Women’s access to ICT can abate gender inequality: Minister Sharma

BY A STAFF REPORTER,Kathmandu, Mar. 9: Minister for Communication and Information Technology Rekha Sharma said that the Constitution of Nepal guarantees women’s rights and all should abide by the prevailing laws to create a gender-equal society.

Speaking at a conference on ‘Digital: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality ‘ held on the occasion of 113th International Women’s Day organised by Women in Information Technology (WIIT) in Kathmandu on Wednesday, Minister Sharma said that the gender inequality still existed in the society and we still live in a patriarchal society both mentally and physically.

At the conference, 101 women who have made significant contribution to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) were honoured. Also, Minister Sharma launched the WIIT’s publication titled ‘Success Stories of Women in ICT’ which features the success stories of those honoured women. 

This year, the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens had created a national slogan ‘A strong foundation for gender equality: expansion of women’s access to creative technologies’ to celebrate the Women’s Day. 

She stressed that equal pay for equal work should be practiced right from low-wage jobs. “We should make use of ICT to raise awareness about women’s rights and literacy among the targeted groups. A skill development programmes should be organised to empower women both socially and economically by ensuring women’s access to technology,” she added. 

Purushottam Khanal, Nepal Telecommunications Authority Chairman, informed that with the assistance from the World Bank the authority was preparing to distribute digital devices to the target group, especially from the remote areas, to minimise the digital gap in the country. 

Stating that the technology did not discriminate any gender, he said that the authority was also planning for the operation of digital classrooms for those unable to attend in-person classes which could prove to be a milestone in the education sector of the country.

Sheela Kansakar, vice-chair of WIIT, said that the organisation had been working for the social, educational and 

economic development of women and promoting their participation in the decision-making processes by raising digital literacy among them. 

At the conference, the speakers had presented research and paper works on the existing patterns of gender inequality in the context of digital skills and use of technology to promote gender equality.