CSW67: Roccella, “break stereotypes to achieve equal digital skills”

NEW YORK, 7 MARZO – “Promoting information and communication technology along with  STEM skills, among girls, is crucial to make them believe they can play a key role as digital change agents and that they can fulfill their personal and professional life choices without waiting their dreams and desires”, the Italian Minister for Family and Equal Opportunities, Eugenia Roccella, said during a side event of the 67th Commission for the Status of Women.

Roccella is leading the Italian delegation to the CSW. Today she was hosting “Rewiring the Network”, a panel on digital education co-organized with UNICEF, UNESCO and the UN Group of Friends for Education and Lifelong Learning.

“Nowadays – she said – the promotion of equal opportunities for men and women and the empowerment of women and girls requires a long-term vision due to multiple challenges to be tackled all at once by institutions, businesses and civil society. The common goal is managing and overcoming gender gaps that, when perpetuated, risk to corroborate cultural stereotypes and social prejudices against women and girls at the national and international level”.

The digital divide that affects women’s roles in contemporary society is twofold: it regards personal and professional perspectives. Italy – said the Minister – has faced this challenge in the post-pandemic period: at the national level, the Recovery and Resilience Plan – funded by the European Union – provides specific and considerable investments in digitalization and innovation, green transition and social inclusion, devoting particular attention to the education in STEM disciplines. This initiative has been focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics: digital education necessarily entails social and cultural enhancement of women and girls.

Resetting the digital gender gap for Italy – said Roccella – means providing girls and women with a level playing field in digital technologies literacy including the Internet and developing digital skills to contribute their design and production. The national action “Digital Republic”, launched in 2022, that includes a focus on overcoming the gender digital dive in digital skills, is an example of how to create synergies and promoting interventions to support women’s participation in digital transformation processes. (@OnuItalia)