Lessons in leveraging digital education, technology, and innovation for gender equality in the Global South
Speakers:
Larysa Lysenko, Research Coordinator Concordia University
Claudia Sugimaru, Researcher GRADE
Caitlin Kraft-Buchmann, CEO Women at the Table
Jasmine Turner, Researcher War Child Holland
Suzie Dunn, Researcher CIGI
Building equitable, inclusive, and resilient digital education, technology and
innovation systems across the Global South is a lingering development challenge, magnified by the
COVID-19 crisis. The 2021 Global Sustainable Development Report showcased how the pandemic
negatively impacted progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5
(Gender Equality), and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), all central to CSW’s priority
theme.
Technology and innovation can play a key role in promoting accessible and quality education that can be
widespread, adaptable, and less prone to disruptions. Similarly, rapidly emergent technologies, including
artificial intelligence (AI), are and will continue to play a critical role in shaping the nature and quality of
jobs for women. Understanding which innovations work for Global Southern contexts and supporting
their responsible adaptation and scaling, including ensuring that teachers are trained to
use technological tools and that technology is leveraged fairly and with a gender-lens, is paramount to
address development challenges in the Global South, from the current education crisis to access to well-
paid and quality jobs for women in future.
Equally important is to support that system-level efforts follow a gender transformative approach, one
that ensures that technology and innovation is leveraged with an aim to reach those most marginalized
and close rather than perpetuate or expand gender disparities, including gender-based violence and
gender bias. Moreover, there is a responsibility to ensure that digital education propels women’s
participation and leadership in growth-related fields including science, technology, engineering, and
math (STEM).
Drawing on the lessons from IDRC’s programming on inclusive education, gender analysis in STEM,
artificial intelligence for development, and strengthening inclusiveness in science, technology and
innovation systems, this panel features supported partners from Canada and across the Global South.
They will outline the lingering challenges that hinder gender equality and inclusion in their local
contexts, showcase their experiences and findings propelling gender equality through research and
advocacy, and propose policy recommendations to leverage digital education, technology and education
for gender equality.
Last modified: February 28, 2023