Pointing to Underrepresentation of Women, Girls, Secretary-General Observance Message Stresses Gender Equality in Digital Transformation ‘Both Timely and Urgent’

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, observed on 17 May:

This World Telecommunication and Information Society Day marks the 160th anniversary of the International Telecommunication Union.

From the telegraph to radio, from the Internet to artificial intelligence, technology has transformed how we live, work and connect.  But its benefits remain deeply unequal.  This year’s focus on gender equality in digital transformation is both timely and urgent.

Around the world, algorithmic bias is reinforcing old prejudices.  Online harassment and abuse silences women’s voices and drives them offline.  And women and girls remain severely underrepresented in the very fields shaping our future:  science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

This injustice harms us all.  We cannot accept a digital future that leaves half of humanity behind.  We must urgently invest in digital skills for all; harness the potential of technology to improve women’s lives; dismantle barriers blocking their full participation and leadership in the technology sector; and keep working to eradicate gender-based violence in all its forms — online and offline.

The Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact offer a path to bridge all digital divides and strengthen collaboration for women’s rights online.  Let’s take that path together and help ensure digital transformation is a force for progress, inclusion and equality.

When technology serves everyone, everyone wins.