Fransina Kahungu
Considering this year’s International Women’s Day (8 March) theme, ‘DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality’, we must ask how innovation and technology can enhance and improve the lives of women and the girl child, especially in Africa.
Considering the socio-economic challenges that affect women in our countries and communities, we must explore the possibilities and opportunities that current innovations and technologies offer us.
There is a rapid and radical global expansion of technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and blockchain in addition to the various social media platforms.
These technologies provide a wide range of applications and possibilities. Therefore, in this article, I would like to address several areas of application and consideration to foster gender equality and harmonious society.
In my engagement with different stakeholders, I have realised gender equality is viewed from different perspectives. Individuals and stakeholder have their concepts and approaches they think best address and enable gender equality.
Thus, at times, there is little cohesion, alignment and collaboration. This is unfortunate, as gender equality requires collective engagement and dialogue among all members of society.
Therefore, we should utilise social media platforms to increase awareness and engagement within society.
This use should be strategic to ensure women and children who are deprived of essential information and news can be reached.
We need to make sure that information is widespread – not only in urban centres but that it also reaches far-flung villages. In this regard, we are aware of the government’s efforts in ensuring that information is accessible, such as in the case of the Access to Information Bill that was passed last year.
However, this alignment is easier said than done, as there are barriers to labour, capital and natural resources. This is even more apparent in rural areas, where women lack formal economic opportunities and networks. Hence, we should explore how different technologies and platforms can narrow the gap by expanding economic opportunities and networks to women, especially in rural areas.
This is critical, more now than ever, considering the various trade opportunities, such as the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
To take advantage of such opportunities, women should be aware of them. Beyond just awareness, they should also be skilled and capacitated towards such initiatives. Therefore, technology should be used for capacity building, enhancing and ensuring that local women-led enterprises are sustainable and optimal.
Besides economic opportunities, technology also has a crucial role to play in political mobilisation. An essential affordance of technology is that it connects different audiences and communities. This attribute can be used for political lobbying and expanding political opportunities for women. I argue that the involvement of women in politics is crucial to the well-being of society.
As Kofi Annan asserts, “there is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women”; thus, we should utilise technology to encourage and promote women’s involvement in politics, taking up space and simultaneously ensuring development.
Moreover, technology should be used to ensure women’s voices are heard through policy contributions and other means of engagement. This will allow for policies and laws to resonate with women’s wants, needs and aspirations.
Unfortunately, our society experiences gender-based violence; the consequences of this are grave, extending beyond what we see and know in the immediate. Thus, we continually need to seek different types of preventative measures. Technology should be used to enable different types of resolution mechanisms that are appropriate.
For instance, there can be online platforms where couples seek counselling to address the issues in their relationships in a more sensible manner that is beneficial to all parties involved.
Furthermore, there should be online platforms where women can seek assistance and report GBV. These platforms should be accessible to women, and they should ensure the dignity of women, irrespective of the situation they are going through.
I believe a society where women are religiously, mentally and culturally aligned will go a long way in addressing the social ills that we face – but at the same time enhance and leverage women’s distinct and empowering attributes.
Last year’s theme was ‘Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow’. It goes well with this year’s theme. Desirous of a thriving, prosperous and sustainable society, we should utilise the different tools we have today to foster and ensure that today and tomorrow, women are empowered and given an opportunity to make positive contributions to society. This not only benefits women but society in general.
*Fransina Ndateelela Kahungu is the secretary of the Swapo Party Women’s Council.