Women benefit greatly from digitalization - Mayor Joy
Published Mar 19, 2023 07:15 am
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said that women stand to benefit greatly from digitalization as it provides them opportunities and access to education, work, business, and healthcare.
In her speech during the Samahan ng mga Pilipina para sa Reporma at Kaunlaran (SPARK) Philippines’ “Women Forging the Digital Future” event on March 15, the mayor encouraged the women to take advantage of the benefits of digitalization (utilization of technology or internet in providing various services) in their careers and livelihood.
According to the mayor, technology creates opportunities for women to participate in the workforce through various means like work-from-home arrangements that allowed them to achieve a work-life balance.
She added that digital tools such as e-commerce platforms or e-wallets also enable women entrepreneurs to reach a wider market, and gain financial freedom, control, and power.
The mayor said that around 1,261 women-owned small and medium enterprises have received e-commerce and digital packages through the city government’s programs such as “Tindahan ni Ate Joy” that provides livelihood assistance to women, and the POP QC bazaar.
She also said that digitalization can help women access healthcare services, especially those who live in far-flung areas or have mobility issues.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the local government utilized the “BantAI COVID” artificial intelligence (AI) system to monitor the health status of thousands of Covid-19 patients in the city.
The city government also has a telemedicine program that helped address the needs of women with mental health concerns.
“Moving forward, governments and private organizations can work together to expand internet access in underserved areas. Access to digital devices such as computers and smartphones are all necessary to democratize the benefits of digitalization. The affordability of these digital devices needs to be addressed,” Belmonte said.
The city government said it installed almost 4,000 access points in more than 800 sites in the city that provide internet connection allowing residents get information through online data sources and engage in online transactions.
“Digitalization has indeed made education more accessible to women around the world. We now have access to a wider range of courses and educational materials regardless of our location. We can learn new skills to help us advance in our careers,” the mayor said.
She also encouraged more women to embrace the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic (STEM) as it would help eliminate gender-based biases and stereotypes, and empower them in the digital space
"More women in STEM will be active and critical in addressing the welfare of all women in the development of technology in the future," Belmonte said.