In honor of International Women’s Day under the theme #EmbraceEquity, Georgetown Women's Alliance in Qatar in collaboration with Georgetown's Student Life in Qatar hosted a panel discussion titled “DigitALL: Technology and Innovation for Gender Equality. The panelists were Maia Henley,  Professor Lamis Kattan, Luigia Ingianni, and Dr. Claudia Kozman, moderated by Maryam AlThani. The panel discussion provided us with an outlook on the role of women in the digital world and the challenges they face as a minority group discovering and rediscovering this new world. It was an interesting and significant conversation to understand how women navigate through this ever-changing digital world while working to ensure they are not undermined and underrepresented. The topics discussed ranged from the technological revolution and its effect on women and girls, women in esports, digital literacy of women and girls, women in the tech field, and how media shapes our image of women. The panel directly relates to both my Certificate in Media and Politics and my capstone project since Sudanese women’s role in the revolution was fundamental, and the challenges they encountered in the streets and on social media based on their gender.

The panelists argued that the existence of a gap in digital literacy is a result of the disintegration of women in the whole process. If they had given women a chance from day one to be part of the digital and tech world process, they would’ve thrived by now. Nevertheless, the gap exists because they were not part of the process, and hence why they find it harder to adapt to these technological changes. World-impacting circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic reiterate the importance of digital literacy, especially for women, so they continue supporting themselves financially via digital means. The UNDP stated that data shows from various countries that women were the most affected by job loss because of the pandemic (Rasheed, 2021). If the digital literacy gap did not exist or be small, a limitation of the influence on women on such a large scale would have been in place. Instead, they would flourish by now because of the numerous opportunities present in the digital world during the pandemic, such as the rise of e-commerce and online learning. In Sudan, many women who were taking care of their households had to take the initiative of learning all about social media marketing and the digital realm to proceed with their work and prosper, even though they were integrated into the system from the start giving them a huge disadvantage, they had to adapt to the digital changes to benefit themselves and their society. Therefore, the inclusivity of women in the early stages of digital products and services is essential. Understanding women’s digital landscape and apprehending the digital world from the women’s lens while giving women roles in the production and brainstorming processes is significant to acknowledge the changes and help to ease the transition for this disadvantaged group. 

The panelists emphasized how we need to create an environment where women can thrive because of their great potential and dedication to what they do. Moreover, women in the tech fields are undervalued and underrepresented because of the gender expectations and the image the media portrays of women in tech. Therefore, gender equality and gender role stereotypes start at home and with the toys young girls play with. There needs to be an emphasis that women can succeed in any industry and field they work towards and not limit themselves by societal norms and expectations. Furthermore, priority must be given to teaching and educating these women and girls on their rights in digital space and online gender-based violence. Educating women and girls on these technological and digital developments will provide the world with innovative solutions to promote women’s needs and gender equality. In the Sudanese revolution, as we see more women join the social media activism movement, you notice how they discuss women’s issues on the ground and social media, whether it’s online or offline harassment or women’s rights that were almost non-existent at the times of the toppled president Omar Al-Bashir. The integration of women and the closing of the digital gender divide is crucial for an inclusive and transformative digital world and education for a more sustainable and safe future for all. 

Nadia Rasheed. (2021, April 27). How Digital Literacy Can Bring in More Women to The Workforce | United Nations Development Programme. UNDP. https://www.undp.org/india/blog/how-digital-literacy-can-bring-more-women-workforce