Jo Stewart-Rattray, Oceania Ambassador, ISACA, shares the key takeaways from the 68th Commission on the Status of Women.
Each year I eagerly anticipate my visit to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women sponsored by the Australian Computer Society, and this year was no different. Being amongst a collective of individuals aspiring to make the world a better place for girls and women in all their diversity across our globe is truly inspiring.
But I always leave with a sense of urgency, more pressing than the previous year.
Particularly when the UN Secretary-General, His Excellency Antonio Guterres, presents statistics indicating:
- Globally, women as an average, earn just 51 cents for every dollar earned by a man.
- More than 8 out of 10 finance ministers globally are men.
- More than 9 out of 10 central bank governors are men.
- Economic sectors dominated by women are undervalued, underpaid, and in some cases, unpaid.
- Currently, one in every ten women lives in extreme poverty.
I know big change takes time, but time is of the essence, as Mr Guterres went on to state: “The patriarchy is far from vanquished. It is regaining ground. Discrimination against women goes back millennia. We don’t want to bring it back. We want to turn it back. We cannot accept a world in which grandmothers fear their granddaughters will enjoy fewer rights than they had.”
One sector with enormous potential to either circumvent this worrying forecast, or perpetuate it, is digital technologies, particularly artificial intelligence. The technology sector is predominantly led and influenced by men, both in leadership positions and technical development roles. This imbalance has the potential to perpetuate new forms of gender inequality, with far-reaching impacts on women extending beyond the workplace.
The Hard Truth About The Status Of Women
Currently women represent only 30% of global technology professionals. That percentage drops to 22% in the AI field. Women also make up less than 30% of engineering graduates and about 40% of computer science graduates.
Extensive evidence supports the concern that a system designed predominantly by men, results in algorithmic biases, overlooking women’s needs and women’s fundamental rights. If not addressed, male-centric algorithms have the potential to embed inequalities into various sectors, from education to urban planning, financial credit assessments to medical imaging, for many years to come, effectively setting back equality and fairness.
We are at a crossroads. Without women taking a more active role in shaping the new digital economy – especially AI – there’s a real risk it will be built upon outdated stereotypes.
Enter The Global Digital Compact
But there is one drawcard that aims to ensure digital technologies are used responsibly and for the benefit of all, The Global Digital Compact (GDC), an initiative proposed in the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres’s Common Agenda.
The Global Digital Compact aims to bring together governments, private sector entities, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders to work collaboratively on a set of shared principles that will address the digital divide and foster a safe and inclusive digital environment.
While I support the GDC, for the framework to be truly impactful in terms of addressing gender disparity in technology, it must have gender equity at its core.
It has been proposed by UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality, that it must contain three key priorities:
- Protection against gender-based violence and discrimination that is facilitated by technology.
- Access to equitable educational and economic opportunities.
- Ensured equal representation in terms of voice, leadership, and participation across digital platforms.
Also supporting a dedicated gender equity stance in the GDC is the Association of Progressive Communications. This organisation has outlined ten key feminist principles that if interwoven with the foundational principles of the GDC, would ensure the digital era supports the empowerment of all individuals, regardless of gender.
These principles include:
- Concrete commitments to protect the digital rights of women and girls and marginalised groups.
- Guaranteed freedom from technology-facilitated gender-based violence.
- Strict action against harmful surveillance applications and high-risk AI systems.
- Expansion of women’s participation and leadership in the technology sector and digital policymaking.
Looking Within
While it is heartening to see promising change occurring on a global scale, we must not become complacent within our own sphere of influence. Each of us has the opportunity to encourage and support a female colleague or student and role model what a rewarding career in technology and security looks like.
For me, mentoring has been a big part of my life with the power to truly uplift, reassure and encourage fellow women either beginning their careers, switching careers or advancing in them. Organisations like ISACA’s SheLeadsTech are empowering women with resources and guidance to enhance their professional skills and advocate for career advancement.
Just as I eagerly anticipated the 68th Commission on the Status of Women, I optimistically await tabling of the GDC in September as part of the United Nation’s Summit of the Future conference, and its unanimous support. Combined with our own personal efforts to provoke change, I believe this globally shared vision will be instrumental in addressing the gender digital divide.
About the author
Jo has over 25 years’ experience in the security industry. She consults in risk and technology issues with a particular emphasis on governance and IT security in businesses as a Director with BRM Advisory. She regularly provides strategic advice and consulting to the banking and finance, utilities, healthcare, manufacturing, tertiary education, retail, and government sectors.
