IWD: NCWS seeks mainstreaming of women into digital world

The National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) has urged stakeholders in the technology industry to mainstream women into the sector for gender equality.

The National President of NCWS, Hajiya Lami Lau, said this in a statement on Tuesday in commemoration of the 2023 International Women’s Day (IWD).

The theme of this year’s edition is: “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”.

Lau said that the United Nations observance of the IWD recognises and celebrates the women and girls who were championing the advancement of transformative technology and digital education.

She said that bringing women and other marginalised groups into technology results in more creative solutions and had greater potential for innovations that meet women’s needs and promote gender equality.

”The non inclusion of women comes with massive costs and according to the UN Women 2022 Snap Short Report, women’s exclusion from the digital world had reduced one trillion dollars from the

GDP of low- and middle-income countries in the last decade.

“This loss will grow to $1.5 trillion by 2025 if no action is taken to mainstream women in digital world,,” she said.

Lau said that to change this situation will require tackling the problem of online violence, which according to the reports, 38 per cent of women had personally experienced.

The national president stressed the need for digital education that could increase the awareness of women and girls regarding their rights and civic engagement in the sector.

She called for the adoption of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses by girls to address the discrimination, gender bias and improve participation in all spheres.

Lau said that the celebration of the IWD 2023 would explore the impact of the digital gender gap on widening economic and social inequalities.

This, she said, would also highlight the importance of protecting the rights of women and girls in digital spaces and addressing online and ICT-facilitated gender-based violence.

(NAN)

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Ahead of the March 11 governorship and state Assembly elections in 28 States, including Kaduna, the leaderships of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has appealed to journalists practicing in Kaduna State to avoid promoting stories that are capable of triggering political violence

The two religious bodies and other partners appealed at a one-day interactive session organised by the Global Peace Foundation-Nigeria (GPFN) in collaboration with Big Minds Communications Consult (BMCC) and Corespondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna State Chapter.

Apart from being the third largest state after Lagos and Kano, Kaduna is one of the Northern states that has recorded the highest number of political violence that has claimed several lives and destruction of properties, especially during the 2011 post-election unrest.

Chairman of CAN in the State and Country Director, GPFN, Reverend Joseph Hayab while delivering his keynote address on “Peaceful Election in Kaduna State with Gubernatorial Candidates” from religious and political perspectives said, media and journalists are key in having peaceful elections in the State.

“To conduct credible, free, and fair elections that would usher in the kind of leaders that the Nigerian public desires, the role of the media is substantial and that leads me to appeal to journalists at this crucial moment, especially in Kaduna state, a state that has experienced devastation in the aftermath of elections in the past, to report in a manner that douses any rising tension than to add to the flames of an already a volatile situation with sensational reporting.

“As it stands, Saturday 11th March 2023 is the day slated for the next election and the governorship vote is considered closer to the people and may attract more attention than the presidential held on 25th February 2023.

“Given the sensitivity of Kaduna state and the resulting experiences of religious tensions in the past, GPFN is calling on Kaduna state people to make use of this election to unite and respect each other’s rights and freedom of choice”, Hayab said.

Also speaking, Secretary, JNI, Kaduna State Chapter, Ibrahim Kefena urged journalists not to create unnecessary political tension in the State because God already knows who will win no matter the circumstances that may play up.

He said, “already, God has