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Technology is all around us: tablets, smartphones, TVs, computers, smart thermostats, smart home entertainment systems, like Alexa, the list goes on and on. Technology makes our lives easier, better, faster. But it hasn't always been this way. Likewise, access to technology is not as easily accessible or even available for many. &nbsp;According to the United Nations, nearly 3 billion people – or 37% of the world's population – have never used the Internet. And according to the <a href="https://www.itu.int/en/mediacentre/Pages/PR-2021-11-29-FactsFigures.aspx">UN's International Telecommunication Union</a> (ITU), it is estimated that 96% of the 2.9 billion people who have not accessed the web live in developing countries. This represents a huge disadvantage for these communities. Why? Because without access to the Internet and technology like tablets and computers, fewer boys and girls have access to educational resources, negatively affecting their futures and the future of their communities.&nbsp;Think about it, how many times in the last week have you 'Googled' something for school? How often have you used a tablet or computer to type an essay this week?&nbsp;&nbsp;<h1>The Digital Divide</h1>The digital divide is a gap between those who have access to new technology and those who do not. These technologies include but are not limited to smartphones, computers, and the Internet.&nbsp;However, the digital divide is more complex than simply not having the latest iPhone. On the one hand, there is a technological divide: the lack of infrastructure to allow telecommunications, such as the lack of electricity, optic fiber, and high-speed internet providers, for example. On the other hand, there is a content divide where a lot of the web-based content is not relevant to the local communities, either because it is available only in English or because it doesn't address their actual day to day needs. And lastly, there is a gender divide, with women and girls having less access to information technology than men and boys.&nbsp;Let's explore that last point a little further.&nbsp;<h1>Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women through Technology</h1>Experts estimate that 90% of future jobs require information and communications technology (ICT) skills. Furthermore, the fastest-growing, most in-demand jobs will be in the computer, mathematical, architecture, and engineering fields. Therefore access to technology is essential to guarantee a more diverse and gender-equal workforce.&nbsp;The link between technology and women's rights is reflected in UN Sustainability <a href="https://www.globalgoals.org/goals/5-gender-equality/">Goal 5, Gender Equality</a>, which includes a specific target on utilizing technology to drive women's and girls' empowerment. However, in reality, gender equality touches upon all UN sustainability goals. Gender equality is key to ensuring that no one is left behind, and therefore, it is essential for all of us to work together to ensure women and girls around the world are treated equally.&nbsp;<h2>But, How does Tech have an Impact on Gender Equality?&nbsp;</h2>Let's consider technology as a resource. As any resource, we must have rules to guarantee the responsible consumption of technology, both from an ethical and an environmental point of view.&nbsp;While there isn't a magic potion for achieving gender equality, digital technology presents an opportunity to help narrow gender gaps by allowing access to welfare services such as the care or protection of children and young people and access to financial services and information. It also represents a viable path to access healthcare services - doctors, nurses and counseling - to guarantee mental and physical wellbeing.&nbsp;Technology seen as a resource must be consumed responsibly, allowing access to girls and boys equally regardless of gender or socioeconomic status. Thankfully, more governments and non-profit organizations are working together to develop contingencies and strategies to help more women and girls access technology. Different grants and programs are now in place, looking to enhance women's activity in the workforce and give girls equal opportunities for education and jobs.&nbsp;For example, Tech Latinas Latin American Women for Technology creates opportunities for women and girls in Ecuador, Peru and Guatemala. They've been working in finding the best talent among the 37 million young women in these countries who were currently either unemployed or informally employed. Tech Latinas has done this by teaching coding and tech skills to women who live in middle to low-income Latin American households.&nbsp;They estimated that 1.2 million web developers in Latin America would be required by 2025, and by skilling the workforce now, they can help build stronger futures for many women.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Women in Tech - An Emoji Story</h2>Did you know a Colombian intern called Angela Guzman helped create apple's emojis back in 2008? Yes! Some of the very same emojis you use every day. In 2008, Angela was studying for her graphic design MFA at the Rhode Island School of Design. That year, she started an internship at Apple, where she created hundreds of emojis. Of course, it is easier now to think of an emoji and know what direction o to take, but back then, Angela didn't even know what an emoji was or was supposed to look like. Emoji is Japanese, and it means picture + word.&nbsp;Angela had a great mentor and supporter, Raymond Sepúlveda, who taught her how to make emojis in Apple's style. The first emoji Angela created was the 'engagement ring'. Angela and Raymond are responsible for creating the first batch of almost 500 emojis. Proving that women can have a big impact when given the right tools and opportunities.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Girls are stronger together. With the right resources and an open dialogue, we can empower each other. This means that with access to the Internet, computers or smartphones, girls can have a voice and get their message out to the world.

How Access to Technology Can Empower Girls 

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Thinking Cap OnCan you be an inventor? Think about a problem, challenge or issue that affects women around the world. Find some suggestions below:&nbsp;<ul><li>Lack of access to safe menstrual products for women and girls in Tanzania&nbsp;</li><li>Lack of access to books or reading resources in Latin America&nbsp;</li><li>Lack of access to drinking water in Africa&nbsp;</li><li>Or something local, like access to clothing and educational resources for girls in deprived areas.&nbsp;</li></ul>Can you think of ways to find a solution to the problem? Perhaps you can plan a campaign, a product, an idea! Become an inventor. Let's change the world one idea at a time.&nbsp;Please share your ideas with us!

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Did you know <a href="https://www.un.org/en/observances/womens-day">International Women’s Day</a> is just around the corner? International Women's Day celebrates the efforts of women around the world and their achievements in medicine, the economy, education, and their communities. &nbsp;International Women's Day also aims to increase awareness around gender equality. <a href="https://www.globalgoals.org/goals/5-gender-equality/">Gender equality</a> can be defined as the state where access to rights and opportunities is unaffected by gender. In other words, gender equality ensures that girls and boys have equal rights and opportunities. To many of us, this might sound like the norm, right? Boys and girls have the right to participate in any sport, study anything they want, vote, decide their future, etc. However, this is not as easy as it sounds in some societies.&nbsp;This is why this year's International Women's Day theme is particularly important to highlight. Let's #BreakTheBias. <a href="https://www.internationalwomensday.com/theme">Visit them</a> to find out how to participate - but remember to always ask for your parent's permission before taking part.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h1>Strengthening Women's Participation and Leadership</h1>Imagine not being able to decide what you want to do, say, or wear. Imagine not being heard. How would you feel? Sad? Angry? This is the reality for many women around the world who don't have a say in the decisions that impact their lives.Barriers such as discriminatory laws, lack of access to education, and strict gender roles restrict women from participating in society and becoming leaders. However, women's decision-making participation is not just a right, but it is also key to sustainable development and economies. In a democracy, every part of the population must be equally represented. Having both men and women involved in decision-making increases creativity and innovation, diversifies opinions, reduces conflicts, and allows all members of society to be heard.&nbsp;Women's participation also means women have power in decision making when it comes to responsible production of goods with equal wages and access to jobs regardless of gender.&nbsp;Thankfully, women have broken the mold over the past few decades and have opened the path for generations to come. Thanks to these pioneering women, other women today can vote and become presidents and CEOs.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h1>Young Women Making a Difference</h1>Taylor Richardson, 18 - USA&nbsp;Instagram: @astronautstarbrightKnown as Astronaut Starbright on social media, Taylor was fascinated by the cosmos from an early age. Then, at age 9, she attended space camp, where she realized she was the only Black girl. This sparked a commitment in Taylor, who started to look into ways to help diversify STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields.&nbsp;"Other girls need to know they can be astronauts".&nbsp;To date, Taylor has raised more than $325,000 to introduce young women of color to science via space camp scholarships, book drives centered on Black authors and subjects, and tickets to films like Hidden Figures.Taylor breaks the bias and opens the path for other young women to become astronauts.&nbsp;&nbsp;Vee Kativhu, 23 - Zimbabwe / U.K.Instagram: @veekativhuVee is a YouTube visionary, education activist and founder of the initiative, Empowered by Vee. She uses her online community to share tips and advice to help underprivileged and underrepresented women to recognize the power of their voice.&nbsp; &nbsp;Tanya Muzinda, 17 - ZimbabweInstagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tanyamuzinda">@tanyamuzinda</a>Taking on the male-dominated world of motocross, Tanya Muzinda has become her country's off-road circuits champion. Tanya started training when she was five years old. Now 17, she hopes to be the first black African to win a women's motocross world championship.&nbsp;She inspires boys and girls of all ages with her talent and has become the first Zimbabwean woman to win a motocross championship since the competition started in 1957. And in 2018, she was crowned junior sportswoman of the year by the African Union. But that is not all. Tanya uses the money she makes from motocross competitions to do charitable work; recently, she paid tuition for around 100 students to attend school in Harare.&nbsp;Natalia Pasternak Taschner, 45 - Brazil&nbsp;Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nataliapasternaktaschner">@nataliapasternaktaschner</a>Natalia, featured in the 2021 top 100 most influencing women in the world, is a microbiologist and science writer in Brazil with a PhD in bacterial genetics from the University of Sao Paulo. She brought crucial, life-saving scientific information to millions of people in Brazil during the Covid-19 pandemic through her press columns, radio and T.V. appearances.The quality of her work led to her being invited to Columbia University, in New York, by world-renowned neuroscientist and science writer Stuart Firestein. This move not only has inspired many other young women in STEM careers but has also recognized the role of women in science.&nbsp;Natalia is also the founder and current president of Instituto Questão de Ciência (Question of Science Institute), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting scientific evidence in public policies.&nbsp;Together we are stronger. You too can become part of the many women who are breaking the bias every day. And the coolest part of it is you don't even have to be a girl to help make a difference towards gender equality. Men and boys must actively engage in recognizing equality and actively helping women's voices to be heard.&nbsp;It is our responsibility as societies to work together, men and women, hand in hand in a responsible way to preserve the planet's resources.&nbsp;&nbsp;

By taking action, you can help change the conversation, move away from stereotypes and bias, and be part of the solution to improving gender equality in the workplace . Let's work together to create a gender-balanced world.

The Power to Change. How Women Can Lead the World

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Thinking Cap OnImagine you and a group of explorers (3 men and 3 women) are sent to live in a newly established colony on Mars. You have a list of activities that need to be done regularly. You have to assign jobs to each member of the crew.&nbsp;The jobs are:&nbsp;<ul><li>Cook/kitchen</li><li>Garden/growing food</li><li>Oxygen and waste systems maintenance&nbsp;</li><li>Doctor</li><li>Nurse</li><li>Fuel and solar panel maintenance&nbsp;</li></ul>How would you assign the jobs to each person?&nbsp;What characteristics would you consider essential for each job/role?&nbsp;Why do you think a male/female would be better for that job?Now, imagine you have a problem with the water system and find that you don't have enough water to complete the mission. How do you all handle the situation? Do you vote? Does each vote count the same?&nbsp;Break the bias and decide how you can change the world.&nbsp;

Empowering women is essential to the health and social development of families, communities, and countries. When women live in safe and thriving neighborhoods, feeling productive, respected, and contributing to society, they are more likely to reach their fullest potential. Not only by growing and nurturing families but by contributing their skills to the workforce.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h1 style="text-align:justify;">What do we mean by Technology?&nbsp;</h1>What kind of technology helps development? In general, the Internet has changed the way we communicate and do business across the world.&nbsp;Access to the Internet allows people to talk, buy, sell, learn. However, you need two main technological components to access the Internet: telecom infrastructure providing broadband technology and a 'medium' to channel the Internet, aka a smartphone or a computer. Unfortunately, according to the World Bank, only 35 % of the population in developing countries has access to the Internet, versus about 80 percent in developed countries such as the USA.&nbsp;Do you and your family have Internet at home?&nbsp;&nbsp;<h1 style="text-align:justify;">What do we mean by Empowerment?&nbsp;</h1>Before we can understand the impact of technology in empowering girl's and women's lives, it is important to understand the word "empowerment."Empowerment means having power and control over your life. However, this doesn't simply mean doing whatever you want. As children, sometimes you may feel you don't have the power to make all the decisions in your life. However, your parents are there to guide you and help you navigate decisions together. In this case, that help, support, and guidance from adults is empowerment.&nbsp;It is about working and supporting someone to give them the skills to take control and responsibility for their own lives. Going to school, learning, and having the power to make decisions like what to wear or eat can be empowering.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h1 style="text-align:justify;">Technology and Empowerment</h1>As mentioned before, access to technology can empower people by networking with others, fostering trade, and access information. In addition, technology enables people to learn skills otherwise not available for them. Thus, technology has played various roles in supporting the development of women's capacities and resources.&nbsp;According to the United Nations, empowering more women with mobile phones has accelerated social and economic development. However, more still needs to be done; in the 66 countries and territories with data (2017–2019), the average mobile telephone ownership was 8.5% lower for women than for men.&nbsp;Women are currently less likely than men to use or have access to digital technologies, with gaps more significant among youth and over 45 years old. However, technology improves efficiency, enhances coordination, and improves the quality of information gathered and shared.&nbsp;For example, mobile phones and access to the Internet via mobile devices allow women in developing countries to access education, which can help them find jobs. It can also open access to information about contraception, sex education, and the promotion of healthy lifestyles.&nbsp;Despite the positive use of technology to support women in their daily lives, there is a lack of consensus regarding the definition and use of the term "empowerment." In addition, the concept of empowerment is hard to measure, making it difficult to determine if and when it has been achieved.One thing is for sure: we need more significant collaborative efforts between researchers, program implementers, and policymakers worldwide to enhance access to technology in developing countries. In addition, we need to work further in the various communities of women to address the persistent gender disparities.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Gender equality is a fundamental human right. Internet access is a key driver of women's empowerment and a catalyst for accelerating improvements in education, health and economic growth worldwide.

Technology to Learn & Grow: Knowledge is Power 

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Thinking Cap On:&nbsp;Visit <a href="https://www.equalsintech.org/post/tech-and-coding-workshops-shine-in-latin-america">EQUALS Global Partnership</a> to learn how they create opportunities for girls in Latin America via tech and coding.EQUALS works promoting awareness, building political commitment, leveraging resources and knowledge, and supporting real action. EQUALS seeks to achieve digital gender equality and improve the livelihoods of millions around the world through this.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/EQUALSGlobalPartnership">EQUALS on YouTube</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/equalsintech/">EQUALS on Instagram</a>Inspired? Sign up to one of <a href="https://www.equalsintech.org/cisco-equals-learning-space">EQUALS Cisco FREE courses</a> for girls and become part of a global movement.Now use the skills learned and start a Girl Tech Group at school or in your community. What do you think could be a project you can get started with? Learning digital literacy - how to use a computer or smartphone - can be something you take for granted. Find out if anyone near you, whether young or older, needs help using the Internet and work towards helping those who need learning digital literacy.Knowledge is power!