Women propose national gender digital inclusion agenda

The Women in Internet Governance Forum (Women-IGF) has proposed a national gender inclusion agenda aimed at ending gender digital divide in the country.

This was disclosed by the Programme Assistant, Gender and Internet Advocacy, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Maryam Ado Haruna, during a press briefing on Tuesday in Kano.

“The goal of the agenda is to promote the digital inclusion of women in Nigeria especially in rural communities where lack of infrastructure, education and poverty created conditions that made use of internet difficult for women,” she said

She added that the vision of the agenda was to provide universal access to a free, safe, affordable and secure internet to the women.

Miss Haruna said the proposal was the outcome of a meeting held in Abuja on the 18th and 19th of September, 2018, organized by CITAD with support from Association for Progressive Communication, in which over 50 women journalist, CSOs and other professionals came together to identify women digital challenges.

She added that the forum has identified actors that have major roles to play in achieving the aim of the agenda, and these actors include NCC, NITDA, NOA, CSOs, Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), federal and states ministries of women affairs and education, media, religious and traditional institutions among others.