Women in the Digital World
March 8, 2024-Office of Press and Public Relations
At GTU, a program dedicated to International Women's Day on March 8 discussed women in the digital world. The panel was supported by activities titled "From Seed to Sapling" and "From Dream to Reality."
The Women and Family Studies Application and Research Center (KUAM) at Gebze Technical University (GTU) organized a panel titled "Women in the Digital World: Challenges and Solutions" for International Women's Day on March 8. Held at the GTU Congress and Cultural Center's Red Hall, the panel addressed the challenges women face in the digital world and proposed solutions to these challenges. The program was attended by GTU Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. Işıl Kurnaz, panelists Prof. Dr. Funda Sivrikaya Şerifoğlu, Nur Benli, Elçin Tunçer, Yekta Acar, academics, GTU students, and high school students.
The panel was coordinated by KUAM Board Member and Department of Computer Engineering Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Didem Gözüpek. Topics such as the situation of women in digital media and other digital platforms, women's access to digital technologies, and digital literacy were discussed.
GTU Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. Işıl Kurnaz, who delivered the opening speech of the panel on "Women in the Digital World: Challenges and Solutions" on International Women's Day, stated, "Today, on International Women's Day, I am honored to be with you at the opening of this panel titled 'Women in the Digital World: Challenges and Solutions,' organized by the Gebze Technical University Women and Family Studies Application and Research Center. I believe that this important panel will increase awareness of gender inequality in the digital world and contribute to taking concrete steps towards solutions.
As you know, International Women's Day is celebrated annually worldwide as an occasion to celebrate women's achievements in society and to draw attention to ongoing inequalities. On this special day, we come together to appreciate women's accomplishments on one hand, and on the other hand, to remember the distance that needs to be covered towards equality and to continue the struggle in this regard.
The digital world has become a force that influences and transforms every aspect of our lives today. We use digital tools in various areas such as access to information, communication, education, work, and entertainment. In fact, as mentioned in the "Bridging the Digital Gender Divide" report prepared by the OECD in 2018, the greater participation of women in the digital world is of great importance both for them to realize their full potential and for the development of societies.
However, there is still significant inequality between women and men in accessing opportunities in the digital world and actively participating in these areas. A study conducted by UNESCO in 2023 found that globally, women's ownership of smartphones is 1.8 times lower than that of men, with approximately 46% of men accessing the internet from their phones compared to about 27% of women. In addition to personal digital skills and opportunities, it is observed that women lag behind men in accessing the internet and using digital tools in education and employment, which also leads to women being disadvantaged in social and economic life.
Therefore, it is important to take some steps to close this digital divide between women and men, such as conducting studies to improve the education and skills of girls and women in the fields of information technology and technology, raising awareness to change gender roles and stereotypes, and developing encouraging policies to increase women's participation in the digital world.
In this regard, it is of great importance for all stakeholders, such as public institutions, the private sector, civil society organizations, and academia, to work together. As Gebze Technical University, we also aspire to make the digital world a space that offers equal opportunities for women and men through joint efforts towards this solution. The "GTU Gender Equality Plan," prepared by the Women and Family Studies Application and Research Center under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Nihal Bektaş, is an important milestone in this regard. The ratio of female students in undergraduate and graduate programs at our institution is approximately 42%, and the ratio of female academic staff is approximately 51%. We are also proud that 20% of our University Senate consists of female administrators and academics, and we believe that it is important to maintain and increase these ratios.
I believe that today's event, with valuable speakers and participants like you, will contribute significantly to increasing awareness and taking concrete steps towards solutions on this important issue. The presentations and discussions to be held with different perspectives in the panel will provide us with a more comprehensive understanding of gender inequality in the digital world."
Following the speech and panel, the Association of Women Engineers and Architects' (MÜKAD) Mentorship Program was introduced. The "From Seed to Sapling" event organized by the GTU Sustainability Office was also included in the program. In the event supported by the GTU Young TEMA Society, pine tree seeds provided by the TEMA Foundation were planted in pots to meet with soil. Berk Emre Engin, President of the GTU Young TEMA Society, provided information about the pine trees provided by the TEMA Foundation.
At the end of the program, Prof. Dr. Meral Elçi, Coordinator of the Social Impact Division and Faculty Member of the Business Administration Department, provided information about the division and thanked everyone involved in these series of events, where three separate divisions of the university worked together in harmony. The panel program concluded with the "From Dream to Reality" Painting Workshop conducted by the Social Impact Division, 15 volunteer GTU students, and 2 external volunteering trainer artists.
