THE IMPACT OF ZIMBABWEAN WOMEN IN THE DIGITAL SPACE
  • by Kumbirai Kahiya


The increase of Organizations working towards promoting the inclusion of women in diverse spaces like the digital space has been one of the phenomena that need special attention as far as inclusion is concerned. In an effort to raise awareness, this year’s International Women’s had the theme, “Digital: Innovation and Technology for gender equality.” Such a theme informs the importance of women’s inclusion in the digital space. According to research by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), women are 23% less likely than men to own a mobile phone in Africa, a reflection that women require special attention in terms of the digital space.

IS THE DIGITAL GAP A MATTER OF APATHY OR GENUINE EXCLUSION?

The digital space is a  community that is flexible enough to provide women with opportunities that will foster economic development. With the growth in the digital space, digital platforms tend to attend not just to social calls but have also been used to expand businesses. This is one of the reasons why women should be active in the digital space. However, despite the neutrality of the digital space, it has been used negatively against women, especially in the political sphere hence women have chosen to stay away from the digital space. The digital space has become a toxic place where women are being abused anyhow and the worst part is women find it difficult to support fellow women. The burden of unpaid care work remains a pertinent issue and a cause of why women are not active in the digital space. Women are too busy being wives, mothers, and daughters so much that they end up not having a life for themselves hence the exclusion in the digital space.

Digital inclusion starts from social inclusion where there is a fight to recognize, reduce and redistribute unpaid care work. Sustainable Development Goals 5 and 10 sync in trying to create a platform where women are considered equal in the digital community and create a platform where they can positively contribute towards SDG 8 to promote decent work and economic growth.

CONCLUSION

There is more to digital inclusion than what we see on the surface. Women can be more when given the platform and opportunity, and all forms of inclusion are complementary in development.