Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1418273
11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 10 OCTOBER 2021 OPINION Girls need access to devices, networks, and data to use and create digital content. They also need to be digitally literate to fully participate in and contribute to digital life, be safe online, and develop analytical and critical skills Renee Laiviera And… well, they still do. Simply put: this 'pact' does nothing whatsoever to 'level out the playing field', for local companies currently compet- ing in the Maltese economy. All it does is make it a lot harder for Malta to continue competing internationally, that's all: which, naturally, leads us the second of those small problems I mentioned earlier. Yet again, there's another well-known saying that fits it rather well: this time, from the typical Maltese school playground: "Min hu gewwa, gewwa; min hu barra, barra…" In other words: this pact may not directly threaten any ex- isting, established company, of the kind that is already here; but… what of the future? How are we to entice more FDIs tomorrow – which is when Caruana so recently promised us a 'transformation' of our economic model - when we have just been forced to throw away the only competitive as- set we ever had? ("The only thing that remains, for an EU member state to balance out whatever other disadvantages it might have," remember?) And more to the point: how, exactly, can Malta also be ex- pected to maintain – still less, improve upon - its current rate of economic growth? Because that's another thing: I suspect Caruana was being overly polite, when he gave the above explanation for why 'every country is bowing its head to the agreement'. As we all know, however, the real reason is that all those countries were simply held at gun-point (almost literally, too: there were threats to 'sus- pend Veto rights'; to 'withhold Covid recovery' funds; to 're- verse the polarity of the neu- tron-flow'… you name it, they threatened us with it…). And, well, guess what? The same forces that held a gun to our head, and compelled us to acquiesce to its 'tax pax' against our will… also insist that Malta – and all other EU member states – has to main- tain a steady, 3.8% annual growth in its GDP: each year, every year, and for all time… It's called the 'Growth and Stability Pact'; and of course, all the usual EU disclaimers apply. "Resistance is futile"; "What's good for the syndi- cate, is good for the entire Universe"; and, most impor- tant of all: "failure to comply comes with all the usual pen- alties and fines…" (unless, of course, you happen to be ei- ther Germany or France… in which case, it's: "move along now, there's nothing to see here…") But… ah well. As Sam Gam- gee would probably have put it: "There's no use crying over a few spilt lembas crumbs, Master Frodo." And besides: while the deal itself may be rotten to the core, for small, peripheral countries such as Malta… let's look on the bright side for a change. It's good for the richest and most powerful countries in the world, isn't it? And, well… wasn't that the whole point all along? Renée Laiviera is Equality Commissioner, National Commission Promotion of Equality Digital revolution? Not without girls "IF girls learn to create a website or use so- cial media, they can share their experience, and learn from others", points out Houda, a 19-year-old French student who is reading for a degree in computer science. "When I told my friends, I was going to study computer science [in university], they all warned me it was a male-dominated field," Houda explains. Today, she is the only girl out of 15 students in her university cohort. Houda believes that digital skills can play an essential role in broadening the knowl- edge and widening the horizons of adoles- cents, and girls in particular, by connecting them to the outside world. Houda has begun teaching programming skills to family and friends in her commu- nity, including her two little brothers. She hopes to pursue a ca- reer in big data or Arti- ficial Intelligence (AI). "We need to demysti- fy computer science, show it is a tool useful to everyone in every- day life, and introduce computer science as a regular subject as ear- ly as middle school. We live in a digital era now. These skills are essential." In this context, the theme chosen by the United Nations Chil- dren's Fund (UNICEF) for this year's Interna- tional Day of the Girl Child 'Digital generation. Our generation.' will call attention to the power and diversi- ty of adolescent girls as digital change-mak- ers and designers of learning. It also strives for solutions that address the challenges and opportunities girls face in their digital worlds. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerat- ed digital platforms for learning, earning, and connecting. Yet, currently around 2.2 billion people below the age of 25 still do not have internet access at home, with girls more likely to be cut off. Moreover, the gender gap for global in- ternet users grew from 11% in 2013 to 17% in 2019, while globally, the percentage of females among Science Technology Engi- neering and Mathematics (STEM) grad- uates is below 15% in over two-thirds of countries. Digital access is vital for women and girls as it can help them expand their sense of self in the world, increase civic engage- ment, and raise awareness of their rights. "Without increased digital adoption and use, girls will have fewer employment op- portunities and will face additional barriers to workforce participation" since in today's digital age, jobs require advanced digital skills to engage with a digital economy. Additionally, harmful gendered stereo- types and norms may impact digital reali- ties and potential benefits for women and girls as well for the sector itself. In order to address this reality, the Na- tional Commission for the Promotion of Equality (NCPE) works to safeguard gen- der equality by creating awareness-raising campaigns and providing training sessions to different groups of women and men on challenging and ad- dressing gender ste- reotypes. As part of this process, in 2020, the NCPE organised a Conference on AI and gender equality that offered an opportuni- ty to assess and reflect on the role, experience and work of relevant stakeholders in AI, to raise awareness on gender equality and AI, and to highlight the necessary meas- ures to sustain an envi- ronment which is free from any form of dis- crimination. Moreover, the NCPE is empowered by Chapter 456 of the Laws of Malta to inves- tigate complaints of alleged discrimination on the grounds of sex/gender and family responsibilities in employment, education, and vocational training as well as by banks and financial institutions. To close the gender digital divide, factors such as access, digital literacy, and online safety should be addressed. Girls need ac- cess to devices, networks, and data to use and create digital content. They also need to be digitally literate to fully participate in and contribute to digital life, be safe online, and develop analytical and critical skills. The International Day of the Girl Child focuses attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls' empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights. On this internation- al day, let's increase our commitment by taking a strong generational gender lens to address the digital divide experienced by today's generation of girls.