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Growing the Internet 19 July 2017

Nominate a Woman Or Girl for an EqualsInTech Award!

By Joyce DogniezGuest AuthorVice President, Empowerment and Outreach, Internet Society Foundation

Know an amazing woman or girl in tech who’s working for access, skills, or leadership? Why not shine the light on them and nominate them for an EqualsInTech Award!

Equals is an initiative delivered by a committed partnership of ITU, UN Women, GSMA, ITC, and UN University joined by the Internet Society and over 20 corporate leaders, governments, non-profit organizations, communities, and individuals around the world working together to bridge the digital gender divide – by bringing women to tech, and tech to women.

Worldwide, there are an estimated 200 million fewer women than men online. In developed countries, women and men have access to the Internet at comparable levels. But recent research by the Web Foundation shows that women in several developing countries are 50 percent less likely to be connected to the Internet than men in the same age group, where technical literacy levels and high costs are the two main barriers keeping women offline.

But all over the world, when women get access to build or use the Internet, they achieve extraordinary things for themselves and their communities. You can see it every day. We encourage all of you to share stories of women doing incredible things with and for the Internet through our Shine the Light campaign.

It’s key we remind world leaders that the Internet is crucial to closing tech’s gender gap. But for that to happen we need to make sure that all people – and especially women – have the opportunity to build and shape the tools that will so profoundly affect their lives.

There’s no better time to do that than now.

We’re here at the United Nations in New York to discuss the progress on the Global Goals, where 80% of the countries who presented their progress on the Goals highlighted the importance of connectivity to be successful, and many of them acknowledged the need for access for women and girls. 

Your nomination couldn’t happen at a better time. Join us in sending that message by nominating someone for the EqualsInTech award today.  

By nominating someone for an award, you’re helping boost the number of active women in tech for women and girls everywhere. 

Disclaimer: Viewpoints expressed in this post are those of the author and may or may not reflect official Internet Society positions.

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