Tech and Innovation Are Key in Gender Equality – So Let’s Use That!

The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) concluded its latest session by reaffirming the crucial role technology and innovation play in the achievement of gender equality – and initiatives have been put in place with these two key things in mind.

“This year’s Agreed Conclusions are game-changing and bring forward our vision of a more equal and connected world for women and girls in all their diversity,” states UN Women Executive Director, Sima Bahous. “The ultimate success of these Agreed Conclusions lies beyond their finalization today, in how we will collectively take them forward. They bring us a vision of a more equal world. Let us translate them into reality for all women and girls.”

Every year CSW hold a two-week long session on gender equality, the empowerment of all women and girls, and their human rights, and from the 67^th session, initiatives have been put in place, including the development of digital tools and services to address the needs of all women and girls (education, health, economic empowerment, and engagement in public life), the development of gender-responsive innovation that challenges gender stereotypes and negative social norms (digital content, awareness campaigns, and teaching competencies for positive engagement on digital technologies), as well as the reinforcement of a policy of zero tolerance for gender-based violence (occurring through or amplified by the use of technology) and the guarantee that public and private sector entities will prioritize its prevention and elimination.