The Day of the Digital Girl

We all know that cell phones, laptops, iPads and other digital devices are not always a positive influence.  Recent congressional hearings highlight the dangers of social media, bullying, body shaming, misinformation, and similar challenges that girls encounter online.  However, it is undeniable that without access to digital information and learning, the outside world is increasingly inaccessible for girls, particularly in developing countries where secondary and even primary education is not a fundamental right. The Covid-19 pandemic has made it increasingly apparent that digital learning is a critical component of the future of education. Recent data indicates that girls in marginalized countries were disproportionately impacted in their educational advancement by the pandemic, with millions receiving no alternative education when schools closed. 

On October 11, 2021, the world observed the International Day of the Girl, which appears to be generating more global investment and interest in recent years. The Day of the Girl was first adopted by the United Nations in 2012 as an opportunity to celebrate the growth and development of girls, as well as to safeguard their rights and focus on inequality. I was inspired by the event to learn more about the global status of girl’s advancement. The UN’s Fourth World Conference for Women was held in Beijing in 1995, twenty-five years ago, and was intended to herald an increased focus on women’s equality and opportunity.  The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was adopted by 189 countries each of which had an obligation to pursue the goals of the conference. One of the 12 identified critical areas of need was to focus on girls’ equity and access.  Notwithstanding a desire to be optimistic, I was admittedly disheartened by what I found in the UN’s recent 25-year progress report and other information gathered online. Sadly, according to the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, “progress towards equal power and equal rights for women remains elusive. No country has achieved gender equality, and the COVID-19 crisis threatens to erode the limited gains that have been made.” In a more hopeful statement, he stated “the Decade of Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals and efforts to recover better from the pandemic offer a chance to transform the lives of women and girls, today and tomorrow.” 
 
According to the UN’s report, areas of significant inequity and stagnation include medical treatment, education, nutrition, legal rights, anti-discrimination protection, gender-based violence and the forced marriage of girls. One of the most concerning statistics was that nearly 1 in 4 girls aged 15–19 globally is not engaged in education, employment or training, compared to 1 in 10 boys.  It may be difficult to fully comprehend the realities that so many girls face, given girls’ broad access to education in the United States and other developed countries. In other parts of the world cultural bias and gender norms, societal restrictions, denial of access, religious fundamentalism, war, famine and limited legal rights all contribute to enormous global educational inequality. Recent news coverage highlights the plight of girls in Afghanistan who have new Taliban- imposed educational restrictions. And in many developing countries girls are responsible for an inordinate share of domestic chores and responsibilities, which limits their time for, and access to, education and training.  Moreover, many girls are victimized by forced child marriage, increasing their burdens at an early age. Girls may also have limited access to safe transportation to schools that are located miles away. According to the World Health Organization, girls in sub-Saharan Africa often have the worst conditions of any in the world, with little autonomy over their bodies, their health, education or money. In addition, adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa have the most adverse sexual and reproductive health outcomes. It is by all accounts an urgent situation.

One way to help carve a better path for girls in developing countries is to provide digital access, which opens doors to education, health and reproductive rights, creates broader communities and provides a path to workplace engagement. Not surprisingly, given the impact of the pandemic, the theme for the UN’s 2021 day of the girl was “Digital Generation. Our generation.” According to UNICEF, girls are disproportionately denied internet and other digital access and this challenge is widespread:

“While the pandemic has accelerated digital platforms for learning, earning and connecting, some 2.2 billion people below the age of 25 still do not have internet access at home. Girls are more likely to be cut off. The gender gap for global internet users grew from 11 per cent in 2013 to 17 per cent in 2019. In the world’s least developed countries, it hovers around 43 per cent. But the gender digital divide is about more than connectivity. Girls are also less likely than boys to use and own devices and gain access to tech-related skills and jobs. Only by addressing the inequity and exclusion that span geographies and generations can we usher in a digital revolution for all, with all.” Unicef.org

It is estimated that over 90% of the world’s jobs now have a digital component, and that number will certainly increase in the future.  Absent digital access and training, girls will have decreasing opportunities for participation in the workforce.  UNICEF Gender and Innovation Evidence Briefs-Insights into the gender digital divide for girls. This disparity limits the possible outcomes for girls who are growing up in the digital age. On a more positive note, the converse is true: when we provide opportunities for digital access, we help girls to meet their potential.

In connection with the Day of the Girl’s 2021 mission, the UN is spearheading a new initiative, Generation Equality Action Coalition on Technology and Innovation, which will bring governments, civil society, the private sector and young leaders together “to support girls’ digital access, skills and creativity.” However, as we’ve seen since the Beijing Conference, the UN’s initiatives alone have little chance of making a meaningful difference. Fortunately, numerous non-governmental organizations are focusing their efforts on digital access for girls, including two that stood out in my online research: Plan International, which was founded in 1937, works with girls in need in over 75 countries and is actively engaged in the digital access movement.  (plan-international.com). EQUALS Global partnership, which has over 90 public and private sector partners, has a goal of improving digital literacy for women and girls and advancing women in STEM and tech. (equalsintech.org.) As part of these initiatives, digital access initiatives are often accompanied by necessary training on practices to promote online safety. 

I’ve always been profoundly moved by the story of Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani girl who was targeted and critically wounded on a bus at age 15 as the result of her advocacy for education for girls in her community.  She relocated to England, and after many painful surgeries she thrived and became a fierce advocate for girls.  She became the youngest Nobel Prize winner in 2014 as well as the youngest Nobel laureate. In the words of Malala, “I tell my story not because it is unique but because it is the story of so many girls.” Her charity, the Malala Fund, founded by Malala and her dear father, is dedicated to advancing the education of girls around the world. According to the website, “each additional year of school a girl completes cuts both infant mortality and the child marriage rate. The benefits of an education clearly extend far beyond each family unit and have ripple effects throughout economies and societies. Amazingly, the Brookings Institution also found that secondary schooling for girls is “the most cost-effective and best investment against climate change.” 

I hope that the Day of the Girl inspires us all to help to advance girls’ education globally, to pursue the urgent need for digital access for girls, and to engage our ATHENA and other communities and colleagues in these efforts. At ATHENA International we are exploring our opportunities to teach leadership skills online to girls in underserved communities and we hope that in the future we can engage you in some of these efforts.  In the words of one extraordinarily courageous, outstanding young leader “we cannot all succeed when half of us are held back. We call upon our sisters around the world to be brave-to embrace the strength within themselves and realize their full potential.” Malala Yousafzai

Karen J. Laufer
ATHENA contributor