Session
Organizer 1: Ansari Omar, APNIC Foundation
Organizer 2: Lima Madomi, 🔒UNIGe
Speaker 1: Lima Madon
Speaker 2: Joyce Chen, Technical Community, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 3: Amrita Choudhury, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 4: Noha Ashraf Abdel Baky
Speaker 5: Arinola Akinyemi
Panel speakers include:
- Amrita Choudhury, Director, CCAOI, AP
- Noha Ashraf Abdel Baky, Technical Support Engineer II, High End Storage I, Dell Technologies, Africa
- Lima Madomi, Research and Teaching Assistant) at University of Geneva (UNIGe)
- Arinola Akinyemi, Chief Executive Officer at DigiSphere Limited, Africa
- Joyce Chen, Senior Advisor - Strategic Engagement at APNIC, WEOG
The facilitation team includes:
- Moderator: Sonal Zaveri, GESI Advisor, APNIC Foundation, AP
- Online Moderator: Gulalai Khan, Faculty LUMS- Internet Governance and Tech Policy, AP
- Rapporteur: Harisa Shahid, Associate Information Security Engineer, Strategic Systems International, AP
Sonal Zaveri
Gulalai Khan
Harisa Shahid
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: - This layout will make the session highly interactive as it puts speakers and audiences at the same level, as everyone seated in a circle facing each other and also being able to see presentations easily. - This layout can accommodate people better, allowing them to attend the session. - Our session involves speakers delivering presentations and this layout will provide a clear view of the speaker and presentation materials. - This layout will also provide a more structured environment to our session where we primarily focus on information dissemination and discussion.
- How can policymakers support initiatives that aim to increase gender diversity and inclusion in network management and operational and infrastructure development roles? - What policy frameworks are needed to address the gender gap in cybersecurity and encourage more women to pursue careers in this field? - How can government policies and industry partnerships promote mentorship, networking, and leadership opportunities for women professionals in the technology sector?
What will participants gain from attending this session? Participants in our session will: - Gain valuable insights into the multifaceted challenges hindering women’s participation in Internet development and other technical areas in the developing world and actionable strategies to address them. - Deepen understanding of the existing disparities in women’s Internet access, including infrastructure limitations, digital literacy gaps, and affordability issues. - Learn about the effectiveness of current policy frameworks in promoting digital inclusion, women participation. - Discover the importance of public-private partnerships and regional cooperation initiatives in accelerating digital inclusion efforts. Identify opportunities for stakeholder engagement and resource mobilization. - Learn best practices and successful initiatives and be equipped with new knowledge, insights, and tools to drive efforts towards universal Internet access and digital inclusion in the regions.
Description:
Gender disparities in graduates' fields vary significantly worldwide. In STEM fields, women represent only 32% of graduates across OECD nations. Globally, women are more inclined to graduate from business, law, health, and welfare studies, but this trend varies by country-- in Argentina and Indonesia, women predominantly graduate from education programs, while in India from social sciences, journalism, or information, and in Italy from arts and humanities (OECD). However, societal gender norms may perpetuate disparities in study and career choices between genders, including in Internet network engineering, cybersecurity, and other technical roles within the industry. This session is aimed at discussing challenges, opportunities and promoting diversity and inclusion in the Internet industry in developing economies. Joined by women engineers and support organizations, the session will discuss challenges and opportunities related to technical skills (in areas such as network engineering, cybersecurity, and DNS) and doing business and showcase success stories in the Internet industry. The session will strive to realize the following objectives: - Highlight the importance of gender diversity and inclusion in Internet network engineering and technical roles in the regions that are underserved. - Discuss challenges, barriers, and biases faced by women in pursuing careers in Internet network engineering and identify strategies to overcome them. - Showcase success stories and achievements of women professionals on the Internet, highlighting their contributions and impact. - Explore opportunities for skill development, professional development, networking, and leadership roles for women in the technology industry.
- Actionable Policy Recommendations: The session is expected to generate tailored policy recommendations for improving women participation and gender inclusion in the Internet. These recommendations will be compiled into a report for dissemination to policymakers and stakeholders. - Partnership Building: By fostering collaboration among diverse sectors, the session is expected to create new partnerships to mobilize resources and share best practices for accelerating the inclusion efforts. - Knowledge Exchange: Participants will share insights and best practices, deepening understanding of connectivity challenges and informing future interventions. - Capacity Development: Through interactive discussions, participants will gain insights and strategies to effectively address internet connectivity challenges in their communities. - Follow-up Initiatives: The session will lay the groundwork for ongoing initiatives to further advance women participation, ensuring sustained progress towards universal access and digital inclusion focusing on the offline populations.
Hybrid Format: To ensure an engaging hybrid session, we will employ several strategies: Our main moderator will be participating on site. We will designate a skilled remote moderator to facilitate seamless interaction between onsite and online speakers and attendees. The moderator will actively manage discussions, ensuring all voices are heard and questions are addressed. We will design the session with a balanced focus on both onsite and online participants, utilizing visual aids and clear communication to maintain engagement across both platforms. We will leverage online tools/platforms such as interactives, chat features, and collaborative document sharing to enhance participation and interaction. We will prioritize accessibility and interactivity to create a cohesive and inclusive experience for all participants, regardless of their location.
Report
Policymakers and societal norms must evolve to support women in Internet networking and technology. This includes ensuring equal access to education and the Internet, promoting inclusive workplaces, and challenging gender stereotypes.
Mentorship programs are crucial for women's advancement in Internet networking and technology. Creating opportunities for women to connect with experienced professionals can provide guidance, support, and inspiration.
Organizations to prioritize diversity and inclusion in their hiring practices and workplace culture. Flexible work arrangements, fair compensation, and equal opportunities for advancement are essential to retain and empower women in tech.
Plicymakers to enact legislation that promotes gender equality, supports women's rights, and fosters a conducive environment for women in tech and allow them to take part in the policy making processes.
Collaboration between industries and government to offer mentorship and sponsorship programs to empower women, share knowledge, and create opportunities for career advancement specifically to the younger generation so that they can come up to the leading positions.