International Girls in ICT Day 2025, set for April 24th, will highlight the theme ‘Girls in ICT for Inclusive Digital Transformation.’ This global initiative emphasizes the urgent need for greater female representation in the ICT sector.
As technology continues to shape industries and define future careers, equipping girls with tech skills is more important than ever. By fostering interest and participation in ICT, we can drive innovation and create a more inclusive digital future where everyone can thrive.
Serendipitously, this year’s World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD), to be held on May 17, 2025, will focus on gender equality in digital transformation.
With two global celebrations emphasizing the importance of gender parity in digital transformation, now is the time to accelerate actions to close this gap and motivate people and societies to achieve sustainable development.
In celebration of the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) 160th anniversary, the Government of Canada is partnering with the ITU to bring nine young women (ages 18–25) to Geneva, recognizing their contributions to digital development and transformation worldwide. The ITU160 Gender Champions initiative especially encourages applications from young women in developing nations, least developed countries, landlocked developing states, small island developing states, as well as indigenous women and women with disabilities.
AI-Generated Image Depicting ‘The Role of Women in Achieving Inclusive Digital Transformation’
Education is Key for Inclusivity
Quality education is a fundamental pillar of human development, as recognized by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); yet over 250 million children remain out of school, particularly in South Asia and Africa, limiting their opportunities and their communities’ growth. This needs to be addressed because ensuring equitable and inclusive education for all—regardless of gender, race, religion, or social background—is crucial for sustainable progress.
In the digital age, equipping women with strong digital literacy skills is a must.
From basic competencies like navigating the internet to advanced ICT skills in artificial intelligence (AI), big data, cybersecurity, and software development, digital expertise opens doors to high-demand careers. However, women remain underrepresented in tech fields, making up only 22% of AI and data science professionals. This imbalance impacts the development of digital services tailored to women’s needs.
Moreover, while gender gaps in digital access have narrowed over the past two decades, progress has slowed, particularly following the pandemic. In some regions, women’s participation in ICT fields has declined, including in Australia, Europe, Latin America, and Korea. These disparities persist across geographies, limiting women's ability to engage with, and benefit from, digital transformation.
Achieving gender balance in research and innovation enhances creativity, improves product design, and ensures broader user representation. Unfortunately, women account for only a third of graduates in ICT and engineering fields. This gap requires stronger recruitment, retention, and career advancement strategies to be pursued.
Do Females Have Enough Internet Access?
Despite advancements in education, women remain underrepresented in high-potential careers, particularly in the tech sector. Globally, women have less than two-thirds of the economic opportunity that men do, and progress toward gender equality is slowing, with economic parity projected to take 170 years at the current rate.
Although access to the internet is a crucial factor in closing this gap, geographic and economic barriers continue to limit connectivity for women and girls. While gender parity in internet usage has been achieved in the Americas, Europe, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region, disparities remain elsewhere. The Asia-Pacific region is making strides; however, progress in the Arab States has plateaued, and Africa lags significantly behind other regions.
Without equal internet access, women face compounding challenges in education, employment, and digital innovation.
The gender-based digital divide has become a major obstacle in the digital era, restricting women's ability to access, use, and shape technology. Figures show that women are 30-50% less likely to use the internet for income generation or public participation than men, especially in developing countries.
This reduced internet usage specifically impacts female participation in tech design and maturation, hindering the development of inclusive digital platforms as women bring diverse perspectives that ensure digital services are user-friendly and accessible to a wider demographic. As a result, fighting the global gender gap in internet access not only encompasses achieving equality; it also includes unlocking economic and social opportunities for all.
As Gerd Müller, Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), emphasized, “The gender perspective must take center stage in our thinking, planning, and implementation of digital transformation and AI.”
Creating an Inclusive Workforce and Policies
Women’s participation in the technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) sectors is among the highest in Australasia, the Middle East, and North America. These regions have demonstrated that a diverse and inclusive workforce enhances organizational performance and culture.
Research from McKinsey revealed that companies with high gender diversity in leadership are 48% more likely to achieve financial success, and closing the gender gap could add USD 12 trillion to the global gross domestic product (GDP); thus, ensuring women’s retention and career advancement is not only ethical but also economically beneficial.
Structural barriers also exist for women with disabilities, who face even greater challenges in digital adoption. To completely bridge the digital divide, ICT strategies must integrate accessibility and inclusive design. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) previously highlighted the platform economy and gig work as vital tools for women’s economic empowerment, especially in developing countries.
A relevant niche illustrating the need for greater female representation is the booming artificial intelligence (AI) sector. Currently, gender gaps persist in AI roles, with women more likely to work as data analysts, researchers, and educators, while men dominate higher-paid software engineering and leadership positions.
To address this, policymakers must prioritize gender-sensitive digital policies to create an equitable workforce. These policies should tackle online harassment, address gender gaps in digital education, and promote women’s leadership in tech. As Rupa Das, CEO of the World Woman Foundation, states, “When women govern AI, they bring unique perspectives that balance innovation with compassion and equity with efficiency. This leadership can ensure AI evolves to solve humanity’s greatest challenges, from eradicating poverty to advancing human rights while unlocking untapped opportunities for prosperity.”
Indicating a positive trajectory, the future of AI governance and digital leadership is shifting. Studies predict that by 2030, the number of women in leading AI roles could grow by 50%, and by 2040, women could hold 40% of decision-making roles in global technology firms, up from today’s 16%.
However, achieving sustained female leadership in ICT requires overcoming significant hurdles. As Khulood Al Awadhi, Director Advanced Technology Services at Moro Hub, shared, “Managing conflicts, managing stakeholders’ expectations, balancing loads, making critical decisions, and analyzing and taking risks whenever required were all part of the challenges I had to adapt to and overcome.”
To ensure gender equity in AI and digital industries, the private sector, civil society, and international organizations must collaborate to design inclusive policies, support women’s education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and close the workforce gender gap.
With proactive strategies, women’s leadership in AI and digital transformation will not only be inevitable but essential for a sustainable future.
Empowered and Rising: Women in the Middle East
Women’s empowerment in the Middle East has gained unprecedented momentum, with women taking on leadership roles and driving societal progress.
From corporate boardrooms to entrepreneurship, regional initiatives are reshaping workplace diversity, inclusion, and economic opportunities.
Let’s look at an example from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As part of its commitment to achieve a sustainable and inclusive workplace, Zain KSA has taken bold strides in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), setting a benchmark for women’s participation in the workforce. The company has defined three key objectives for its empowerment strategy: increase workplace diversity and inclusion by 50%, grow female employment by 25%, and raise women’s representation in leadership roles to 10%. Njoud Alshehri, EVP of Strategy and Innovation at Zain KSA, elaborated on this vision, stating, “One of Zain KSA’s key goals has been to bolster its national identity by constructing a growing and evolving national telecoms sector, incorporating local content elements and Saudi talent, and emphasizing its commitment to ensuring an effective role for women.”
With a long-term commitment to DEI, Zain KSA continues to introduce progressive policies and initiatives that not only promote gender equity but also overlap technological innovation with workforce empowerment.
Similarly, the UAE stands as a regional pioneer in gender equality, ranking first in the Arab world and seventh globally on the UN Gender Inequality Index. Landmark initiatives such as the National Strategy for Emirati Women, du’s Gender Balance Council, and targeted STEM policies have propelled Emirati women into leadership roles—especially in the ICT sector.
His Excellency Eng. Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, Director General of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), reaffirmed this commitment, adding, “We embraced the UN’s ‘Leave No One Behind’ slogan decades ago. In fact, for us, it was more than just a slogan; we made it a real action plan. From the earliest days of the union, women have received support from the leadership in education and training, leading to their empowerment.”
Breaking barriers in ICT leadership, du’s first female Emirati CXO, Hanan Ahmed, shared advice for aspiring female professionals, “Keep an open mind and remember that diversity and inclusion are crucial for innovation and success in the ICT field. Continue to advocate for equal opportunities for all individuals, regardless of gender, race, or background.”
Furthermore, Ooredoo Oman’s 23rd Springboard Program has empowered over 200 Omani women, equipping them with the skills and confidence required to advance their careers and launch businesses. Designed by women, for women, the program expands opportunities across the country, fostering a more inclusive workplace.
Meanwhile, Bahrain’s ‘Riyadat Financing’ initiative has helped over 300 women-owned businesses thrive across various sectors, reinforcing the region’s commitment to female entrepreneurship.
Telecom Review’s Stance on Women Empowerment
In line with the above, some of the tech industry’s key female-oriented discussions occur at the annual Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit during the renowned ‘Women in ICT’ panel. For three consecutive years, different female executives have gathered on stage to share their perspectives on leadership, gender equality, and the progress being made in bridging the digital gender divide. They emphasized that every woman should be driven by her dream and her confidence.
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