AFRICA NEWS AGENCY
AFRICA NEWS AGENCY
Boutheina Guermazi, the World Bank›s Director of Digital Development (DD)
“WOMEN AND MEN
MUST HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES TO ACCESS DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY”
T
unisian Boutheina Guermazi is what one might call “Ms. Digital” of the World Bank, an institution she joined in 2004. In this interview, she talks about her experience in the digital sector, her mission within the World Bank, and especially the importance the Bank places on the digital inclusion of women, poor populations and rural communities. Interview.
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Before talking about women in digital, tell us about yourself: your career and your mission in the digital development department at the World Bank?
I was born and grew up in Tunisia, a country that is now relying heavily on digital transformation. As early as 1999, Tunisia had created a national commission for electronic commerce. A decade later, in 2018, the country adopted the “Startup Act”, a new regulatory framework to promote digital entrepreneurship. Yet, the Middle East and North Africa region, where 280 million people still do not have the opportunity to take advantage of digital technologies, still has some way to go to promote digital inclusion. The pandemic has shown us how important digital access is. When I was a student, the Internet was in its infancy, and I set my sights on public law. It was during my studies that I developed my interest in telecommunications regulation, a field I furthered by completing my PhD at McGill.
« My teams support the governments of developing countries to accelerate their digital transformation” After a stint at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), I joined the World Bank in 2004 as an ICT policy specialist. Specifically, my role was to support African governments in their plans to expand access to mobile telephony and the Internet for all. At the time, this literally meant connecting some countries to the World Wide Web. I gradually moved into management roles until I became the director of digital development. Within a few years, our approach changed to keep up with the changes in the sector. Moreover, it’s more accurate to talk about the digital economy than the digital sector, since all sectors are now “irrigated” by digital innovation. My teams support the governments of developing countries to accelerate their digital transformation, while emphasizing digital in-
