More Women in ICT can Give a Thrust to GDP

It is important for many countries to inspire the fair sex to have an increased online presence and be a part of the information society. Any increase in broadband users among women will give a big thrust to national economies, a UN report has revealed.

A recent report by the UN broadband found that presence of women in information and communications technology is not at par with male presence. The report states that for every 10 percent increase in the participation of women in information society can result in a 1.38 per cent growth in gross domestic product (GDP).

In pure figures or numbers, the report goes on to say how getting an additional 600 million women and girls online will help boost global GDP by as much as US$18 billion.

"Promoting women's access to ICT or Information and communications technology - and particularly broadband - should be central to the post-2015 global development agenda," said Dr Hamadoun I. Toure, International Telecommunications Union (ITU) secretary-general and co-vice chair of the Broadband Commission.

Women should also be encouraged to take up careers in ICT. "The mobile miracle has demonstrated the power of ICT in driving social and economic growth, but this important new report reveals a worrying gender gap in access. We need to make sure that all people - and most crucially today's younger generation - have equitable access to ICT. I believe it is in the interest of every government to urgently strive to redress this imbalance."

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Source-Medindia