World Bank Reiterates Women Empowerment Programmes Through STEM

The World Bank a financial institution, has reiterated its commitment to combine the gender gap in technology and science fields by supporting programmes that empower women with digital skills and STEM education.

The institutions emphasised that digital technologies can also widen the digital divide if existing inequalities persist.

World Bank in a recent blog post on its website, noted that women and girls remain devalued in information and communication technology education and careers, even as the demand for digital skills in the global economy keeps increasing.

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Citing data from its Gender Data Portal, the institution highlighted disparities in female ICT graduates, with numbers exceeding 50 percent in countries like The Gambia, Jordan, and Sint Maarten, while dropping as low as 10 percent in the Maldives.

“The World Bank Group is working with partners to close the digital divide so women and girls can reap more economic, entrepreneurial, and job benefits from the digital transformation,” the institution stated.

“This includes supporting programs to increase digital skills, expand the use of digital platforms and services, and create more inclusive digital public infrastructure,” it added.

The organisation stressed the importance of education in improving women’s participation in the formal labor market, noting that better-educated women are more likely to secure higher incomes.

To address this challenge, the World Bank has been supporting initiatives aimed at boosting women’s access to education and employment opportunities in tech-related fields.

In the Republic of Benin, for example, the National Employment Agency, through the World Bank’s Youth Inclusion Project, introduced the “Azôli” program to tackle unemployment and underemployment among women and youth with limited education.

Similarly, in the Kyrgyz Republic, the Livelihoods for Youth Community Support Project has been working to bridge the women’s employment gap by enhancing skills development and employability.

Through these programs, the World Bank aims to ensure that women are not left behind in the global digital transformation, advocating policies and investments that promote inclusive economic growth.

PUNCH/ Chidimma Gold