COVID-19: Unmasking the Digital Gender Divide in a Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina Shouman ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Gender Inequality ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Economic Life ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Digital Inequality ◽  
Digital Revolution ◽  
Digital World ◽  
Gender Divide

Abstract The digital revolution has paved the way to a digital world that stimulates economic growth, develops health outcomes, and raises millions out of poverty by means of new technologies and services. The COVID-19 outbreak hastened the implementation of digital solutions at an exceptional speed, producing unforeseen opportunities for alternative methods to social and economic life. On the other hand, the COVID-19 crisis threatens to repel hard-won achievements in gender equality, further revealing women’s vulnerabilities based on their already existing economic, social and political situations. Tackling the digital gender divide is essential to guaranteeing sustainability of women’s livelihood. Therefore, the aim of this study is to find out if the COVID-19 crisis is enforcing existing digital inequality keeping in mind that failure to address the gender digital divide will increase gender inequality. Keywords: Digital revolution, COVID-19, gender equality, digital gender divide, digital inequality

scholarly journals Ageing, Vision Impairment and Digital Inclusion in Ireland

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Blaithin Anna Mary Gallagher ◽  
Emma Murphy ◽  
Antoinette Fennell
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Older People ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Economic Life ◽  
Vision Impairment ◽  
Digital Inclusion ◽  
Digital Revolution ◽  
Ict Competence ◽  
Highly Correlated

Our population is ageing. Vision impairment is highly correlated with ageing and the population of older people with vision impairment is increasing. ICT competence is essential to fully partake in society. Older people, in particular those with vision impairment, are at a high risk of being excluded from the digital revolution and must be ecnourage to use ICT's. This paper outlines four projects in which NCBI has been involved in relation to older adults and digital inclusion. Improving access to ICT for older people with vision impairment will enhance their participation in social, cultural and economic life and bridge the digital divide.

Reexamining the Digital Divide

2011 ◽  
pp. 738-744
Author(s):  
Karen R. Juneau
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Technology Access ◽  
Efficient Technology ◽  
Economic Issues ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Digital World ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Or Groups ◽  
Potential Factors

The concept of the “digital divide” refers to perceived differences in opportunity and achievement caused by economic and social disparities that limit access to technology. In general, the concept represents that as technology advances, some groups within society gain greater access to more efficient technology while other groups that are unable or unwilling to participate in the use of technology are left behind. This lack of participation in the digital world is considered to place these individuals or groups at a disadvantage relative to their more connected peers. The term “digital divide” also describes information technology disparities between nations and technical accessibility disparities within smaller societal groups. Although this issue has been researched for over a decade, both the concept and proposed solutions to problems related to technology access are controversial. As the concept of a digital divide moves beyond economic issues, conflicts between technology and aesthetics are emerging as potential factors in the debate over the adoption of new technologies.

scholarly journals The impact of the digital revolution on the global economy

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (S4) ◽  
pp. 968-987
Author(s):  
Marsel Imamov ◽  
Natalia Semenikhina
Keyword(s):  
Global Economy ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Digital Economy ◽  
Economic Life ◽  
Digital Revolution ◽  
Balanced Development ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact

Today, the economy is undergoing serious changes based on new digital technologies and artificial intelligence, which has affected serious qualitative and structural shifts. The purpose of this work is to study the impact of new technologies on economic processes, the advantages and disadvantages of the rapid development of new technologies. The significance of the research is determined by the relevance of the topic of the work, as well as the importance of tracking the processes of the world economy. The authors conducted a study and revealed that the digital economy is influenced by trends in the use of modern technologies, described the consequences of these changes, as well as the possibility of preventing problems. Globalization, integration, acceleration of integration processes, industrialization, environmental, demographic and political factors of economic life around the world require balanced development of the national economy with special attention. This article examines the ways of economic development and the following consequences. Analysing the results, it can be noted that it is impossible to say unequivocally what can negatively or positively affect the development of the digital economy, because there is an unpredictability factor that needs to be constantly taken into account in research.

scholarly journals Gender Digital Divide – Examining the Reality

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (11S) ◽  
pp. 214-219
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Information Society ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Digital Information ◽  
Digital Tool ◽  
Digital Revolution ◽  
Gender Divide ◽  
Underrepresentation Of Women

In this age of digital revolution, one of the most significant inequalities that prevail across all social and economic groups is the gender divide. The limitation, obstacle and challenges faced by the women across the globe prevent them to access and use the information technology. There is an underrepresentation of women in the decision-making structures in the digital information society, where they are considered as technophobic, wherein the plans and policies were gendersensitive. The constraining elements in relation to women’s usage of technology lie in the socio-economic and cultural barriers laid down by society. Gender bias-ness exists in the attitude of using information technology. The cultural norms forbid women’s interaction with the outside society which restricts them from the usage of ICT. In addition, the disparity in the education and income sectors, social class and geographic locations cast a shadow in the usage of the ICT. But a contradictory situation exists in the present postmodern society, where women are gaining education and income opportunity, where ICT as a digital tool has enabled them to overcome this long-lasting inequality, contribute in the community building and decision-making process. It has provided them with the freedom of interaction and shares their opinions and gathers information across the information society. But the United Nation World Summit on the Information Society (2003-2005, 2017) highlighted that gender digital divide still persist in the society. Like so, the question remains whether the gender digital divide is hype or reality? So, this paper will try to examine the gender divide existing in this digital information society.

scholarly journals INFLUENCE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON THE LABOR MARKET: SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHANGES, DIGITALIZATION

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 4-8
Author(s):  
S.A. Belyakov ◽  
◽  
I.O. Stepina ◽  
V.E. Eirich ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Labor Demand ◽  
Digital Economy ◽  
Economic Life ◽  
Remote Work ◽  
Economic Changes ◽  
Digital World ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Restrictive Measures

The development of the labor market and its expansion are very important components for a prosperous socio-economic life of any state and its population. The article examines changes in the labor market under the influence of the rapid spread of coronavirus infection, reveals their consequences for the standard of living of people and further ways out of this situation. The issue of the need to adapt to the digital economy of most spheres of economic activity and employees in or- der to avoid a repeated situation and to increase profits by providing services and goods not only offline, through direct communication with the consumer, but also with the use of new digital technologies, including remote work, the online sphere ... COVID-19 has become a catalyst for the transition of all areas to the online environment during the pandemic, but many companies did not want to return to their usual way of life after the lifting of restrictive measures. A large number of firms continued to develop their range of online services and were able to transfer some of their employees to remote work. It is quite simple to justify what is happening, employers no longer need to pay rent for premises for work. For this rea- son, there have been changes in the structure of labor demand in the labor market. Living conditions have changed dra- matically, so the requirements for employees have changed, some had to retrain, while most had to master online servers in order not to lose their income. The development of the digital economy leads to the need for people to possess new com- petencies in this area, which leads to the development of human resources. Modern workers must be ready for continuous learning and mastering new technologies - this has become a key factor for a successful career in the digital world.

Instrumenty polityki równości płci w kontekście sytuacji w Polsce

2016 ◽  
pp. 88-109
Author(s):  
Wiktoria Domagała
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Gender Inequality ◽  
Equal Opportunities ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The United Nations

The article undertakes the issue of gender equality policies in the context of its indicators. The main purpose of the paper is to identify the areas of gender inequality, its scale and determinants. Firstly, the article presents the legislation of gender equality policies – its main objectives. Next, the paper discusses indicators that were implemented by organisations such as the Organisation of the United Nations and the European Union. These selected indicators are presented, taking into account the situation in Poland. In conclusion, the paper highlights the main obstacles to the pursuit of equal opportunities for women and men in Poland.

Key technologies of the modern digital economy

2020 ◽  
pp. 25-36
Author(s):  
N. Rodigina ◽  
S. Moleva ◽  
M. Logina ◽  
V. Musikhin
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
World Economy ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Significant Contribution ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Digital Revolution ◽  
Key Technologies ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Positive Results

This article is devoted to digitalization as a challenge of the modern world economy. The digital revolution has changed our lives and societies with unprecedented speed and scale, providing huge opportunities as well as daunting challenges. New technologies can make a significant contribution to achieving sustainable development goals, but positive results should not be taken for granted.

Islam, Gender, and Democracy in Comparative Perspective

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Comparative Literature ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Gender Inequality ◽  
Women's Rights ◽  
Women’S Rights ◽  
Muslim Countries ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Shed Light

This volume reframes the debate around Islam and women’s rights within a broader comparative literature. It examines the complex and contingent historical relationships between religion, secularism, democracy, law, and gender equality. Part I addresses the nexus of religion, law, gender, and democracy through different disciplinary perspectives (sociology, anthropology, political science, law). Part II localizes the implementation of this nexus between law, gender, and democracy, and provides contextualized responses to questions raised in Part I. The contributors explore the situation of Muslim women’s rights vis-à-vis human rights to shed light on gender politics in the modernization of the nation and to ponder over the role of Islam in gender inequality across different Muslim countries.

scholarly journals How Do Women Overcome Gender Inequality by Forming Small-Scale Cooperatives? The Case of the Agricultural Sector in Uganda

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1797
Author(s):  
Amber Theeuwen ◽  
Valérie Duplat ◽  
Christopher Wickert ◽  
Brian Tjemkes
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Gender Inequality ◽  
Family Business ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Business Relationships ◽  
Female Farmers

In Uganda, the agricultural sector contributes substantially to gross domestic product. Although the involvement of Ugandan women in this sector is extensive, female farmers face significant obstacles, caused by gendering that impedes their ability to expand their family business and to generate incomes. Gender refers to social or cultural categories by which women–men relationships are conceived. In this study, we aim to investigate how gendering influences the development of business relationships in the Ugandan agricultural sector. To do so, we employed a qualitative–inductive methodology to collect unique data on the rice and cassava sectors. Our findings reveal at first that, in the agricultural sector in Uganda, inter-organization business relationships (i.e., between non-family actors) are mostly developed by and between men, whereas intra-organization business relationships with family members are mostly developed by women. We learn that gendering impedes women from developing inter-organization business relationships. Impediments for female farmers include their restricted mobility, the lack of trust by men, their limited freedom in communication, household duties, and responsibilities for farming activities up until sales. Our findings also reveal that these impediments to developing inter-organization business relationships prevent female farmers from being empowered and from attainting economic benefits for the family business. In this context, the results of our study show that grouping in small-scale cooperatives offers female farmers an opportunity to overcome gender inequality and to become economically emancipated. Thanks to these cooperatives, women can develop inter-organization relationships with men and other women and gain easier access to financial resources. Small-scale cooperatives can alter gendering in the long run, in favor of more gender equality and less marginalization of women. Our study responds to calls for more research on the informal economy in developing countries and brings further understanding to the effect of gendering in the Ugandan agricultural sector. We propose a theoretical framework with eight propositions bridging gendering, business relationship development, and empowerment and economic benefits. Our framework serves as a springboard for policy implications aimed at fostering gender equality in informal sectors in developing countries.

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