In this time of unprecedented socioeconomic crisis, the role of women in the economy has been repeatedly emphasised. Even though different sources present varying statistics, they all point to the fact that women’s labour force participation in the country is at an alarmingly low level and that the lack of opportunities and support available for women, especially those concerning social and economic factors, are among the leading reasons that have contributed to this situation.
It is in such a context that Sri Lanka celebrates International Women’s Day today (8). More than ever before, supporting women to excel as professionals has become a pressing need.
According to the United Nations (UN), this year’s Women’s Day is being celebrated under the theme “DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality” regarding which it added that although “our lives depend on strong technological integration, 37% of women do not use the internet”. If women are unable to access the internet and do not feel safe online, the UN stressed that they are unable to develop the necessary digital skills to engage in digital spaces, which diminishes their opportunities to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-related fields. This is in a context where by 2050, 75% of jobs will be related to STEM areas.
This is an area that Sri Lanka has to pay serious attention to, as Sri Lankan women have reported feeling unsafe online for a long time now. As has been noted by activists and researchers, the issue of women feeling unsafe online has been worsened by the lack of online abuses being reported. Even if complaints were lodged with the law enforcement authorities, as per the available data, on many occasions, women do not receive the expected or adequate assistance from those authorities due to a lack of knowledge and sensitivity about online abuses. This situation, worsened by social stigma, hinders women who have faced such abuses from revealing or seeking legal support, which, consequently, prevents such abuses from being properly addressed. Raising awareness among and sensitising law enforcement authorities in this regard should be a part of future legal sector reforms.
One of the ways that these abuses could be prevented or lessened is by ensuring that women are aware of the safety precautions they should employ when using the internet, and that is something that Sri Lanka has to achieve by raising awareness. Even though a significant number of schools provide information technology-related education at present, those courses focus mainly on the technological aspects of using the internet. Therefore, these courses being modified to pay more attention to using the internet safely should be a priority in education sector reforms.
Through such measures, Sri Lanka could start making the internet a safer place for women, which in turn would help them get the full benefit of the internet. On the one hand, this allows women to obtain knowledge, especially related to STEM, which is not provided through conservative education institutes. On the other hand, as far as much-needed economic resuscitation is concerned, such increased use of the internet for STEM-related education would be an investment. However, unless such efforts are not supported through the school system, society, family units, policies, and through the provision of facilities, it would not be possible to witness positive improvements in STEM subjects and related targets or in the expected socioeconomic improvements.
As the UN noted in its message for the day, bringing women into technology results in more creative solutions and has a greater potential for innovations that meet women’s needs and promote gender equality.