Science & Tech

INTERNATIONAL Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), has called on governments at all levels to promote gender equality in digital technology.

A statement issued on Wednesday in Bauchi by Mrs Fatima Abubakar, Chairperson, FIDA,  Bauchi State branch quoted her as saying that the call was imperative.

This, Abubakar said, was because digital technology was one of the greatest innovations which had transformed humans’ daily activities such as financial transactions, communication and learning.

According to her,  the operation of digital technology in Nigeria had shown the inequalities that existed between genders due to the comparative small number of women that could effectively handle and operate in such spaces.

“We acknowledge that women have always faced unique challenges in the workplace particularly, because the traditional office set up has often failed to accommodate the needs of women, especially mothers.

“Digital technology had therefore created new opportunities for women to work remotely, giving them more flexibility to manage their personal and professional lives.

“Digital technology had also opened new avenues for education and learning. Women who may not have had access to traditional educational systems can now access online courses and resources from anywhere in the world.

“This has created beautiful opportunities for women to up-skill and pursue new careers, which may have otherwise been out of their reach,” she said.

Abubakar also identified gender gap in technology related fields as one of the challenges, adding that women in Nigeria were still under-represented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields.

According to her, this had limited the career opportunities available to women, their operations and daily use of such in a world that had largely gone digital.

“FIDA therefore encourages the use of key strategies to attract more women and girls to STEM in Nigeria.

“Involving female scientists in Nigeria in the development of STEM policies as well as encouraging young girls to develop an interest in STEM and empowering women across board through ICT,” she said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that IWD is celebrated annually on March 8,

The United Nation’s theme for the 2023 edition is “DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality”.  (NAN)

KN

Tags: Fatima Abubakar International Federation of Women Lawyers