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Innovation must ensure women not left behind in 4th Industrial Revolution

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
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Innovation must have a gender lens to ensure that solutions are most appropriate to ensure that women are not left behind in the 4th industrial revolution. That was among the main messages shared during the official commemoration of International Women’s Day at the United Nations in New York under the theme – “think equal, build smart, innovate for change”. Those gathered also heard that at present trends, it would take 200 years to close the gender gap in economic empowerment – one that is widening despite efforts to close it.

A moment through music to celebrate the tireless work of activists.

But a time when the push for gender equality must be accelerated if goal 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals can be made a reality.

Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, “Women still face major obstacles in accessing and exercising power. As the World Bank found, just six economies give women and men equal legal rights in areas that affect their work. At present trends, it will take two centuries to close the gap in economic empowerment – a gap that is widening, not lessening, by the day. I do not accept a world that tells my granddaughters that economic equality can wait for their granddaughter’s granddaughters. I know you agree: Our world cannot wait.”

Innovation through the sciences and technology seen as critical to allow women to leapfrog the widening gaps that exist with men – with calls for the better use of big data, mobile money and smart technologies to protect the rights of women.

Executive Director of UNWOMEN Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka explains, “Inclusion is important in innovation in order to make sure that the solution are most appropriate. We also need to ensure that we improve innovation by including gender equality and gender lens at the source of innovation and to ensure that, we have partnered the global innovation coalition for change with the private sector, integrating gender awareness at all levels of the innovation process. If you like, we are injecting the gender lens in the DNA of innovation.”

At current levels, it could take some 217 years to achieve gender parity in pay and employment opportunities for women. Pointing to the six-C’s that are crucial for a change in course – as Irish Ambassador and Chair of the 63rd Commission on the Status of Women, which begins on Monday.

Geraldine Byrne Nason explains, “The first C, Curricula – we simply need to provide equal opportunities for boys and girls in school Curricula. The second C – Career information needs to be disseminated, girls needs to know what’s possible, the third C – Correct – we need correct facilities for girls to ensure school attendance and high achievement, that can be a toilet or a road, the fourth C is caring, caring responsibilities, we need to help women manage caring responsibilities and careers. The fifth C – child care, childcare services are essential. Marian Wright Edelman said you can’t be what you can’t see. The sixth C, is that we need capable role models for success.”

Officials warning that while global trends point to increased awareness for gender equality, this is happening with a reinvigorated pushback on women’s rights, stifling progress in many parts of the world.

General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa, “Each year, international women’s day brings a list of depressing statistics, some 16 million girls will never set foot in a classroom, one 1 in 3 women has experienced physical or sexual violence, over 70 percent of people trafficked are female, on pretty much any measure of development women are behind. Add in factors like ethnicity, poverty or disability and the figures are even worse.”

As the case for a new vision of equality and opportunity for women, becomes more urgent than ever.

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