet access grows larger every day.
Sterling will explore the causes of this gender digital divide, as well as strategies for closing it in ways that empower women. She has been working at the intersection of women and technology for over 20 years and will share what works and what doesn’t, and will suggest ways for students and scholars to move forward and close the gap for good.
The discussion is free and open to the public. To register for the event, please visit the .