Iranian and Indonesian officials in an online conference last week discussed gender justice in information and communication technologies and women’s potential in promoting a digital economy.
Held by Iran’s ICT Ministry on Oct. 13 and 14, the event was attended by Iran’s Vice President for Women and Family Affairs Massoumeh Ebtekar and Indonesia Minister of Women Empowerment and Child Protection Gusti ayu Bintang Darmawati, the government-affiliated website Women.gov.ir reported.
The event’s organizers believed that the two countries have a lot in common in terms of culture and lifestyle, so they can benefit from exchanging experiences and launching joint efforts for increasing women’s share of the digital economy.
Speaking at the online meeting, Ebtekar emphasized the importance of gender equality and bridging the gender gap in the tech industry and access to ICTs.
“Internet has created a potential ground for education, work, cultural development and entertainment. But we are still facing plenty of deficiencies in terms of digital literacy, internet access and cyberspace expertise, for which we should find solutions,” he said.
Ebtekar hoped that the workshop would help overcome challenges and improve the abilities of both countries to empower women in the field.
She noted that since Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani started his first term in office in 2013, access to landline and mobile internet in rural areas has significantly increased and boosted the growth of home-based businesses, which are mostly run by women.
“The government’s support for these fledgling businesses has led to the creation of local digital economies, which contribute to the country’s sustainable development,” she added.
Pointing to the coronavirus outbreak that has forced many shops and businesses to close down, Ebtekar said internet connection has been a ray of hope for the millions, as they get a chance to move their businesses online and eases their access to larger markets.
“Covid-19 has also led to the partial closure of schools and universities, as the growing internet access in the country can guarantee online education for all students,” she said.
Also speaking at the event, Hanieh Samei, women’s affairs advisor to ICT minister, said a scheme has been implemented in 270 parts of the country to teach women the basics of cyberspace and the internet, giving them the opportunity to flourish their talents and develop business ideas with the help of internet.
In addition, she said, to preserve the rights of children in cyberspace, Iran’s Communications Regulatory Authority is devising several plans to widen children-specific online content.
Women’s Challenges in Indonesia
The Indonesian minister praised Iranian measures for increasing women’s share in ICT and said Indonesia will willingly continue cooperation with Iran to develop management abilities in women by exchanging experiences.
Darmawati said that with the outbreak of Covid-19, 2020 poses an unprecedented challenge for people around the world, as it has given rise to negative socioeconomic consequences and disrupted relations among nations.
“But it should teach us that societies cannot overcome large-scale challenges alone and strong cooperation should be established among nations,” she said, hoping that the two-day workshop with Iran will be of great help to manage the worsening situation,” she added.
Darmawati noted that women and children have been the most vulnerable during the post-coronavirus time.
She stressed that with the internet playing a pivotal role in people’s lives these days, gender-based violence is spreading online.
“Although numerous movements have been initiated to expand gender equality, injustice is still growing against women,” she added.
Pointing to the fact that women account for over 50% of employees in Indonesia and a major part of businesses are active online, Darmawati said that increasing digital literacy and teaching online protection are becoming a must these days.
She said there are 13 million small-, medium- and large-scale businesses in Indonesia involved in electronic commerce, but 51.2 million employees in these companies are unacquainted with the digital world.
The event organizers believe that government action alone cannot redress discrimination against women in the online world, as people should join hands to harness internet’s potentials to achieve gender justice.
