By Joyce Danso
Accra, March 31, GNA- Women have been tasked to take full advantage of the benefits of digitization to improve their lives, Queeneth Tawo, Regional Coordinator, Women Peace Security (WPS) Programme of West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), has said.
Madam Tawo also appealed to women to use social media to secure jobs and other opportunities so they do not lag in development.
“You do not need to depend on or rely on social media for validation. There are vast opportunities you can tap into using social media.”
She noted the positive use of social media had propelled her to secure big consultancy and jobs over the years; thus, without social media, she could not have gotten those jobs.
Madam Tawo was speaking at WANEP’s WPS interactive Session on the theme, “Achieving Gender Parity Through the Utilization of Digital Technology.”
The session is in line with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 adopted in the year 2000 with calls for the integration of gender perspectives in peace and security work that would ensure that women’s rights were protected in both conflict and peace issues.
It also formed part of WANEP’s celebration of International Women’s Day celebration, which is held on March 8, every year.
Madam Tawo said the meeting sought to discuss issues on the advantages and disadvantages of delivering the WPS agenda through technology.
According to her, participants would also discuss challenges and risks in the use of Technology and social media in the advancement of the WPS agenda.
She said discussants at the meeting would develop a set of action-oriented recommendations on how women explored the potential of digital technology to advance the attainment of gender parity and increase their meaningful and inclusive participation in leadership.
She was optimistic that at the end of the meeting, an action plan would be developed to protect women and girls in the digital space and enhance women and girls’ participation in the digital space.
Dr Vincent Azumah, Head of Monitoring and Evaluation, WANEP, said his organisation was interested in using technology for peace building because “the picture we have today is gloomy.”
Dr Azumah said a study by the European Union indicated that globally 17 per cent of the women population were into Information Technology (IT) and in software development, women constituted 10 per cent.
He noted that some women were using technology wrongly and some men were using technology to commit crimes against women and children.
According to him, in the year 2022, 11 cases of kidnapping and abduction were reported adding that “some abductions happened through the use of technology.”
He recounted that some applications were not gender sensitive, adding there was a need to develop applications which were gender sensitive.
Dr Ayo Ayoola- Amale, President of the Women International League for Peace and Freedom, noted that with technology, some people have been able to secure careers and urged participants to look beyond their reach.
Dr Ayoola-Amale said with the development of digital tools women would be able to have access to good health and improve their finances and personal development.
She, therefore, urged women and girls not to be perturbed by cyberbullies who spewed out negative words to them.
GNA