UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed warned the General Assembly that, without action from the international community, the digital divide will become “the new face of inequality”.
Almost half of the world’s population are still offline with women constituting a large proportion of this population. Infrastructure Australia is due to publish a report in June that details the inequitable access to digital services and learning in the country.
As a community, our responsibility is to create digital environments that connect everyone regardless of gender or income. Amina Mohammed calls for a “global town hall” to address the growing divide and “capitalise on technology’s transformational potential to create new jobs, boost financial inclusion, close the gender gap, spur a green recovery and redesign our cities.”